The Indian Weekender, Friday 03 April 2020

03APR2020 | Vol 12 Issue 03

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COVID-19: LOCKDOWN WEEK 1 Temporary workers falling through cracks

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Govt needs to make clear plan for temporary workers falling through the cracks ¡ SANDEEP SINGH

M

ore and more temporary workers, who have been in New Zealand for many years on different visas are being left out unsupported from either government’s wage subsidy scheme or other welfare schemes during the Alert Level 4 Lockdown.

While most of the New Zealanders continue to receive the support announced so generously by the government, a vast majority of temporary migrant workers are being left out, and more so - without any clear information of where to seek the help that they are seeking.

The Indian Weekender has been in touch with several desperate temporary workers who have been present in the country for many years on different work visas and paying their taxes but fail to neatly qualify under the eligibility criteria for the government›s wage subsidy scheme.

The government’s multi-layered welfare schemes are not covering temporary migrant workers during these unsettling times.

Rujul Ramabhai Chaudhari, 25, who first arrived in New Zealand in 2015 on a student visa and getting an open work visa in 2017 told The Indian Weekender how he was struggling to find financial support after the country went into a complete lockdown that froze all work opportunities.

Rujul says “this is not fair.” I have been working for almost the entire period of my stay in New Zealand on work visas and paying my taxes.”

“It was just that I was out of a job for one week while waiting for the change of visa label from Immigration New Zealand to be able to start my new job when we went into lockdown.”

“Now technically I am without any job and any employer to apply and get the wage subsidy for me.”

“I have got a sitting job offer but cannot start without getting my visa label changed from INZ,” a desperate Rujul told The Indian Weekender.

Rujul was working as a Class-2 level Truck Driver when made redundant on March 16, and given only a week’s notice, with March 23 as the last working day, by his employer as per his contract.

However, regardless of the redundancy, based on his skills and demonstrable work experience, Rujul was able to find a job with another employer and had rightly applied for Variance of Condition with Immigration New Zealand so as to change the name of the employer on his visa label.

Rujul was waiting at home to get his visalabel changed when the country entered into complete lockdown on Wednesday, 11.59 pm March 26.

Friday, April 03, 2020

The Indian Weekender

While most of the New Zealanders continue to receive the support announced so generously by the government, a vast majority of temporary migrant workers are being left out, and more so - without any clear information of where to seek the help that they are seeking.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson had announced a wage subsidy scheme first on March 23 and subsequently modified further on March 28, cushioning workers and businesses

to deal with the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sadly, Rujul does not qualify for the wage subsidy scheme as only employers can apply and get this from the government, and Rujul

The Indian Weekender

Friday, April 03, 2020

was caught-up without any job for the only time of the last five years of his working life.

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Expectant couple struggles to find financial support

Similarly, another Kiwi-Indian couple Suhail Zaidi and Shadma who were on Essential Skills Work Visa and are expecting their first child in May 2020 are running from post to post to get financial support during these unsettling times after Suhail was made redundant by his Australia-based employer.

“I was made redundant on March 25, and as per the contract, the company does not have any redundancy payout. I have been paid my wages for March and was advised that April 7 will be my last day.”

“Since then I have been trying to find out ways and means to get any financial support to help our growing family through this lockdown period,” Suhel said.

Another desperate temporary migrant working couple seeking help

Another Kiwi-Indian couple Harvinder Singh Mehrok and Gurbinder Kaur Saini, who were waiting for a change of visa labels from Immigration New Zealand to be able to start their new jobs are struggling to find any financial support or information during the lockdown period.

“We both came to New Zealand on student visas about four-five years ago and have been on work visas since then.”

“My wife works as a senior caregiver and had applied for a change of visa in early March this year to able to start her new job,” Harvinder said.

“I became redundant from my previous job in February when I was away overseas on approved holidays.”

“I came back and applied for a new job and got it and had applied for the same change of visa label on March 2.”

“We are not sure if Immigration New Zealand

(INZ) is working or not during this lockdown, but right now we have become jobless with no financial support,” Harvinder told the Indian Weekender.

“Now we are almost out of our savings as well and really worried about what to do,” a worried Harvinder said.

Calls to Work and Income not getting help

While all other New Zealanders who do not qualify for the government’s wage subsidy scheme are still able to get some form of welfare support during these times of complete lockdown.

However, unfortunately, Rujul and Suhel do not qualify, and their repeated, desperate phone calls to Work and Income have been politely refused for the lack of eligibility to receive any support.

Speaking to The Indian Weekender Suhel said “I have been on the phone to various government agencies since the news of the company winding up operations was made available to me. I have spoken to the Covid-19 relief helpline who put me on to the Ministry of Social Development. I heard back from them that a case officer from Work and Income will be assigned my case and will look into the matter to help me with the situation.”

“I was later contacted by a case officer from WINZ, who advised me that I do not qualify for the COVID-19 wage relief as I am not a resident.”

“I have since been advised to speak to IRD,

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MBIE, Immigration NZ, but all in vain,” said a visibly anxious Suhel.

A clearly exasperated Rujul, on the other hand, asks, “Everyone is saying that we all are in this together.”

“How is this together? We are being left out for no fault of ours,” Rujul asks frustratingly.

The Indian Weekender has received many desperate calls from people in Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and beyond, who shied away from sharing their photos or names for the story for fear of any vendetta later by government agencies.

However, they have the same frustrations about the lack of information on any support for temporary workers during these critical times.

What does the government say?

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The Indian Weekender has been following up with various government offices and Ministries to find any «nodal agency» that the government might have created to coordinate all help for temporary workers during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Last week, the office of the Minister of Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa had followed up The Indian Weekender’s enquiry with the Ministry of Social Development and got a response, which cleared that all help, if any, for the temporary migrants was not being extended

by MSD, but rather the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

The Indian Weekender has subsequently reported, advising the Kiwi-Indian and the wider migrant community to direct their enquiries for request directly to the office of the MBIE as per the last communication received from the MSD. However, The Indian Weekender has learnt that temporary migrant workers seeking help directly from MBIE have not been successful either.

Since then The Indian Weekender had sent another enquiry to the office of the MBIE requesting clear information for temporary migrant workers who are caught up in the cracks and being left unsupported during these critical times, and a response is awaited.

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NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage

Friday, April 03, 2020

The Indian Weekender

Govt allows Kiwis to buy whitewares and other essential goods during lockdown Businesses must operate responsibly and only make available for sale genuine essential goods - goods that are necessities of life

¡ SANDEEP SINGH

G

ovt makes concessions in essential businesses, as Kiwis are allowed to buy essential whiteware goods.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has issued the following statement today: The Government has decided that the sale of essential goods such as heaters, whiteware and computers will be allowed - in recognition of the need for people to safely isolate, stay connected to one another and work or study from home. In order to protect public safety, there are conditions around the selling of these goods. These are outlined below.

The Government indicated at the start of the shutdown that we were considering whether some products could be made available online or by phone and we have decided there are essential non-food products that people should be able to buy so they can safely isolate and stop the spread of COVID-19.

Essential goods are those that will keep people warm (heaters, blankets), replace key household appliances, and maintain people’s health. Examples of essential products are blankets, fridges, heaters and computers or tablets to work from home or do distance learning, or simply connect with people. If people can’t buy these, then we risk people venturing out of their homes more often.

Businesses must operate responsibly and only make available for sale genuine essential goods - goods that are necessities of life while ensuring we restrict the movement of people and workers to combat COVID-19.

The public must order responsibly purchasing only those items that are absolutely necessary to facilitate life and work during the lockdown period.

In order to be able to sell these essential goods, businesses must:

• Only take orders online or by phone and keep storefronts shut.

• Take orders for only essential non-food goods.

• Home delivers all essential goods in a contactless way and not allow people to visit stores to select or collect goods.

• Take all appropriate public health measures to protect their staff and customers (e.g. physical distancing, hygiene basics, appropriate personal protective equipment).

“Fruits and Vege shops to close,” says

MBIE, after MPI allowed shops to open earlier ¡ SANDEEP SINGH

T

he two government departments continue to send out mutually contradictory messages regarding allowing fruits and veggie shops to function as “Essential Services” during Alert Level-4 complete lockdown.

The latest response received by the Indian Weekender to its earlier enquiry on Monday, March 30, the official permission around Fruits and veggie shops, received this morning conveyed the Government›s latest decision to deem those businesses as non-essential, and hence to remain closed during the lockdown period.

“The Government needs to put in restrictions on which business can and cannot supply essential services to minimise the spread of Covid 19. The more businesses we have open, the harder it will be to contain the spread of Covid 19. Fruit and vegetable stores are deemed as non-essential as the products they sell can be bought from supermarkets.

Supermarkets are classified as essential services,” an official spokesperson of MBIE said.

“The Government has been closely monitoring how the Essential Services requirements

have been operating since they were introduced, and we have been listening to feedback and making changes as we go where necessary. We signalled from the beginning that what constitutes an essential service or business may change during this period of shutdown. To get the most up to date information on what is an essential service,” the spokesperson further said.

However, it was not clear if the MBIE’s latest verdict will override permission granted to several fruits and veggie stores that the Indian Weekender has reliably learnt had been able to seek official permission from the office of the Ministry of Primary Industry on Friday, March 28.

The office of the MPI had initiated a registration process from businesses in primary food and agriculture industry to establish if their businesses can remain operational under Covid 19 Alert level 4 lockdown.

Friday, March 28, 5 pm was the deadline of the registration from the businesses, and it is expected that MPI officials will start inspecting b u s i n e s s premises from today to see if strict hygiene and social-distancing rules are being adhered Notably, based on email confirmation received from the office of the MPI, a few fruits and veggies shops, the Indian weekender had reliably learnt, were able to open their shops on Saturday, after their shops were earlier closed by the New Zealand Police.

The Indian Weekender understands that it is a fastevolving situation and the Government is continuously assessing and updating about the eligibility of businesses to function as “essential services.”

However, it is not clear, which Ministry’s decision will have the final verdict with regards to the fruits and veggies shops.

The Indian Weekender has sent another enquiry to the office of the MBIE about more clarification on which government department›s verdict was full and final at the time of publishing of this story, and a response is awaited.

• Notify MBIE that they meet these conditions and intend to offer essential goods for sale and provide a list of those products. See covid19.govt.nz • for more information on how to do this.

If a business cannot meet these conditions, they should not offer to sell essential goods while the country is at Alert Level 4. If businesses are too generous in their interpretation of what is “essential” or flout these rules, Government will take further action.

MBIE also says that they recognize it may take some time for businesses to amend their systems in order to comply with these conditions so we ask the public to be patient.

Information on Essential Services is being regularly updated on covid19.govt.nz ••

Community newspapers are now deemed again as ‘Essential Services’ ¡ IWK BUREAU

T

he Government is refining its COVID-19 essential business guide to include the distribution of news publications for communities which are hard to reach.

The Minister of Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, Kris Faafoi, said the move was in recognition of the importance for New Zealanders who might be harder to reach having access to news publications, which can share important up-to-date public health messaging during the COVID-19 emergency.

Notably, media has always been deemed as essential services ever since the country went into Alert Level-4 Lockdown on Wednesday, March 26. However, in a subsequent update to the list of Essential Services by the Ministry of Business and Employment (MBIE) they were removed from the essential services allowed to operate during the lockdown period, raising many concerns across the communities. subsequently.

Following increased concerns from various communities, including the opposition National Party, the government has today again included them in the list of Essential Services.

“We recognise there are remote parts of New Zealand with limited digital connectivity, as well as non-English language communities which rely on these outlets to keep informed, so we have expanded the COVID-19 essential business guidance to include community

news publications which can meet certain criteria,” Kris Faafoi said.

The guidance has expanded to cover news publications that: serve a need for hard to reach rural communities, with reduced connectivity, and/or serve non-English speaking communities, and have appropriate health and safety measures to minimise the spread of COVID-19 during production and delivery.

“We have to maintain a balance of people being able to stay connected with important information which they can trust while also ensuring New Zealanders’ health and stopping the spread of the COVID virus remain our top priorities.

“The Government asks that where community media content can be provided by other means, such as online, we ask them to focus on those modes of publication during the heightened COVID-19 Alert.

But we accept that there are remote communities and non-English language communities who may not be able to access up-to-date information by other means.

“The Government recognises that these were already difficult times for traditional media across the sector, even before COVID-19 hit, and that restrictions which remain in place for other publications, such as non-daily magazines, are adding to their financial challenges.

“The Government remains committed to providing assistance through the wage subsidy and business support packages which have been rolled out in response to this global health emergency,” Kris Faafoi said.

The Indian Weekender

Friday, April 03, 2020

INZ allows international students, temporary visa-holders working in supermarkets to work full-time Changes have been made to relax visa restrictions for international students who are workig and those on work visas

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I

n a major move to ramp-up the shortage of work-force in the supermarkets, the Immigration New Zealand on Monday, March 30, issued a relaxation allowing international students to work full-time as a response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Changes have been made to immigration instructions to relax visa restrictions for two groups of current supermarket employees for a period of 30 days vide Operational Manual: Amendment Circular No. 2020.

The instructions, along with allowing international students, who are mandated to work only 20 hours per week normally, to work full-time, also removes any restrictions on the work-visa holders already working in the supermarkets to work at an area beyond the scope of their original visa-restrictions.

“Work visa holders to allow them to work in roles other than specified on their visa” “student visa holders to allow them to work more than 20 hours per week” “These changes have been made in response

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to supermarkets experiencing immediate labour supply issues, particularly to meet the increased demand for shelf re-stocking, and their subsequent request to relax visa restrictions for migrant workers,” the new immigration instructions said.

Key points

• This decision only applies to those international students/work visa holders who are already employed and working in major supermarkets.

• The decision covers temporary workers from March -25 - April 25, 2020 • The definition of ‘supermarket’ is tightly defined, limited to retailers selling primarily food and groceries, who are affiliated with Woolworths New Zealand or Foodstuffs Limited.

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The Indian Weekender

‘Unskilled workers’ now

keeping New Zealand going security. Immigration New Zealand have insisted that they are unskilled and have told them that after three years they must leave, insisting that Kiwis should be doing their jobs.

However, the current Covid-19 pandemic has shown us that they are not less essential workers.

¡ SANDEEP SINGH FOR RNZ

I

t’s time for New Zealand to shed its long-accumulated collective hypocrisy of treating temporary migrant workers with contempt and disrespect.

That’s not to suggest that the majority of New Zealanders harbour some kind of racist hostility towards ethnic minority migrant communities. Indeed, New Zealand has a proud reputation of being a friendly, casual, progressive country that believes in a spirit of kindness and fairness towards everyone.

However, regardless of this collective sense of ourselves, there is a dark underbelly of treating our ethnic migrant workers with contempt - especially the most visible migrant workforce in our supermarkets, petrol stations, aged care sector, security and food distribution.

Often, this underbelly gets exposed when anti-immigrant emotions flareup - occasionally at a political level and more so when we head towards an election.

This collective disdain is crystallized in Immigration New Zealand’s categorisation of these seemingly menial jobs as ‘unskilled’ which propels those vulnerable workers towards an unending cycle

of migrant exploitation by some unscrupulous employers.

These ‘unskilled’ workers are first lured onshore with a bogus, and often non-existing, promise of residency pathways.

Depending on the political urgency to win elections, the contempt and disrespect towards these lowly-paid temporary migrant workers further escalates into full-blown attacks and accusations of being responsible for every infrastructure-deficit facing our towns and cities.

The Covid-19 pandemic lockdown has suddenly catapulted those previously ‘less-essential’, and hence less desirable workers, to the position of being frontline workers in the essential services needed to keep everyday New Zealanders’ daily lives going during these unsettling times.

Recognising the critical role that these workers play in the smooth operation of our supermarkets and supply chains during complete lockdown, the Government has quietly on Monday 30 March, relaxed the visa restrictions on international students and work visa holders, so that our supermarkets do not face any major disruption.

Temporary workers have had to endure institutionalised contempt which is ingrained in the immigration system, where jobs such as departmental managers in supermarkets are deemed as unskilled and hence not worthy for permanent migration.

For many years now migrant workers on temporary visas have struggled to obtain residency working in jobs such as supermarkets, supply chains, truck driving, healthcare and

Is it not a quiet admission of the government’s own hypocrisy?

For many ethnic migrant workers and their genuine, compassionate and progressive Kiwi friends, who have for years noted this selective prejudice, this might be an admission of the Government’s hypocrisy towards our shelf-stackers and other frontline workers.

Governments have for years determined the desirability of new migrants by skill level, or by salary level, but in a crisis, we can now see who the real workers are providing value and essential skills to the country. What will their reward be for keeping us all fed and healthy? Will they be told that they are unskilled and stealing other people’s jobs or will this crisis now show their value and benefit to the country that has not yet been previously recognised?

Immigration lawyer Alastair McClymont of McClymont Associates concurs:

“The current focus on essential workers actually begs the question ‘who is skilled?’ and ‘what type of worker in NZ is in fact essential?’ and ‘how do we then encourage and reward those essential workers?’

“Government should give them a real pathway to residency. Reward them for their essential work, lay down conditions of what we expect of good citizens. Lay down requirements in terms of character and a contribution to society,” Mr McClymont said.

It is time for the government to change Immigration New Zealand’s attitude towards temporary workers working in sectors such as agedcare, supermarkets, distribution and security, who are repeatedly told that they are not essential, and so have to leave the country once they are done with the jobs of caring for our most vulnerable.

If a call to reward these temporary workers with a blanket residency might be an overstretch, then at least the Government needs to change the immigration system to regard these, now proven, essential jobs as essential for the purposes of immigration.

This opinion was first published on Radio New Zealand and is re-published on The Indian Weekender with permission.

Temporary workers in distress asked to contact MBIE for help ¡ SANDEEP SINGH

F

ollowing an earlier inquiry with the office of the Minister for Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa, about a distressed KiwiIndian Chef sleeping rough in Auckland streets during the Covid-19 emergency lockdown, the Indian Weekender has received a response advising that for now the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise will be acting as the key nodal agency.

The Indian Weekender on Saturday March 28 reported that a Migrant chef was rendered homeless when he was transitioning between two jobs and had sent his passport to Immigration New Zealand for the mandatory change of visa label when the country entered into complete lockdown.

A request was sent to the office of Minister Salesa with an inquiry if there was any designated nodal agency that the government has set-up to provide more targeted help to some temporary workers who were falling under the cracks and missing out on the support that the government has been providing to everyone.

Minister Salesa had then responded immediately, assuring to find the accurate information and made further contacts within the appropriate government offices.

The Indian Weekender has received a response from the office of the Ministry of Social Development that the government has set the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise (MBIE) as the nodal agency and the first point of contact.

“The current advice from the Ministry of Social Development for people on temporary visas is to contact The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment on 0508 754163,” response from the office of the Minister of Social development Caramel Sepuloni said.

The office of the Minister for Ethnic Affairs has also assured that they will be making further follow-ups to ensure the right help reaches out to migrant workers in distress.

Meanwhile, The Kiwi-Indian Chef who was rendered homeless ever since the country had

entered into the Level-4 lockdown has finally been able to get accommodation following an intervention from the office of the Hon Consul of India, on behalf of the Indian High Commission.

The Indian Weekender will continue reporting on the matters related to the KiwiIndian community and the wider migrant community and get accurate information.

For now, migrant temporary workers in distress are encouraged to call MBIE on 0508 754163, while possibly further support systems

“The current advice from the Ministry of Social Development for people on temporary visas is to contact The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment on 0508 754163

come into place during these unprecedented times.

The Indian Weekender

NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage

Friday, April 03, 2020

7

Indian High Commission extends food supplies for Indians hit by the lockdown T ¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD

he Indian High Commission has come forward to help those individuals who are stranded in New Zealand without a job or access to basic amenities.

The initiative was taken when stranded members of the Indian community reached out to the High Commission on social media asking for help as they have been rendered out of a job, or without a proper visa to continue or start work during this lockdown that started on Thursday, March 26.

Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust, a community organisation, working for the senior citizens of the Indian community in Auckland has taken the lead in coordinating with different Indian grocery stores to arrange for food and other basic supplies for the Indians in need in Auckland.

High Commission of India published a poster on its social media asking eligible Indian community members facing difficulties with necessary food supplies to register themselves with www.

COVIDsupport.co.nz and email their details to hoc.wellington.gov.in so that things can be arranged for them to pick up or be delivered if needed.

Coordinating with the High

Commission of India in Wellington, Jeet Suchdev from Bhartiya Samaj reached out to several Indian grocery stores in Auckland collecting basic and raw food supplied.

The food packets included cooking oil, salt, 10 kgs rice and flour, juice cans, sugar, lentils, tea, 5 kg onion and potato bags, some nonperishable vegetables and different varieties of beans.

Mr Jeet Suchdev on Tuesday, March 31, assembled with his team at 12 Puhinui Road in Papatoetoe, Auckland, with over 15 packets of food supply packets.

Mr Suchdev and his team of volunteers maintaining the social distancing rule stood with the

supplies when they were greeted by two individuals from different households who were affected by the lockdown with no means of income and unable to pay for their food supplies.

“We were able to get Indo Spice in Papatoetoe to arrange the groceries picked and packed so that the needy individuals or families for that matter can survive for at least three weeks to a month,” Jeet Suchdev told The Indian Weekender.

People who were in need were asked to register themselves on the Covid support website created by High Commission of India which were then analysed by the team for being eligible for this help.

The food packets distributed by Bhartiya Samaj in association with the Indian High Commissioner, included cooking oil, salt, 10 kgs rice and flour, tea, 5 kg onion and potato bags, among other grocery items

All registered members of the community were asked to provide their passport details, contact information, physical address and visa status so that their eligibility can be verified.

Selected individuals were contacted to pick up the food supplies, or if they were unable to pick up the goods, volunteers from Bhartiya Samaj dropped the good personally to their homes.

“Since Tuesday, my team and I have delivered at least 30 food packets to individuals located in different parts of Auckland city and at the same time maintaining our social distancing protocol,” Mr Suchdev added.

Speaking about the support, Mr Suchdev commended the efforts of the Indian High Commission to reach out for its citizens and help them in this hour of their need that has brought the whole country on a standby.

“It is these times that Indian citizens stranded here will remember that the Kiwi-Indian community did not forget them and did whatever in their capacity to help them, at a place away from their homeland, and I personally take this opportunity as a privilege to serve my community members just as we serve our senior citizens through Bhartiya Samaj,” Mr Suchdev added.

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NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage

Stay at home to save lives Priyanca Radhakrishnan

N

List MP based in Maungakiekie, Parliamentary Private Secretary for the Minister of Ethnic Cocmmunications

ew Zealand is now at alert level 4 of the COVID-19 alert system and the Prime Minister has indicated that this will last for at least four weeks.

Most New Zealanders are doing their part to break the chain and stop the spread of COVID-19.

Sadly, the first COVID-19 related death in New Zealand was reported on Sunday. Left unchecked, we run the risk of taking the lives of many more people.

I know that the vast majority of us are taking alert level 4 seriously and staying local and maintaining a two metre distance from others when we have to go out – thank you. However, physical distancing doesn’t mean social distancing.

Please check in on older relatives or those who are more vulnerable over the phone – or online – even if it’s just for a chat!

As I write this, on Tuesday morning, the signs are that the large majority of New Zealanders are respecting the seriousness of the situation we’re in and obeying the Level 4 rules. They’re staying home so they can help save lives.

They’re keeping their distance. They’re only venturing out for an essential service or for a little exercise and they’re generally doing it on their own. They’re keeping inside their home’s isolation bubble so we can break the chain of transmission of COVID-19.

That’s the right thing for us all do to right

now, even though it is difficult. I applaud – and thank - everyone who is taking this seriously and staying home.

Of course, there’ll always be some people who don’t obey the rules. I was pleased to hear Police Commissioner Mike Bush say that the police would be very visible in our communities from the start of the lockdown. They’ll be assisting across the entire country, but if any specific areas or regions were found to have increased activity, then police would deploy additional teams there.

They will initially take an approach of encouraging people to obey the rules and educating them about what those rules are, bearing in mind that we are in an unparalleled situation.

For almost everybody who’s not complying, that will be enough.

But if people still don’t comply and the police become aware of persistent breaches, those in breach may face arrest and/or prosecution. This is the right approach because public health and public safety must come first.

Once we get into the swing of this level 4 lockdown, I’m confident that deliberate flouting of the rules will be very rare and that other New Zealanders who care about the health of their loved ones and our wider community won’t hesitate to alert police. If you need to alert the police to a possible breach, call the police non-emergency number on 105. And as always, check www.covid19.govt.nz for useful, regularly updated information.

We’re all in this together, we need to stay home to save lives. Thank you for working together to collectively unite against COVID-19.

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Friday, April 03, 2020

The Indian Weekender

Outgoing police commissioner Mike Bush reflects on 42 years in the service ¡ RADIO NEW ZEALAND Outgoing Police Commissioner Mike Bush

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olice commissioner Mike Bush will this evening hang up his cap for the final time.

Bush is retiring from the police after 42 years in the service.

He will continue to lead the response to the nationwide lockdown caused by the global Covid-19 pandemic, but from now on he says he will be fronting media without the “bling” of his police issue suit.

Earlier, RNZ’s police reporter Ben Strang asked him what he was most proud of from his time in the police.

“We’ve modernised and transformed everything,” Bush said.

“That takes a lot of work by the leadership of the organisation. I’d say that’s what I’m most proud of.

“How we’ve moved an organisation, shaped the culture, shaped and driven a new way of leading, how we’ve used technology to enable everything we need to do, and to provide a really modern service for people.”

Bush has led the police through a massive culture change in the past six years, but has also led a move to embrace technology.

While the force has not been without controversy in his time as commissioner, Bush said he had no regrets.

“I will be leaving tonight, extremely proud of the organisation, but also proud of what we’ve been able to achieve.

“I don’t have any regrets. I had a plan when I became commissioner, and I believe we’ve achieved everything we set out to do.”

Bush said the past year has been the toughest he has experienced in policing.

He said the Christchurch mosque attacks, the Whakaari / White Island eruption, and now the Covid-19 pandemic had changed the environment in which police worked.

New Police Commissioner Andrew Coster

Asked about changes in the wake of those events, and if he could see the police routinely arming themselves, he said he did not like the idea.

“A lot of people inside the organisation are split on that, but as a leadership team we don’t believe there is any evidence to suggest that arming the police will keep them or the community any safer.

“So what we’ve got to do is look at the right deployment model.”

He said that was why police were piloting the Armed Response Teams, which he said would end at the end of the month, pending review.

The new commissioner

Andrew Coster will replace Bush as commissioner from tomorrow, with the incumbent saying the force is in good hands.

“I’ve worked with Andy since 2008, he was on my leadership team in Counties Manukau.

“He’s one of the smartest people you will ever meet, his integrity is of the highest standard, and he’ll just take the organisation to the next level.”

Does he want to give him any advice?

“Look, he probably doesn’t need any [advice], but what I’d say to all leaders is when you’ve got a plan, you’ve got a vision, yes, absolutely, listen to those around you and ask the right questions, but never blink.”

Bush said he would miss putting on the blue uniform each day.

“I’m going to miss the people inside it, I’ll miss the challenges.

“But... probably my wife and I will have a break, and have a holiday.”

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All passenger flights to India barred till April 14, 2020 ¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD

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overnment of India has announced a further ban on all international passenger flights to India until April 14, 1830 hours GMT (India time 12 a.m.).

This new travel restriction circular was released following previous flights ban announcement on March 19 that banned all commercial passenger flights to India until Sunday, March 29.

The new restriction announced by the government of India does not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA. “In continuation of Circular-II dated 19.3.2020 issued on the subject [Travel and Visa restrictions related to COVID-19], it has been decided that all scheduled international

commercial passenger services shall remain closed till 1830 hrs GMT of April 14, 2020,” the circular from the government of India read.

The High Commission of India based in Wellington has appealed the community to follow the new updates on travel restrictions to India before making any travel plans in these extraordinary circumstances.

The Indian Weekender

Friday, April 03, 2020

NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage

Shanti Niwas ramps up its

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activities on social media to combat senior citizens’ lockdown blues ¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD

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hanti Niwas Charitable Trust, a community organisation for the seniors of the Kiwi Indian and the Asian community, has ramped up all its services to a digital platform encouraging the seniors to participate in combating the blues of the Alert Level 4 lockdown in the country.

In an announcement made by the government last week, services for older people were deemed into the list of essential services, and Shanti Niwas falls under that category providing services to the senior citizens of the Asian community in Auckland.

On any typical week of the year, senior citizens of the Indian community divided into different groups at Shanti Niwas’ five different centres in Auckland perform and participate in various activities to engage themselves and spend the leisure time of their retirement with one another.

Due to the lockdown in effect from Thursday, March 26, and several announcements regarding the danger of the Covid-19 pandemic in New Zealand, especially on the elderlies of the community, Shanti Niwas suspended all the activities of the senior citizens.

“We were aware of the dangers that Covid-19 poses for our senior citizens at least a week or two before the number started spiking in New Zealand and so were kept all our community activities at our different centres in Auckland on a hold.

“Knowing the gravity of this pandemic, we announced to our senior citizens that all activities are suspended until further notice and asked them to keep themselves safe at home and practice hygiene at all times,” Nilima Venkat, General Manager of Shanti Niwas Charitable Trust told The Indian Weekender.

With this new regime of staying at home, the lockdown, a new challenge came up for the Shanti Niwas team to make sure establish or conduct activities online and on social media so that seniors do not get lost in the lockdown blues.

Shanti Niwas created a database of all the seniors enrolled with the organisation- divided them into centres, day-activities (MondayTuesday), senior who live with their families and the ones living alone or away from family.

The team created individual WhatsApp groups to cater to each group- encouraging them to do activities so that they do not get bored and keep themselves occupied and working.

“We asked the senior to use the social media space [WhatsApp] to share jokes, play a quiz on WhatsApp video calls, upload dancing and singing videos, play games, share their experiences etc., just make sure it’s positive and helps one another,” Jyoti Parashar, a spokesperson from Shanti Niwas said.

Ms Venkat further adds that such online activities were necessary so that they do not feel lonely during this lockdown, and depression doesn’t seep into their lives.

The team also approached seniors who were living alone to be in touch with their friends and do participate in activities as well.

“Staying alone or at home is inevitable, so we made sure social isolation does not become depression for them. Our team made sure to call upon each of those vulnerable seniors and check upon them about their wellbeing,” Ms Venkat added.

Shanti Niwas asked the seniors living alone or the ones unable to arrange for their weekly groceries and medicines to inform them of their needs and volunteers will cater to their essential needs.

The team created individual WhatsApp groups to cater to each group- encouraging them to do activities so that they do not get bored and keep themselves occupied and working.

“We asked our seniors to inform their doctors to fax their prescriptions to two pharmacies who would arrange their medicines and deliver them at their doorstep for free, so they don’t run out of their daily medication.

“We also asked seniors unable to get their food supplies to send them the list of essential groceries they need and volunteers from Shanti Niwas will get it for them at their doorstep,” Ms Venkat added.

Shanti Niwas also stressed on the rise of elder abuse and domestic violence during this lockdown as predicted by police. Ms Venkat added on the number of reports of elder abuse and domestic abuse in the last one week, and the group has experts and experienced professionals who are catering to their needs as well.

“Shanti Niwas Elder Abuse Response Service is a Ministry of Social Development accredited Essential Service Provider, and we want to call out to our senior citizens or members of our community to let us know, report if they know anyone subjected to elder abuse and neglect.

“If you know of any senior who is being neglected or is in a state of abuse or need any social support services, please call our social workers for free and confidential support.

Get in touch with us by phone call, text, WhatsApp, or email to discuss your needs and issues. We will try our best to help, support and guide you,” Ms Venkat said.

Shanti Niwas team has now invited members of other communities, not just Asian or Indian to join them and participate in their WhatsApp and Facebook activities so that they can remain socially connected too during this lockdown.

Call: Jyoti Parashar +64212082915 or Priya Ramrakhiani +64211131066, Email shantiniwas@xtra.co.nz & Facebook https://www.facebook.com/snct. newzealand.

Elder Abuse is Not Okay.

If you know of any senior who is being neglected or is in a state of abuse or need any social support services, please call our social workers for free and confidential support.

Get in touch with us by phone call, text, WhatsApp, or email to discuss your needs and issues. We will try our best to help, support and guide you. Call Nilima Venkat on

+64212028406 or Verona on +64212592114.

Shanti Niwas Elder Abuse Response Service is an MSD accredited Essential Service Provider.

Shanti Niwas charitable trust has been in the forefront serving seniors of South Asain origin for the past 25 years. As an organisation, we strive to look after the holistic wellbeing of our seniors. During these physical distancing times, we will reach out to you to provide support and assistance.

Lockdown Is About Physical Distancing, Not Social Isolation.

Let’s Beat This Together.

McCLYMONT AND ASSOCIATES Immigration Law Specialists

Alastair McClymont

We provide legal advice and representation to clients needing help with all New Zealand Immigration and Citizenship Issues including: • Resident Visas • Work Visas • Student Visas • Appeals • Hearings and Complaints

Experience.

Advice.

Results.

Aakanksha McClymont

Call us for free consultation on 09 6233344 or

021 994033

Message from Shanti Niwas Team for COVID-19 Support:

Please contact Shanti Niwas if you have any questions and/or assistance during this lockdown period. We acknowledge that these are daunting times, but together we can get through this too.

Physical address : Level 1, 2 Owens Road, Epsom, Auckland 1023 Phone :09 623 3344 | Email : amcclymont@amlaw.co.nz http://www.amlaw.co.nz/

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NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage

Friday, April 03, 2020

The Indian Weekender

Week 1 of Covid-19 lock down: What happens when hit with nature’s pause button? ¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD

that include online or video Karate class sessions twice a week.

Arshiya’s parents stay at home working remotely, her mother Swati Arora, a lecturer at ICL and father an Immigration advisor.

“We are all in this together, and, we are trying our best to make the best use of our time by working from home, remotely, and having an early and longer family time together,” Arshiya’s mother Swati Arora says.

Arshiya adds that besides attending online school classes, she partakes in family’s new cooking routine, watching a series together, playing games, having discussions about different topics of interest and help her parents in house chores including cooking.

“Even though we are not able to explore out like normal days, but this lockdown as given us the opportunity to spend more time with the family, talk to each other, learn new skills, and start new interests and hobbies,” Arshiya told The Indian Weekender.

Lives of most of New Zealanders have been hit with a “pause button,” if they are not working in essential businesses, or working remotely online from their chosen places of residence to hunker down the four week Alert Level 4 Lock down. For that matter, even if they are working in essential businesses, they are indeed facing some kind of major disruption in the manner they previously carried out their day to day lives.

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e are certainly going through strange, and unsettling times and everyone is coping with this uncertainty with their own unique ways.

Some with typical Zen-like calm and mindfulness staying at the moment, while others camouflaging their anxieties about how the immediate future will look like, in their usual display of exuberance and exhilaration.

The Indian Weekender reached out to some members of the Kiwi-Indian community, who graciously shared some of the glimpses of their life under the lock down.

In these times, people are asked to stay home, work from home, or simply observe the ‘stay home holiday’ for four weeks until the government can reassess the state of the country and get the back to work.

Observing this lockdown, some of the Kiwi Indians are making the most of their time at home, mostly to spend quality time with their families, while others are picking up new hobbies and some are doing those activities, they have been postponing for years due to work commitments.

Couple Naveen and Shubhra Jain:

Naveen Jain and his wife Shubhra Jain have been for the most of their years been busy their respective business and work commitments and have led a very routine and disciplined work life.

63-year-old Naveen Jain runs his business President Taxi that conducts airport transfers for international passengers from Auckland; he also looks after a travel and tourism enterprise that takes holidaymakers to sightseeing around North Island.

Hit by the travel ban and the lock down Naveen saw the travel bookings dwindle from around 90 in a season to zero, and now both his firms are closed, at least until the travel restrictions are lifted.

Ms Jain managing an Early Childhood Centre in Auckland was also closed down for the lockdown period rendering her to take leave until the Centre opened.

The couple had a property in Rotorua that needed renovations and was recently vacated by renters to get refurbished.

Chetna Guleria:

Observing this lockdown, some of the Kiwi Indians are making the most of their time at home, mostly to spend quality time with their families, while others are picking up new hobbies and some are doing those activities, they have been postponing for years due to work commitments.

The couple had taken estimations from a local builder/renovator in Rotorua earlier last month; and were about to offer the contract to them when suddenly Covid-19 related lock down became an imminent reality that compelled the couple to re-asses their plans.

The couple had already purchased all the essentials for the renovation, and as a means of cost-cutting plus finding a purpose for themselves for the imminent 4-week lockdown period, the husband decided to dig-deep-in his long forgotten builder-experience and do the DIY himself - a far-stretched imagination by couple’s own admission - in their pre-lockdown busy lives.

This was indeed a completely unplanned turn to their busy lives - hopefully for the good - where they end up using their new found freedom in a constructive endeavour.

So the couple, instead of being hassled about the prospective uncertainty during the lockdown period decided to quickly put up a plan for the next four weeks and transported all their house and kitchen essentials from Auckland, and started to work hard and enjoy the leisure at their property in Rotorua.

A week since the lockdown, Naveen and Shubhra Jain have been having a solitary, gala and work-holiday at their Rotorua home.

“We get up late, like 8:30 in the morning, go for a brief walk, make a good breakfast together, and start the renovation work at home.

We take an hour’s break in the afternoon for lunch, and then start again till daylights end,” Naveen Jain told The Indian Weekender.

The couple has just finished renovating a big corner of the house and painting the first floor of the house.

“I have my wife as my helper and assistant, and we just completed painting the first floor.” Mr Jain added.

Mr Jain did suffer a significant amount during the closure but said he has been able to spend some quality time with his wife, away from the city, and daily duties and work assignments. Mr Jain says he is enjoying working and repairing his property, and proper use of leisure time and doing something constructive for himself and his family.

Arshiya Arora: Year 9 Student

Year-9 student Arshiya Arora is studying from home online, attending online classes conducted by her school in Central Auckland.

Arshiya, although, not being able to go to school physically, attends the online tool by her schools like the rest of her classmates observing proper school breaks and subject periods every day.

Despite being away from school, she continues to attend her extracurricular activities

Real Estate agent Chetna Guleria’s office has been closed since the lockdown, which encouraged her to pursue to take new hobbies for herself and spend time with her daughter at home.

Chetna has for long been looking for an opportunity to spend more time with her daughter and dedicate some hours for her own personal growth and mental wellbeing.

She has started putting at least two hours in her lawn gardening and learning new tricks from YouTube and applying the same in sowing and beautifying her garden. One part of her day goes sitting with her daughter studying, reading books with her, watching documentaries and films, teaching her cooking, all of these come out of the hours kept aside from her daughter’s daily studying timetable.

“I spend a good amount of time with my daughter, especially doing exercise together, take her help organising the house, cleaning, playing new games with her, and most importantly reading with her,” Chetna says.

One thing that keeps Chetna glued and occupied a good part of the day is to try new DIY beauty therapies using fruits and vegetables for her skin.

“I see a lot of DIY beauty videos and try them at home, organise my wardrobe, kitchen cupboards and the rest of the house- this takes a good amount of time of my day learning a new hobby and making my house more beautiful,” Chetna adds.

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The Indian Weekender

Report price gouging during Covid-19 to pricewatch@mbie.govt.nz ¡ RADIO NEW ZEALAND

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rime Minister Jacinda Ardern says while she has found no evidence of price gouging during the Covid-19 outbreak, the public will be able to report any they see.

The Prime Minister has given the latest updates on the government’s fight against the impact of Covid-19 at her weekly post-Cabinet media conference.

Ardern said a special email had been set up that was dedicated to potential price gouging: (pricewatch@mbie.govt.nz) She asked people to send photos and receipts to the email so reports of price gouging could be investigated.

“No-one wants to see anyone take unfair financial advantage from this extraordinary period.

“To be clear, it is not illegal for businesses to increase their prices - but the Fair Trading Act prohibits misleading and deceptive content and false representation.”

She said if a business gave a reason for an increase, it had to be true, or it risked breaching the Act.Price Some online anecdotes about price gouging were already being followed up, Ardern said.

Greengrocers would not be opened, in order to limit contact between people, said Ardern.

She said the country could maintain isolation practices with a limited amount of stores open.

“It also means we have fewer workers at risk.

Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi National List MP based in Mankau East e are in unprecedented times right now. It seems as though that line is said at least once every hour now, and repeated regularly, but, unfortunately, it’s true.

Covid-19 has affected the whole world and devastated economies. .

I have never experienced something like this in my lifetime, and a lot of you will be the same.

Responses around the world have varied.

Some nations have been more effective than others. New Zealand has not been immune, we’ve seen the case numbers surge as the virus spreads and more tests are carried out.

New Zealanders naturally have a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude to things. We can be a bit blasé.

But the health officials have laid out what we all have to do to help combat coronavirus, and we have to do it.

We have to stay at home, not just for ourselves but for our parents, our grandparents, our immune-comprised friends and family members.

It will be tough but generations of Kiwis have, throughout history, made great sacrifices to safeguard our way of life. This is our turn.

This is an incredibly important time for our nation, and will come at a cost.

The National Party supports the Government as it takes action against this virus. We’ve talked to experts, we’ve listened to them every day and we’ve seen the international experience. The spread of Covid-19 is relentless internationally.

So we stand alongside the Government, supporting and assisting the orderly shutdown of New Zealand.

Because this is about lives and livelihoods and for the good of our country, not politics.

National will continue to take a constructive

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Importance of retaining your insurances during the COVID-19 outbreak ¡ SUPPLIED CONTENT

D For every greengrocer, for every bakery, for every retail store that is open, that’s a workforce that is also put at risk and we need to minimise that as much as possible.”

Ardern also said the government was liaising with businesses on Easter trading hours, and a final decision was expected tomorrow.

The government was looking at the issue now because it was important for supermarkets to restock, and this was factored into the Easter trading decisions. The PM pointed out that dairies would continue to be open during this period anyway.

Earlier today, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the total number of Covid-19 cases in the country now stands at 589.

Sixty-three people have now recovered and 12 people are currently in hospitals around the country - two are in ICU.

We are all in this together, and we will get through this

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NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage

Friday, April 03, 2020

and principled approach to scrutinising the Government’s response to Covid-19 through the Epidemic Response Committee.

It’s important there is strong scrutiny of our nation’s response to this pandemic as it will affect future generations, both in terms of lives but also in terms of the billions of dollars being spent by the Government.

National will be asking the questions that New Zealanders want answered.

What we know right now, is that if we didn’t go into lockdown, if we continued as we were before, thousands of lives could be lost. I don’t want to see that and I know New Zealand doesn’t want to see that either.

It is better to look back and say, ‘this lockdown was an overreaction’, than allow people to die needlessly.

The next few weeks will be tough but we can do it.

The Government will continue to have our support as long as it is moving expeditiously to protect those lives and livelihoods.

We want to protect workers and their jobs as much as possible, we want to see businesses reopen once this period of isolation is over.

While we are all stuck at home, it’s important you still check on your loved ones across the country, and on your neighbours. While that check may have to be a phone call, you cannot underestimate how important that will be, especially for our elderly.

I want to thank our supermarket workers, our petrol station attendants, our IT professionals, our essential infrastructure and health workers all over this nation, our police and defence and other first responders, plus many, many more keeping New Zealand going. You are heroes.

I am confident we can show our best nature as Kiwis, following the rules and showing small acts of kindness during this tough time.

We are all in this together without exception, united against Covid-19.

We will get through this, together.

••

ue to the

Lockdown that has been imposed for a minimum of 4 weeks by the government of New Zealand, many may of lost their jobs, or are working from home, or are on the WINZ wage subsidy or are out of business (self-employed).

In such circumstances, the first thing that people due is to stop paying their insurance premiums and lapse their policies, this could be very detrimental, as unluckily one suffers from Covid-19 or any other major illnesses like a cancer, heart attack, stroke etc, they could be in more financial mess, as they are also now unemployable.

There is no need to PANIC, but contact your insurance adviser, who can assist you and help you to retain your insurance policies, as many insurance companies, have put up different offers to help retain your insurance policies during this crisis.

People who have not insured, should

immediately get themselves insured, especially for Life Insurance and Trauma Covers which are very important under the present scenario.

Insurance companies are still working and offering covers without any exclusions to Covid-19 conditions, so before they change their stance and things take a turn for the worse, one should avail insurance immediately.

We are still operating remotely to help people who would like to avail their Insurances or increase their covers etc.

Kindly contact Fali Mistry on 021 426 858 or fali@insuresecure.co.nz

Govt opens applications for business loans under Business Finance Guarantee Scheme ¡ IWK BUREAU

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usinesses can now start applying to their banks for loans under the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme set up to support the New Zealand economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re moving quickly to protect New Zealand businesses, jobs and the economy during this unprecedented global economic shock,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said.

“The Business Finance Guarantee will help businesses with cash flow and operating expenses, and comes in alongside the $8-12 billion wage subsidy scheme keeping people in jobs, and workers and employers connected during the lockdown.

“For most businesses their most important relationship is with their bank. The Government is using its balance sheet to give businesses and their banks space to work together through this crisis.

“We’re supporting businesses through the lockdown so their workers can stay home, break the chain and save lives, while also putting in place longer-term solutions to kickstart the economy out the other side.”

Under the scheme, businesses with annual revenue between $250,000 and $80 million can apply to their banks for loans up to $500,000, for up to three years. The scheme will offer a total of $6.25 billion in loans to New Zealand businesses.

The Government is guaranteeing 80% of the risk, while the banks are covering the remaining 20%. A normal lending process will

be followed by the banks, which will make lending decisions. Further details can be found on the banks’ websites.

The Business Finance Guarantee scheme is part of the more than $25 billion of economic support announced to date. Other initiatives include: • The $8-12 billion wage subsidy scheme to protect jobs, and keep workers and businesses connected during the lockdown.

• The $500 million increase to public health funding for the immediate response.

• A six-month deferred mortgage scheme for home-owners affected by the virus, so people don’t lose their homes due to COVID-19.

• A doubling of the Winter Energy Payment so older New Zealanders can stay warm during winter.

• Main benefit increases, and • Rent freezes and a ban on terminations of tenancies/evictions other than in exceptional circumstances.

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NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage

Friday, April 03, 2020

The Indian Weekender

Five new Covid-19 testing centres now running in Auckland ¡ IWK BUREAU

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ive additional COVID-19 testing centres are now up-and-running across metro Auckland, ensuring even better community-based access to swabbing for those who meet the clinical criteria.

In addition to the five urban clinics and two rural clinics opened a week ago, an additional five clinics have started operating over the weekend and today, increasing the network to 12 locations. Each clinic has the capacity to take more than 100 swabs per day.

Waitemata DHB CEO and Northern Region lead CEO for emergency planning Dr Dale Bramley said he was pleased to see new centres opening to cater specifically to the needs of the Maori and Pacific populations.

“Over the last nine days, the clinics have taken 3831 swabs across metro Auckland. The extension of this network with the addition of further testing points enables better reach into our communities,” Dr Bramley said.

“The opening of Maori and Pacificfocused clinics means we can ensure a culturally appropriate approach that will further reduce barriers to testing and ensure that any positive cases can be closely monitored and managed.”

The new clinics are:

• AUT Integrated Health, Northcote • Spectrum House, Howick • Langimalie Health Centre,

Panmure (Pacific provider) • Pukekohe Family Health Centre • Whanau House, Henderson (Maori provider) • These are in addition to the existing clinics: • Henderson Specialist Centre • White Cross, St Lukes • Local Doctors Airport Oaks Clinic, Mangere • Takanini Urgent Care Clinic • Shorecare, Northcross

New online form for public to report Level 4 restriction breaches to police ¡ IWK BUREAU

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olice on Sunday, March 29, launched a new online form which the public can use to report COVID-19 Alert Level 4 restriction breaches.

The online form can be found at 105.police. govt.nz It can be used to report isolation breaches or cases of businesses continuing to operate when they are not part of the essential workforce.

The then Police Commissioner Mike Bush urged people to use the online form instead of calling Police.

“We know that people want to do the right thing if they see people flouting the restrictions, but we want to ease the load on the nonemergency phone number.

“Police will take the information reported online and make contact to remind those breaching the restrictions of their responsibilities.

“We are continuing to take the approach of educating and informing people of their responsibilities in the first instance, but we will not hesitate to take enforcement action if people continue to ignore the restrictions.”

“Police do not want to have to arrest anyone or visit people because they doing are the wrong thing.

“Please stay at home, follow the guidelines on www.covid19.govt.nz and don’t give people a reason to report your behaviour to Police.

Online reporting experiencing heavy traffic

People reporting suspected breaches of Alert Level 4 restrictions via online reporting on the Police website are asked to be patient.

The online form can be found at https://www. police.govt.nz/105support Since going live the website has experienced very heavy traffic.

If you are having difficulty, please try again later.

••

• Oneroa Accident and Medical, Waiheke Island • Coast to Coast Healthcare, Wellsford General Manager Primary Care, Matt Hannant said that from today, testing in the community would transition almost exclusively to the 12 testing centres, with some designated general practices and urgent care centres continuing to support this new model.

“This will enable general practices to focus on non-COVID-19-related care for their communities,” Mr Hannant said.

“Although this is a busy time for the health system, it is important that people still reach out to their GP with any health concerns, ideally via their practice’s patient portal. Care for normal health issues will still be provided and practices are open, although they have moved to phone and video consultations wherever possible.

“It is also important that the public understands hospital emergency departments still have the capacity to help people in genuine need of emergency care.

In addition to the five urban clinics and two rural clinics opened a week ago, an additional five clinics have started operating over the weekend and today, increasing the network to 12 locations

“Over recent days, we have seen a pattern of people presenting to EDs at a very late stage when they are seriously ill. The message we want people to hear is that it is still okay to access the hospital ED before health concerns become critical.”

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Auckland emergency management dept set up to help people struggling with basic household supplies ¡ SANDEEP SINGH

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ucklanders facing hardships and struggling to access basic household supplies during the lockdown period are urged to contact the newly set-up Emergency Management Department.

In a press release from the office of Mayor Phil Goff, it was announced that the local Auckland Mayor Phil Goff says the council staff are being deployed to help programme supports the national efforts to Aucklanders experiencing hardship as a result ensure those who are experiencing hardship due of the COVID-19 lockdown. to COVID-19 can meet their essential needs.

In line with the welfare directive announced “While most Aucklanders are continuing by the National Emergency Management to shop normally for their essential products, Agency (NEMA) today to help people there are a small number of people facing experiencing hardship as a result of the real hardship and who need greater support. lockdown, the council’s Auckland Emergency Through this programme, we can ensure that Management department has set up a system nobody in our community goes hungry, and that for Aucklanders who may be suffering because the staple supplies they rely on are available to of job losses or hardship and struggling to them. access basic household supplies.

“Our customer services call centre staff, Starting from Wednesday, April 1, who are trained to deal with a wide range of Aucklanders who are unable to afford groceries situations, currently have capacity to take on or are in self-isolation with no access to other extra duties due to the lockdown. support networks can call Auckland Emergency “From 7 am tomorrow, 40 Auckland Council Management on 0800 22 22 96 between 7am call center staff will triage the calls from and 7pm, seven days a week. those seeking emergency support and process

Who can get help?

To get help from Auckland Emergency Management department, one will have to meet the government’s eligibility criteria for welfare.

How will grocery/food be provided?

applications according to the criteria set out by the government.

Where to call for seeking help?

If you are unable to afford groceries or are in self-isolation with no access to other support Those who are eligible will receive a networks, you can phone Auckland Emergency Management on 0800 22 22 96 between 7 a.m couriered welfare parcel containing items such and 7 p.m, every day from Wednesday 1 April. as dry goods including pasta and rice, tinned • Anyone needing urgent assistance in the vegetables and meats and basic toiletries. meantime can phone Auckland Emergency The first courier parcels are expected to be Management on 0800 22 22 00. dispatched at the end of this week.

• Auckland Emergency Management on 0800 A distribution centre is currently being 22 22 96 set up with staff being trained in health and • Auckland Emergency Management (for safety provisions for warehousing work, under urgent assistance) on 0800 22 22 00 COVID-19 guidelines.

The Indian Weekender

NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage

Friday, April 03, 2020

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Desperation grips international students and temporary workers as employers turn their back on them ¡ SANDEEP SINGH

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any migrant temporary visa holders (work visa holders and international students) are living in anxiety, fear and desperation during the Covid-19 Alert Level-4 lockdown as employers turn their backs on them and deny helping with wage-subsidies.

The government has announced a Covid-19 wage subsidy to support employers and help them continue to pay their workers over the four-week shutdown period and beyond.

However, migrant workers are struggling to get the benefits as some employers are not holding their part of the bargain and using the unprecedented lockdown as a pretext to not extend their job contracts or telling them straight that there was no work.

Many temporary workers are struggling to get access to the government’s wage subsidy scheme announced to help workers facing job-loss, reduction of working hours, or redundancies due to the unprecedented lockdown.

The Indian Weekender has been contacted by several migrant workers, mostly on temporary work visas but some on resident visas as well, who are experiencing financial distress and uncertainty during the lockdown period after their

employers turned their back upon them for various reasons.

Most of the temporary workers were in between the transition from international student visa status to open work visas, when the threat of coronavirus pandemic struck New Zealand and the government announced a complete lockdown, leaving them without any meaningful work opportunities.

Many workers are, and expectedly though while reaching out for help are in fear of revealing their and the employer’s identity, which has declined to assist them with a wage subsidy giving a pretext that their business will not qualify for getting employee’s wage subsidy.

The email response from an employer to a desperate migrant-employee that the Indian

Weekender has seen, and is choosing to not reveal to protect the interests of temporary workers who were working in different roles for an Auckland CBD based residential apartment firm, which has expressed inability to help the employee with wage subsidy for the reason that their business would not qualify for government’s recently announced wage subsidy.

“As per our discussion earlier, due to the commitment government imposed on employers *** ******** [Business Name] cannot meet these requirements, thus do not qualify for the Covid-19 wage subsidy,” an email that one of the temporary workers told the Indian Weekender, was from his employer, stated.

Parth Kumar Patel, who first arrived in New Zealand on a student

Homeless migrant temporary-

worker finally gets accommodation ¡ SANDEEP SINGH

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he Kiwi-Indian Chef who was rendered homeless ever since the country had entered into the Level-4 lockdown has finally been able to get an accommodation following an intervention from the office of the Hon Consul of India, on behalf of the Indian High Commission.

The Indian Weekender had earlier reported that Paras Gupta, a sous Chef, who had worked in several popular and toplevel restaurants and Indian food chains was struggling to get entry into accommodation without an original passport, which was caughtup with Immigration New Zealand just before the country had entered into the complete lockdown.

Following the Indian Weekender’s reporting on the issue, Auckland based Hon. Consul of India, Bhav Dhillon, acting on behalf of the Indian High Commissioner, liaised with Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust to find appropriate accommodation.

Speaking to the Indian Weekender High Commissioner of India Muktesh Pardeshi said, “These are unprecedented times and we should all work together to ensure that everyone is safe and well looked after.”

“We are trying to find ways of how to help people of Indian origin who were either visiting or working in New Zealand on different types of temporary visas before being caught up in the lock-down.”

“This is the time for all of us to come together and support everyone who is caught-up in Covid-19 induced distress,” Mr Pardeshi said.

High Commissioner of India to New Zealand, Muktesh Pardeshi Meanwhile, Jeet Suchdev of Bhartiya Samaj Charitable trust told the Indian Weekender that he was being contacted by many people in distress situations and he and his team have been working in close coordination with the

Paras Gupta, a sous Chef, was struggling to get entry into accommodation without an original passport and stuck at Immigration New Zealand just before the lockdown.

Hon Consul of India in Auckland to provide support to those who are in most desperate need.

Sharing more about the emergency accommodation arrangement for the stranded Indian Chef Mr Suchdev said, “We are ensuring that all strict guidelines of self-isolation are maintained while we help the person.”

“The accommodation will provide a separate room and basic facilities and no face to face contact being maintained at any stage,” Mr Suchdev said.

“These are difficult times and amidst everything we cannot leave our most vulnerable unsupported,” Mr Suchdev said.

Meanwhile, Paras had reached his new temporary accommodation and shared some pics with the Indian Weekender and thanked the members of the community who have expressed their concerns and offered to help during this confusing and stressful situation.

••

visa in 2017, and after completing Level 5 & 7 studies of Diploma in Business Management, just got his open work visa approved last week.

Throughout his studies, he has been working part-time as cleaner and Housekeeping for an Auckland CBD based residential apartment.

It was just when he had applied for an open work visa after completion of his course and his visa status was changed to the interim visa that he was rightly asked by his employer to stop working and start again when his open work visa was approved.

When he got his work visa approved and approached his employer, he was told by them about the changed realities owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, what was shocking was the response of the employer who

declined to assist him with the wage subsidy scheme as apparently their business did not qualify as per the government’s guidelines.

Parth told the Indian Weekender that there were at least 15 other workers on different temporary visas working for the same employer who has been left in cracks with no remedy in sight.

“I am fortunate that my friends are helping me with food and accommodation during these times, but their generosity is also not endless,” a visibly worried Parth said.

Harpreet Kaur, an international student, who was also working for the same employer just before entering into lockdown told the Indian Weekender, “I am really struggling to pay for food bills and rent. Not sure where to go.”

Deepak Sanen, who is on a resident visa and has been working with the same employer for one and a half years has also been told that he would not be able to get the government’s wage subsidy scheme.

The wage subsidy scheme requires an employer to contact the government (work and income) to get wage subsidy for the employee, and there was no provision for employees to contact directly, in cases where the employer was not playing fairly.

14

NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage

Friday, April 03, 2020

The Indian Weekender

nib announces a member Government support package in response seeks infra to the COVID-19 pandemic

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ib Chief Executive Officer, Rob Hennin, said the health insurer had an important and critical role to play in helping Kiwis through this challenging period.

“With our country in lockdown many of our members confront profound uncertainty and the threat or reality of unemployment particularly.

We are doing as much as we can to help them maintain their cover and more broadly, stay safe and healthy,” Mr Hennin said.

nib’s support package includes:

• Ability for eligible existing members who are experiencing financial hardship to access special premium relief*.

• Ability for eligible existing members who are experiencing financial hardship to suspend* their health insurance policy and premium payment for up to six months.

• Automatic increase of pre-approval validity to six months meaning members do not need to reapply for pre-approval if they experience delays to hospital treatment.

• Ability for existing members to increase their excess (payable upon hospital admission) to the maximum allowable level under their policy without needing to be re-underwritten if they choose to reduce their excess as their financial situation improves**.

• Expanded coverage* for chest, lung, kidney and bladder or other treatment related to conditions caused by COVID-19 across

all levels of hospital cover (including Basic Private Hospital Cover, Mid Private Hospital Cover and Mid Private Hospital Cover Plus where currently excluded) at no additional cost.

• Cover for GP or specialist consultations that need to be conducted via video or teleconsultation due to COVID-19*.

• Our specialist health management and emergency assistance team, nibAssist, will be available 24/7 for members who require

immediate COVID-19 medical and non-medical health support.

• Help for members navigating COVID-19 by publishing across our various channels (including nib.co.nz) information on their cover, how to minimise infection risk and related matters.

• A $1 million donation from nib foundation and nib to support charitable initiatives assisting the community across New Zealand and Australia during the pandemic.

• Offering up to two weeks paid special discretionary leave for all nib Group employees (permanent, fixed-term or casual) who are impacted by COVID-19.

Members are encouraged to contact nib to discuss available assistance. *nib support package will be available for existing nib members (as at 31 March 2020) to access for initially a three month period, with this to be reviewed prior to 30 June 2020. Policy terms and conditions still apply.

Members must have GP or specialist cover under their policy to apply for the relevant tele or video conference benefits. **Members must apply for the excess reduction within six months of the end date of the Government mandated stay at home period.

Auckland Property Market Went Into Lockdown On Record High

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h e Auckland residential property market was in full recovery mode before being stopped in its tracks by the Covid-19 lock down.

“Confidence in Auckland property was high in February and the first weeks of March, and new listings, sales numbers and prices were at their highest for a number of years,” said Peter Thompson, Managing Director of Barfoot & Thompson.

“New listings for March at 1763 was the highest in 17 months.

“Sales at 1096 were above 1000 in a month for the first time for two years.

“The average sales price at $993,528 was a new high, and almost $25,000 higher than the previous high set in March 2017.

“And the median price at $925,000 was also a new high, being $25,000 above the previous high also set in March 2017.

“March’s excellent sales figures built on the platform established by January and February trading and our first quarter sales were the best since 2016.

“Without the intervention of Covid-19 we could have anticipated the market’s momentum to have run through to late autumn.

“A factor that affected both the average and median sales was the exceptionally high

Without the intervention of Covid-19 we could have anticipated the market’s momentum to have run through to late autumn. number of properties that sold in the $1 million plus and $2 million plus price categories.

“In March we sold 479 properties for in excess of $1 million, which is more than we sold at the height of the 2016 price cycle.

“Of this number, 61 were for more than $2 million, our highest number of sales in this price category since March 2018.

“At the end of the month we had 3969 properties on our books, the highest number since June last year.

“Through the use of online technology, sales activity has continued through the Covid-19 lock down. Buyers are undertaking viewings through listings on our web site, with our sales people progressing negotiations through a variety of technologies.

“While the close down is having an effect on sales numbers and will likely to do so until the level 4 is lifted, market activity continues to tick over.

“Although it is not possible to predict where the market will go in the short term, vendors and buyers might want to look to the past and take a medium term view of market prices.

“During the major economic downturns that occurred in 1987, 1997 and 2007 house prices did not decline beyond 5% at most. And following the declines, prices recovered within 12 to 18 months.

“Activity was high in the lifestyle and rural markets right up to the point when the lock down was imposed, and these markets recorded their highest sales numbers in a month for two years.

“During the month we settled 60 sales to the north and south of Auckland with a combined value of a little under $100 million.

“The Coatesville market was particularly active, and this was due in part to subdivisions coming to market by way of the transferable title provisions enabled under the Unitary Plan.

Small blocks around Coatesville are attracting a lot of buyer interest.”

projects

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he Government has tasked a group of industry leaders to seek out infrastructure projects that are ready to start as soon as the construction industry returns to normal to reduce the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford and Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones say.

The Infrastructure Industry Reference Group, to be headed by Crown Infrastructure Partners chairman Mark Binns, will put forward to Ministers projects from the private and public sector that are ‘shovel-ready’ or likely to be within six months.

These new projects will be in addition to and build on the Government’s $12 billion New Zealand Upgrade Programme and existing Provincial Growth Fund infrastructure investments.

The Government will then decide which could be funded, contracted and ready to go as soon as the construction workforce is able to return to work. Relevant government departments will also provide advice to Ministers.

“We are focused on the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders first and foremost, and we need to get through the lockdown and out the other side of this pandemic. However, the Government is also planning ahead for when that time comes,” Phil Twyford said.

“That’s why we are now developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects from across the country that would be ready to begin as soon as we are able to move around freely and go back to work.

“The types of projects the Government would consider funding include water, transport, clean energy and buildings. They would also have a public or regional benefit, create jobs and be able to get underway in short order,” Phil Twyford said.

The group, which includes NZTA chairman Sir Brian Roche, KiwiRail chief executive Greg Miller and Infrastructure Commission chairman Alan Bollard as initial members, will work alongside the Provincial Development Unit (PDU) which has spent the past two-and-a-half years working with regions and is well-equipped to identify priority, shovel-ready projects up and down the country.

A member of the Construction Industry Accord will join the group and the recently established Infrastructure Commission will also provide advice and expertise. However, final decisions will be made by Ministers.

“While the economic effect of COVID-19 is yet to be fully understood, we know that we have an opportunity to move our country into action mode and the Government does not wish to see red tape stymie our eventual recovery,” Shane Jones said.

The Indian Weekender

COVID-19 Special Coverage

Friday, April 03, 2020

FIJI

15

COVID-19: Lockdown for the greater Lautoka area will remain until 5am Tuesday April 7th Total number of confirmed cases in Fiji remains at 5 with no new cases for the past 7 days: Waqainabete

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confirmed case from Lautoka was identified on March 23rd. That was the 31-year-old woman who had gone to a Zumba session with the first confirmed patient.

He says they have identified all the close contacts of the woman and they are in self-isolation.

However, there is still a risk she could have infected others.

Doctor Waqainabete says if they lift the restrictions too early and they

he total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Fiji remains at 5 and there have been no new cases for 7 days now.

Health Minister, Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete says a total of 368 tests have been conducted so far at the Fiji Centres for Disease Control in Tamavua. Doctor Waqainabete also confirms that the greater Lautoka area will remain on lockdown until 5am Tuesday April 7th as the last

have missed someone in Lautoka who has contracted the virus, then the rest of Viti Levu could be at risk.

He also says that there were gaps in the information provided by the first patient who had COVID-19 in Fiji.

This means that there is still a risk that someone may have COVID-19 in the Lautoka area.

He adds that they also consulted the experts when making this decision.

COVID-19: PM announces lockdown of Suva after confirmation of 2 new cases in Nabua

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has announced the lockdown of Suva after the confirmation that two people from Nabua are the latest patients to have tested positive for COVID-19

Two confirmed cases

The sixth case is a 21-year-old hairdresser and the seventh case is her 33-year-old husband who is a barber. Bainimarama says the two individuals are a couple living together in the Nabua Settlement in Suva. The 21-yearold woman developed symptoms on Saturday, the 28th of March. She informed the Ministry of Health on the 1st of April. Bainimarama says the teams visited her home, and tested her that same day. Her partner, the 33-yearold husband reported symptoms on the 31st of March. He was tested the same day as his wife.

The Prime Minister says it is important to note that the symptoms of these two newest cases started with just a runny nose when they called the Ministry of Health for testing. Bainimarama stresses if you have any symptoms at all, even something as minor as a runny nose, immediately dial 158, which is the 24-hour toll-free coronavirus helpline.

He confirms that both patients have been transported securely and hygienically in an ambulance to the Navua Hospital Isolation Ward where both are in stable condition.

The couple shared a home with their daughter and she has been taken into isolation as well.

Contacts of the couple

The contact tracing teams are now identifying all of their close contacts and directing them into self-quarantine.

The Prime Minister says they identified a contact who lived at home with these two patients after returning from India as the likeliest transmitter of the virus. The man has been placed into isolation in Labasa Hospital.

The test result of the man is expected to be out soon. Voreqe Bainimarama says the two new cases are the most serious developments todate. He says unlike the other case in the Suva area who was immediately self-quarantined and then isolated, there is a high risk these patients have infected others, as they not only lived in close contact with other families in their settlement but served in very publicfacing job.

Both patients worked as hairdressers, one at the Jade Salon at FNPF Plaza and the other at the Super Cuts in Damodar City Suva.

Bainimarama says the Health Ministry has been informed both individuals stopped working from the 28th of March, but witness accounts have thrown those accounts into doubt. He says the government needs to respond as if both individuals were working while showing symptoms and take assertive action to contain the virus.

Suva on lockdown from tomorrow

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says all of the greater Suva area will be going on lockdown from 5am tomorrow for 14 days.

Bainimarama says this is a tactic that the government is embracing because it has proven effective in containing the spread of COVID-19.

He says they have drawn up the borders of a Suva confined area, and they will be closing off entry and exit from 5am tomorrow at the Delainavesi Bridge checkpoint on the Queen’s Highway, the Sawani Junction checkpoint, and the Rewa Bridge checkpoint.

The Prime Minister says within the greater Suva confined area, the greater public will not be allowed in or out, only those travelling for medical purposes will be allowed through checkpoints.

Fiji has confirmed two more cases of #COVID19. Both are isolated safely in Navua Hospital. All of the greater Suva area is being locked down from tomorrow morning. Read my full statement here: In short: Stay at home, and follow government directives.

All non-essential businesses will be closed.

Bainimarama says supermarkets and shops selling food will remain open so that people can buy food. Restaurants can remain open, so long as they cut seating capacity below 20 people, practice safe physical distancing between tables and at queues, and must focus on takeaway and delivery orders. Banks and pharmacies will remain open.

Essential business will remain open

Just like Lautoka, that list includes air and rescue services, air traffic control services, civil aviation, telecommunication services, food and sanitary manufacturing plants, electricity services, emergency services, fire services, health and hospital services, lighthouse services, meteorological services, mine pumping, ventilation and winding, sanitary services, supply and distribution of

fuel and gas, power, telecommunications, garbage collection, transport services, water and sewage services, FNPF and FRCS, civil service, private security services and roading services.

Bainimarama says if your business is not on the list, close it down. The Prime Minister says for civil servants, they should continue to go to work unless their Permanent Secretary has informed you to work from home.

Markets will remain open but they are decentralising markets into satellite markets to prevent dangerous overcrowding that spurs the spread of the virus; and given some Fijians need to seek specialised treatment at facilities in Suva, the checkpoints will allow these individuals who need to undergo surgery or receive kidney dialysis treatment.

In order to ensure residents in the greater Suva area can access life-sustaining services, the port of Suva will remain open for international freight shipping and inter-island cargo shipping; any passenger travel, however, remains forbidden.

The government will also implement the same Agriculture Marketing Authority arrangement they have introduced in the Lautoka confined area to get food and produce into the Suva confined area. At all three checkpoints, suppliers can arrange with a police driver to ensure the produce still comes into Suva. The Prime Minister also says that food and essential goods will remain on the shelves of our shops and supermarkets.

He stresses to people not to run to the supermarkets and buy up goods this afternoon as doing so will crowd these stores and put every shopper at-risk.

New curfew hours

The Prime Minister has announced that the nationwide curfew will be from 8pm to 5am from tomorrow night.

Voreqe Bainimarama says if you are travelling for work or as a result of a medical emergency, you can travel during these hours.

He stresses that otherwise, don’t add your name to the ever-growing list of violators.

Also from tomorrow, social gatherings will

be banned entirely, everywhere in Fiji.

Bainimarama says the 20 person limit now applies only to the workplace.

He says two people, three people, it doesn’t matter, no more social gatherings.

The Prime Minister also says do not have visitors over to your homes.

Your interactions should be limited entirely to those already living in your households.

If you’re missing a friend or loved one, do the safe thing and call them on the phone.

If you need to walk around or exercise you may do so, but keep a safe distance of two metres from other people while outside.

He also says bus operators, drivers, and riders must take measures to ensure physical distancing is practiced on all of Fiji’s buses.

Changes to Lautoka lockdown The Prime Minister has announced that restaurants in Lautoka can now operate, so long as they follow the safety guidelines, focusing on safe physical distancing and takeaway and delivery services. Voreqe Bainimarama says the boundaries of the confined area will be open to those who are seeking emergency medical care or kidney dialysis. Under close police escort, these individuals travel from the checkpoints directly to Lautoka Hospital.

War On COVID-19

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says we cannot afford to lose the war against this virus.

Bainimarama says they know most Fijians are following and respecting the rules they have put in place but too many still aren’t.

He says if you have been sitting in Suva feeling as if this virus is not your problem, or that somehow your behaviour does not need to change, get a grip.

Bainimarama says this virus is here and it is serious. He says anyone, anywhere could be a carrier. Bainimarama says if people follow the government’s directives, they will lock this virus down and win this war. If people don’t, many people will die.

Health Ministry Leak

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says some of these two COVID-19 patients’ personal details were unfortunately leaked to the public.

Bainimarama says the Ministry of Health staff are devastated that someone is leaking confidential information.

He says these leaks have made the ministry’s jobs far more difficult and every time people on Facebook share this leaked information, they do so at the expense of the doctors, nurses and other medical staff trying their absolute best to inform the public in an accurate and timely manner.

Police are currently investigating this matter when they find whoever did the leak, they will be taken to task.

Thought of the week

"Look up at the stars and not down at your feet.

Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious."

– Stephen Hawking

03 April – 09 April 2020

Editorial

The ten things that Covid-19 is set to change

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hese are unprecedented times that almost nobody would have ever imagined possible even as recently as a few weeks ago. It’s like being in a Hollywood apocalypse flick, only with the buildings still standing.

As New Zealand transits into the second week of its as-of-now four-week lockdown, we’ve been reading the tea leaves from endless cuppas that separate work emails from dishwashing; Skype calls from Zoom chillouts; sombre news headlines from laugh-out-loud TikToks and virtual globetrotting from lonesome walks around the block.

Here’s how we think things will inevitably change in our blessed corner of the world as a result of Covid-19 and the long, arduous and undoubtedly fraught recovery process: 1. More power to government: The effects of Covid-19 will need long-time government support and it will be required to do everything it can in its power to commandeer the country and its economy out of this hole. It will be able to use emergency powers to legislate if necessary, with little debate if any. All decisions it takes will be justifiable in the interests of keeping Kiwis safe and healthy – even if it continues to adversely affect the economy.

2. Realpolitik in suspended animation: Despite being an election year, politicking and realpolitik will take a backseat for a while. Parties will walk on eggshells for the foreseeable future while critiquing Covid-19 related policy lest their pronouncements be seen at these times of heightened sensitivity as politically expedient posturing. Like it or not, the Prime Minister’s popularity will remain high. And like it or not, the Opposition will be obliged to be seen working closely with the government.

3. Privacy challenges: The secret to Singapore’s and Taiwan’s success in controlling Covid-19 is their use of mobile technology for contact tracing. New Zealand still does it manually, which is extremely inefficient and time-consuming in comparison. Kiwis must expect legislation to come through sooner rather than later for the government to be able to access location records of Kiwis to determine Covid-19 clusters and hotspots as it contemplates lifting the lockdown.

4. Social cohesion challenges: Social distancing and self-isolation will take their toll on society and its mental makeup. Expect more unpleasant behavior in public as people perceive the extent of their personal spaces differently; dob one another for perceived violations; face increasing inconveniences while carrying out common tasks like shopping and commuting. There will also be increased racial tensions. The long-celebrated Kiwi bonhomie will be challenged.

5. Decline of workspaces and commuting to work: As employees and companies discover that it is possible to keep working remotely, office spaces will lose their importance and flexible work schedules will become more mainstream. The education sector will make a similar discovery.

This might well result in a sharp decline in peak traffic times easing public transport pressure but affecting their revenues because of declining patronage.

6. Irrevocable changes in the retail scape: Many retail businesses including cafes and restaurants will not make it to the other side of the lockdown. Shuttered and vacant retail space on main streets, suburbs and even malls will be common – something which had begun snowballing in the western world even before Covid-19, with gigantic malls being repurposed into residential apartments especially in the US. 7. Unemployment will skyrocket: As New Zealand comes out of the lockdown unemployment is forecast to hit double digits. Tourism, hospitality and their ancillary sectors will see a large pool of unemployed as the sectors begin the long road to recovery, which might take several years. New Zealand’s once-vibrant services sector will see the biggest rates of unemployment. The flow-on effects will severely curtail discretionary spending affecting almost every sector in the economy.

8. Investment will suffer: The value of most Kiwis’ favourite investment – real estate – is expected to fall as much as seven per cent. With job losses and unemployment, home buying rates will fall despite low interest rates and other financial stimuli. Rent freezes make investment properties unattractive. Stock markets will remain in the doldrums and private investment in commercial activity will remain ultra-circumspect. The only big investor will be the government because after every major disaster, it is the government that spends money – mainly on building infrastructure to create jobs and stimulate the economy.

9. Perception of ‘value’ will change: Highly paid corporate leaders, employees, celebrities in almost every field will see their remunerations slashed substantially. With scarcer financial resources across the whole economy, people will spend valuable dollars on the basics of life rather than what once was perceived as nice-to-have luxuries – the perception of value will shift from luxury to basics; from sporting and showbiz celebrities to Covid-19’s frontline workers.

10. New way of doing things: Progressive Kiwis and organisations will see Covid-19 as an opportunity as the biggest disruptor to ever hit New Zealand and the world and tinker with new ways of doing things leveraging technology, moving away from set, inertial ways routines that have become embedded in our systems. The legendary No 8 wire tradition will give rise to creativity and practicality which will merge to produce many new ideas, which will receive support from the government and institutions working together.

And what may these be? Well, that’s a story for another day. Watch this space...

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This week in New Zealand’s history 5 April 1871 NZ's first overseas diplomatic post created

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t is no surprise that New Zealand’s first overseas diplomatic posting was to the United Kingdom. Before Isaac Featherston was appointed as agent-general in London, the colony’s affairs in the imperial capital were handled either by Cabinet ministers during brief visits or by paid agents whose interest in New Zealand was pecuniary rather than personal or political.

6 April 1864 Pai Mārire ambush in Taranaki

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n the morning of 6 April a small British force left a redoubt at Kaitake, about 15 km southwest of New Plymouth. Led by Captain Thomas Lloyd, No. 1 Company (Grenadiers) of the 57th Regiment and No. 9 Company, Taranaki Military Settlers were to destroy all Māori crops they found in the area.

6 April 1919 NZ Maori (Pioneer) Battalion returns from war

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he all-Māori Pioneer Battalion was one of only three New Zealand Expeditionary Force formations – and the only battalion – to return from the First World War as a complete unit.

This, and the opportunity for a proper welcome, saw both Pākehā and Māori communities make a special effort for their return.

7 April 1856 First state secondary school opens

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he first state secondary school in New Zealand, Nelson College, opened in temporary premises in Trafalgar St with a roll of just eight boys. It eventually attracted boys from around the country as well as the local area. It now has a roll of over 1000 and continues to take both boarders and day pupils.

8 April 1873 Julius Vogel becomes premier

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ulius Vogel was the dominant political figure of the 1870s, serving as colonial treasurer and premier on several occasions, and launching a massive programme of immigration and public works.

Indian Weekender : Volume 12 Issue 3 Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited Content Editor: Sandeep Singh | sandeep@indianweekender.co.nz Chief Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | rizwan@indianweekender.co.nz Chief Technical Officer: Rohan deSouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz Sr Graphics and Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar | mahesh@indianweekender.co.nz Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | design@indianweekender.co.nz Accounts and Admin.: 09-2173623 | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz Media Sales Manager.: Leena Pal: 021 952 216 | leena@indianweekender.co.nz Sales and Distribution: 021 952218 | sales@indianweekender.co.nz Editor at Large: Dev Nadkarni | dev@indianweekender.co.nz Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent the views of the team at the Indian Weekender Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland.

Printed at Horton Media, Auckland Copyright 2017. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.

The Indian Weekender

OPINION/EDITORIAL

Friday, April 03, 2020

17

Time for an Indian cricketer to reflect & rejuvenate

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he deadly coronavirus has brought a complete lockdown to cricket around the world as well. One has never ever experienced such a catastrophe with every country around the globe under a threat of such magnitude.

The packed cricket schedule is and will be completely disrupted.

When cricket will commence again is unknown and uncertain.

However, for cricketers, one feels this is a time for them to reflect on what they did in the past and how they plan to go ahead in the future.

International cricketers have been bickering about playing cricket all throughout the year and so this break from the game could be just the tonic they require to give themselves that extra energy when the virus cloud subsides.

Unfortunately, the most popular T20 tournament, the Indian Premier League (IPL), that millions of cricket fans were looking forward to, looks like being cancelled this year.

With the T20 World Cup slated to be played in Australia at the end of the year, the IPL was the platform that all the cricketers were focused on, to make their mark.

Apart from this, the IPL brings in financial gains that many cricketers live on to keep their home fires burning. Unfortunately, the professional and commercial world of today has made 90 per cent of the cricketers similar to daily workers.

They get paid only when they play

or have a short-term contract per se.

There are central contracts for only players playing for their respective country cricket boards, but even for them, the amount is not substantial for their living star status. It is there to give them a sense of financial comfort, if and when they get injured or indisposed.

Indian domestic cricketers were fortunate that such a major calamity did not come about earlier and that it happened at the very end of their season. This, therefore, gets one to reflect on and realize that all present first-class cricketers, similar to what BCCI does for their international players, should be on a contract with their respective associations.

Players involved with the IPL should also have a force majeure clause.

The coronavirus definitely falls into that category. One hopes that the BCCI as well as the franchisees are adequately covered for such a tsunami.

The complete lockdown and the mandate to remain indoors must be a frustrating situation for all sportsmen.

A cricketer, however, should look at this time with a positive frame of mind.

Cricket has a lot of physical activities but it is as much a mental game. This is the time for a cricketer to evaluate cricket videos of their matches, as well as those of previous important innings and matches. It is a time for them to educate, learn and prepare for the future.

A well trained and focused mind can be developed through professional coaches online which

will make them stronger and surer in achieving their goals in the future.

There are many ways of improving one’s batting skills at home.

The great Sunil Gavaskar did it through practising in front of his mirror with a special focus on his leg and bat movements. As his roommate during India’s tour to England in 1979, he made me play my defensive shots a hundred times every day in front of the mirror. It did wonders for my confidence when I went to play out in the middle.

The greatest batsman ever, Sir Donald Bradman, improved his foot and eye coordination by playing against his wall with a stump and a golf ball. This, he said, is what improved his batting skills immensely.

The four walls of the house are

ideal for honing one’s skills in cricket. Apart from batting, one can improve ones’ catching and for a bowler his wrist movement and swing can be improved by bowling with a plastic ball.

One is happy to read that the Indian team’s fitness coach has an exercise and strength building regime structured for the present Indian players to do so at home during this curfew.

India’s famous fit and untiring tennis star, Leander Paes, has had a foreign fitness coach for over two decades.

He interacts with his coach on a regular basis online. GPS monitoring sensors measure all his body 17 parameters and only thereafter, his weekly schedule is put into place.

Paes said that this is what has kept him fit and agile and one cannot doubt it, as he is still playing top level tennis at the age of 46.

This is the time for an Indian cricketer to utilize technology and the world of mental and physical strengthening. A chance to reflect on what worked for him and what did not.

Cricket followers would never have had such a break from following live sporting action as what one is encountering at present. When the curtain is lifted, one can just imagine the way cricket popularity will escalate. Whereas, the cricketers who have been smart about reflecting and rejuvenating will be the winners

The big bang RBI stimulus: Behind Infra Lines T he slew of announcements by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to lower the repo rate, reverse repo rate, cash reserve ratio and allowing financial institutions the bandwidth to offer a three month EMI moratorium are all much needed and welcome as India grapples with an unprecedented but much-needed shut down due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

The RBI stimulus has hit at the most crucial issue at hand, i.e. “lack of or in most cases absence of cashflows”.

Helping individuals and businesses tide over temporary cash flow issues will be critical to ensure that as and when the economy recovers and demand picks up, businesses can move (if not bounce) back to normalcy.

The biggest challenge is the stoppage in cash movement due to the shutdown.

As businesses stop selling and the wheels of the economic system stop turning one gets a chain reaction through low to no sales, thereby impacting a firm’s capacity to invest, pay back debt and pay employees.

As both firms and individuals are hindered, excess liquidity in the system due to the RBI policy changes allows lenders to both ease the credit constraints as well as lower the cost

of credit.

Flexibility around credit repayments and a lower price of credit through greater liquidity in the financial system will boost the economy to cope with the crisis and eventually recover.

We may underscore that the issues faced by borrowers are more a liquidity issue and going forward also an issue of lagged demand growth.

The coronavirus driven shutdown has led to a sudden stop in demand.

A lot of even high-quality businesses

may be severely constrained.

The vital aspect to note is that those businesses which remain highquality are negatively impacted by an exogenous shock that has rendered their current cashflows insufficient to cover their costs, debt servicing and employee payrolls.

The RBI policy changes carefully address this “liquidity issue” that is at the forefront of the problems.

Additionally, the RBI policy changes through increasing liquidity and providing banks with the option of offering a moratorium on EMI

payments, at once, recognises that while demand drop was a “jump event” with a sudden drop in demand, the recovery in demand will be more of a “trickle incremental event” once the shutdown ends, and the pandemic subsides.

The increase in demand may be more gradual vis-�-vis a sudden drop. Policies that allow a lower cost of credit, higher availability of credit and flexibility around loan structuring will assist both lenders and borrowers better to match their credit cashflows with the business cashflows.

The RBI announcement on the targeted long term repo operation (LTRO) is one that is also vital in high volatility and low liquidity situation.

The RBI’s decision to offer banks capital provided the money is invested in investment-grade corporate bonds will, to some extent, help ease the pressure on the spread widening and low liquidity seen in the corporate bond market.

The LTRO announcement shows that there is a realisation that all selling in the markets isn’t necessarily a view on the fundamental value of the asset under consideration but is also driven by technical liquidity and portfolio allocation factors, especially in times of crisis.

Primarily, market participants sell since they need the cash to tide over current issues as opposed to selling based on asset value.

The LTRO, if used by the banks, can, to some extent, help support the corporate bond market.

At a broader level, the recent policy changes of the RBI have created a framework for releasing liquidity into the financial system to absorb the corona virus shocks better.

The ability of market participants to realise that while the current problems are grave, the need to restructure credit agreements around cashflows is critical for both lenders and borrowers.

The RBI policy announcements have provided the market with the tools with which to manage the cash flow mismatches to tide over current issues to some extent.

Essentially, while specific human behaviour patterns might change, people will still fly on planes, eat out at restaurants and stay at hotels.

Short-term exogenous shocks, however large, won’t change the fundamental nature of businesses in the medium to long-run.

The RBI through both policy and signalling has shown the will to support the markets quite actively to help move forward.

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INDIA

COVID-19 Special Coverage

Friday, April 03, 2020

The Indian Weekender

INDIA UNDER LOCKDOWN

24 villages declared COVID-19 red zones in Kashmir

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he Jammu and Kashmir administration has declared 24 villages across Kashmir as red zones in the wake of outbreak of COVID-19 in the valley.

The villages designated as red zones in central and south Kashmir include Parray Mohala Hajin, Chandergeer Hajin, Batagund Hajin in Bandipora district, Gudoora, Chandgam, Pinglena, Parigam, Abhama, Sangerwani and Khaigam in the Pulwama district; Waskura in Ganderbal, Sedew and Ramnagri in Shopian district; and Chadoora in Budgam district.

In Srinagar, Mehjoor Nagar, Natipora, Lal Bazar, Eidgah and Shalteng have been declared red zones.

Meanwhile, Bandipora District Administration in north

kashmir has declared four villages of the district as Red Zones as a precautionary measure after several COVID-19 positive cases were reported from these areas on Tuesday.

Invoking prohibitory orders

under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897, Section 144 of the CrPC and Disaster Management Act, 2005, Nodal Officer COVID-19 Assistant Commissioner Revenue, Reyaz Ahmad Beigh said four villages,

including Parray Mohalla Hajin, Chandergeer Hajin, Batagund Hajin and S.K. Bala Hajin are declared red zones.

He said that there would be no inward and outward movement of any person from the villages declared as Red zone and the people would stay inside their homes to ensure complete lockdown. He warned of stern action against violators as per provision of the relevant Acts.

The order was issued in view of the COVID-19 positive case from Hajin, Bandipora due to which the entire area has become vulnerable as far as transmission of the COVID-19 virus is concerned.

Till Tuesday, the total number of positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir was 55.

Migrants in anxiety, they need healing touch: Govt

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he Union Health Ministry has issued guidelines to deal with the crisis of migrant labourers who are facing harsh treatment by law enforcement agencies in various parts of the country due to nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19.

The ministry said that the migrant workers, faced with the situation of spending a few days in temporary shelters, which may be quarantine "Treat centres, while trying to reach to every migrant their native places, are filled worker with dignity, with "anxieties and fears", respect, empathy and stemming from various compassion. Listen to concerns, and are in need of their concerns patiently entirely on the money and understand their sent by the migrant "psycho-social" support. problems" earning members.

The ministry said that During outbreak of they are prone to various social, communicable diseases, such psychological and emotional trauma as COVID-19, and the restrictions in such situations, emanating imposed on routine activities as from fear of neglect by the local part of social distancing norms to community and concerns about prevent the spread, scores of migrant the wellbeing and safety of their workers tend to move back to their families back home. native places.

Migrants are forced to leave During the prevailing Covid-19 their native places in search of pandemic also, many migrant better opportunities and earnings, workers used all possible means to sometimes leaving behind their reach their destinations. families.

Many of them are however stuck In many instances, the families at borders, including state, district in native places depend partially or

and at national border areas.

These are the most marginalized sections of the society who are dependent on daily wages for their living, and in times of such distress need sympathy and understanding of the society.

"Sometimes, they also face harassment and negative reactions of the local community. All this calls for strong social protection," the ministry further said.

"Treat every migrant worker with dignity, respect, empathy and compassion.

"Listen to their concerns patiently and understand their problems.

Recognise specific and varied needs for each person/family. There is no generalisation.

Help them to acknowledge that this is an unusual situation of uncertainty and reassure them that the situation is transient and not going to last long. Normal life is going to resume soon," said the guideline.

The ministry said all the nformation about possible sources of help should be given. Inform them about the support being extended

by Central Government, State Governments/NGOs/health care systems.

Emphasise on the importance of their staying in their present location and how mass movement could greatly and adversely affect all efforts to contain the virus.

Make them realise their importance in the community and appreciate their contributions for the society.

Remind them that they have made their place with their own efforts, acquired the trust of their employer, sent remittances to their families and therefor deserve all respect.

Reassure that even if their employer fails them, local administration and charitable institutions would extend all possible help.

COVID-19 a reminder of interconnected world, need for global response: PM Modi

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odi said that he looks forward to working with Li to “further deepen and strengthen our closer developmental partnership and take it to even greater heights in the years to come”.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a “reminder to us of the interconnected nature of our world today and the need therefore to adopt a truly global response to it”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a message to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday.

Modi said that he looks forward to working with Li to “further deepen and strengthen our closer developmental partnership and take it to even greater heights in the years to come”. This was part of the Indian leadership’s message to the Chinese leadership, as both sides exchanged messages of felicitation between the Presidents, Prime Ministers and External Affairs Ministers on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China on April 1.

In his letter to China’s President Xi Jinping, President Ram Nath Kovind conveyed warm greetings, felicitations and good wishes to China’s government and its people.

He observed that the two sides have made “considerable progress, especially in the last few years in enhancing our bilateral engagement in a number of areas, including political, economic and people-topeople ties.”

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in his letter to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, said that due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the two sides have been “unable to carry out the various activities that had been planned to celebrate this historic anniversary”.

Newborn, mom test positive, suspected to have caught virus from bed of Covid-19 patient

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n March 27, the couple gave nasal swabs for COVID-19 test to a private laboratory that sent a representative to the hospital to collect the same. The hospital had advised them to get in touch with the lab.

(Representational Image) A three-day-old boy on Wednesday tested positive for COVID-19, suspected to have caught the virus from the bed occupied by an infected patient before it was allotted to his mother at Sai hospital in Mumbai. While the mother has also tested positive, the boy is the state’s youngest COVID-19 patient.

The newborn was delivered at the Chemburbased hospital on March 26. On Tuesday, the mother and son were shifted to Kurla Bhabha hospital and later to Kasturba Hospital. The

family claimed no paediatrician had visited the baby and the mother at Kasturba Hospital – the nodal centre for COVID-19 cases in Mumbai – since they had been admitted there.

The baby’s father, a restaurant manager, told The Indian Express that he had specially booked a twin-sharing room for his wife at Sai hospital to avoid risk of contracting infection.

I was concerned about COVID-19.

So, we booked an entire room.

Two hours after delivery, the staff asked us to vacate the room and moved us to another bed. They did not tell us why. The next day, a doctor called and asked us to get tested for the virus

“I was concerned about COVID-19. So, we booked an entire room. Two hours after delivery, the staff asked us to vacate the room and moved us to another bed.

"They did not tell us why. The next day, a doctor called and asked us to get tested for the virus,” the 32 year old said. He added that

he had been billed extra for the delivery, as very few doctors were available to perform a caesarean surgery on his wife.

On March 27, the couple gave nasal swabs for COVID-19 test to a private laboratory that sent a representative to the hospital to collect the same. The hospital had advised them to get in touch with the lab. The 26-year-old mother and the newborn tested positive. “Since March 27, no nurse or doctor visited my wife and son at Sai hospital. They completely abandoned us,” the father said. On March 31, BMC asked the hospital to shut down. Ward officer Prithviraj Chauhan said the hospital was shut to undertake sanitisation. “We had to disinfect all the surfaces,” he added.

The Indian Weekender

COVID-19 Special Coverage

Friday, April 03, 2020

Panic on rise, as 48.3%

INDIA

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74% people dependent on traditional media for info on COVID-19: Survey

feel they can get COVID-19 A

E

ven as the coronavirus positive cases went past 1,000 in India and at least 29 people lost their lives, 46 per cent people believe that the dreaded virus would not touch their family, while 48.3 per cent felt there is a chance they might get infected, a survey revealed.

The survey conducted by IANS C Voter Corona on March 26 and 27 found panic among the people over the virus has increased.

On March 17, 39.1 per cent people agreed there is a panic situation but 10 days later, the percentage rose to 48.3 per cent.

Also, in the survey done 10 days before on March 17, almost 69 per cent thought that the corona will not touch their families.

The level of confidence has also reduced by around 12 per cent.

Around 48 per cent thought that the virus can infect their families, but 10 days ago around 39 per cent thought the same.

During the survey, 1.2 per cent people thought that they can't say anything on the coronavirus situation.

After 10 days, a similar response was

given by 5.2 per cent people.

However, almost 46.5 per cent people are yet to panic but 10 days ago, 59.5 per cent people were in a state of panic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday has apologised for taking harsh steps to fight COVID-19 outbreak.

He said, "I apologise for taking these harsh steps which have caused difficulties in your lives, especially

the poor people. I know some of you would be angry with me also. But these tough measures were needed to win this battle."

The World Health Organisation's (WHO) former Director General Gro Harlem Brundtland has expressed concern over the global lack of "preparedness" for a worldwide pandemic despite a warning being made in September last year, reports said on Sunday.

bout 74 per cent of people are dependent on traditional media for any updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has affected 1,071 people across the country, a survey revealed.

The net outcome came out in a second survey conducted by media C-VOTER Corona Tracker conducted on March 26 and 27.

In the poll, a question -- On what sources are you dependent for corona related information -- was put forth before Indians during the last one week. According to the survey, a whopping 74.1 per cent people were dependent on the traditional media for information related to COVID-19 while 18.5 per cent people were dependent on social media for the information. And only 5.2 per cent people were dependent on community info.

The survey highlighted that 67.9 per cent people were dependent on television for information on COVID-19 while only 6.2 per

cent people were dependent on newspapers.

Following the 21-day nationwide lockdown to stop the transmission of COVID-19, the delivery of newspapers has been badly hit.

The survey report also highlighted that 5.1 per cent received updates on COVID-19 from WhatsApp while 4 per cent received the information regarding the pandemic from Facebook. It said 9.4 per cent were people were dependent on other social media platforms.

The report also pointed out that only 2.7 per cent people were dependent on local administration for the information on the pandemic and 2.5 per cent were dependent on friends and family members for the updates.

94% do not have symptoms of flu: Survey

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mid the 21-day nationwide lockdown till April 14 to combat the spread of novel coronavirus (Covid-19), about 94 per cent of people said that they don't have the symptoms of the flu like high fever, cold, dry cough, a survey report claimed on Monday.

The net outcome came out in a second survey conducted by media C-VOTER Corona Tracker conducted on March 26 and 27.

In the poll, a question -- Have you felt/seen flu-like symptoms like high fever, cold dry cough or similar symptoms in any family member (own household) or your neighbourhood (people who you

normally meet in your day-to-day life) -- was put forth before Indians during the last one week.

According to the survey, a whopping 94.3 per cent people said that they do not have the suymptoms of flu while 5.6 per cent people claimed that they felt the symptoms of flu. The survey report also highlighted that 89.3 per cent people said that they did not have the symptoms of flu, while 2.9 per cent said that the symptoms of flu was in the neighbourhood. Only 2 per cent people said that they witnessed the symptoms in their household and only 0.7 per cent people accepted that they had the symptoms of flu.

57.5% believe coronavirus situation will get better over next month

A Covid-19: India reports 1,834 cases, 41 deaths

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he total number of coronavirus positive cases in India reached 1,834 on Wednesday, including foreign nationals, with 1,649 active cases, the Union Health Ministry said.

The Health Ministry, in its the evening update that 41 deaths have been reported in India so far, with highest nine from Maharashtra, followed by Gujarat, where six deaths were reported.

"A total of 143 patients have been cured and discharged," it said.

Among the 27 states and Union Territories having Coronavirus patients, Maharashtra has the highest tally of positive cases at 302, followed by Kerala at 241 India has been under a 21-day lockdown in a bid to prevent spread of coronavirus.

Meanwhile, Wednesday recorded the highest COVID-19 positive cases in a day, 13 in Gujarat, taking the total positive cases in the state to 87. Jayanti Ravi, the principal

secretary, Health and family welfare Department, Gujarat said, "Apart from the eight positive cases registered on Wednesday morning, during the day, we have had five more positive cases in the state. Two are from Surat, two in Porbandar and 1 in Panchmahals."

With this, the total positive cases in the state have climbed to 87 with 6 deaths. The highest positive cases are in Ahmedabad -31, followed

by Surat -12, Gandhinagar -11, Rajkot -10, Vadodara -9, Bhavnagar -6, Porbandar -3 Gir-Somnath -2, Kutch, Mahesana and Panchmahals one each.

Seven positive cases, after undergoing treatment have been discharged.

Eight new positive corona cases were recorded in Gujarat on Wednesday morning, all of them in Ahmedabad which has been declared as a hotspot for the outbreak by the ministry of health and family welfare.

"Out of the 8, male (52) having inter state travel history to Indore, male (18) travel history to Indore, female (45) interstate travel history and a female (65) having got infected locally have been admitted in Ahmedabad Civil hospital. A male (68) with inter state travel history, male (54) with an international travel history and a female (58) infected locally have been admitted in Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP)AHospital.

Another male (67) who got infected locally has been admitted in the Sola Civil Hospital," Ravi said.

The total persons under quarantine are 19,206. The persons quarantined at home are 18,487 and those in government institutes are 743 while 253 are quarantined in private facilities. 418 FIR have been filed against persons violating the quarantine conditions. "We have conducted test of 1,586 samples out of which 1,501 have turned negative, 82 positive and the results of three are pending," added Ravi.

mid the rapid increase in the number of positive coronavirus cases in the country, 57.5 per cent people believe the situation will get better over the next month, while 17.6 per cent believe it will get worse.

The total positive cases in India have surged past 1,000, and resulted in 29 deaths.

Globally, the virus has claimed over 33,000 lives and infected over six lakh people.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had imposed an unprecedented 21-days lockdown on March 25 to curb the spread of coronavirus. The decision was aimed at completely halting the movement of people to stem the transmission of the coronavirus in the community.

According to a survey conducted by media Corona Tracker, response was sought on -- when thinking about the coronavirus in India which of the following do you think is most likely to happen over the next month?

People expressed their opinion in four categories -- don't know/ can't say; the worst is yet to come; the situation will remain largely the same as it is now; and we are over the worst of it - things will begin to improve. I n the middle of March, 61.2 per cent believed we are over the worst of it-things will begin to improve.

EXPLAINED: Are children less

vulnerable to novel coronavirus?

I

n research about the novel coronavirus so far, the evidence has been that the elderly and those with underlying conditions are more vulnerable.

Does that mean children are immune? The answer is no; although children have been less severely affected, the picture about COVID-19 is still emerging. The World Health Organization notes: “Older people, and people with chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, appear to be more at risk of developing severe symptoms. As this is a new virus, we are still learning about how it affects children. We know it is possible for people of any age to be infected with the virus, but so far there are relatively few cases of COVID-19 reported among children.”

20

WORLD

COVID-19 Special Coverage

Friday, April 03, 2020

The Indian Weekender

China and Australia target Pacific with coronavirus aid

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eijing has ramped up its diplomatic push into the Pacific, pledging coronavirus aid and medical advice, although its efforts are being impeded as islands close borders to stop the spread of the disease from hotspots including China. Chinese embassies have held cheque presentation ceremonies in multiple Pacific islands, after Beijing pledged to provide $1.9 million for testing kits and protective equipment this week.

“This is a global effort by China to change the perception of early January that China was the source of the virus, to China is the source of the solution,” said Richard McGregor, senior fellow with Australian foreign policy think tank the Lowy Institute. If their system is mobilized to not just sending these materials to New York and Italy but even tiny countries, it gives you a sense of how galvanized they are to use this

UN warns of 'dire' effects of coronavirus, 'greatest test' since WWII

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he United Nations warned of potentially “dire” long-term effects of the coronavirus outbreak on countries and the global economy and called for greater international cooperation to fight the pandemic.

“COVID-19 is the greatest test that we have faced together since the formation of the United Nations,” said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as he launched a report this week to address responses to the crisis. The U.N. was founded 75 years ago, after World War Two. The U.N. report appealed to countries to follow the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines and for an immediate health response to curb the spread of the virus, including stepping up testing, quarantine and treatment.

“We are still very far from where we need to be to effectively fight the COVID-19 worldwide and to be able to tackle the negative impacts,” Guterres told reporters at a virtual news conference.

Guterres said he was particularly concerned for Africa and urged

moment to build China’s reputation.”

The Pacific islands have grown as a strategic priority for China and the United States and its allies, including Australia, who are keen to lock in relationships with countries that control strategic waterways between the Americas and Asia. Australia is the region’s biggest aid donor but Pacific islands have turned to China in recent years for budget assistance.

A World Health Organization (WHO) spokeswoman said New Caledonia, French

Polynesia, Fiji and Guam can test for COVID-19, but other countries need to send specimens to Australia, New Zealand or the United States for testing.

China’s ambassador to Papua New Guinea (PNG), Xue Bing, said 2,000 testing kits, face masks and goggles were ready to be shipped from China, although flight restrictions prevented their delivery, PNG’s Post Courier newspaper reported.

FACE MASKS PNG’s health minister Jelta Wong told Reuters: “If China sends it down we will receive it. We have not opened our borders as yet and we won’t open until we are sure we have protocols in place,” Wong said.

PNG, with one confirmed case of COVID-19, tests at a local medical institute using two machines donated by Australia, he said.

“We only have aid coming from Australia,” said Wong. The Solomon Islands, which switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing last year, said it received $300,000 from China and was advised by the Chinese embassy in Honiara to buy equipment from the Beijing Genomics Institution.

The office of Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said it was trying to charter a flight from French Polynesia to China to return with medical supplies.

The Chinese embassy had also organized for a ship from Guangdong to carry several thousand face masks and protective suits donated by Guangdong province.

The secretary of Kiribati’s ministry of health and medical services, Kaaro Neeti, told Reuters the island was unable to test for COVID-19 but a Chinese donation “is in the pipeline”.

Factbox: Latest on the sprea

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ockdowns to halt the spread of the coronavirus have brought silence to some of the world’s busiest places. Transport hubs that should be teeming with travellers such as New York’s Grand Central Terminal or Istanbul’s Eminonu ferry docks are all but deserted.

developed countries to do more for less prepared nations.

“Let us remember that we are only as strong as the weakest health system in our interconnected world,” Guterres said.

The report also called for a multilateral response amounting to at least 10% of global gross domestic product. Over 878,000 people worldwide have been infected with the novel coronavirus and over 43,000 people have died, according to Reuters data.

What you need to know

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he US has more confirmed cases than any other country — more than 200,000, according to a CNN count. More than 4,300 people have died in the US. Between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans could die in the coming weeks, according to US government modeling.

The UN secretary-general says the pandemic is the "greatest test" the world has faced since the end of World War II.

DEATHS, INFECTIONS

• More than 878,300 people have been infected across the world and over 43,400 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

• For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread, open tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser.

• U.S.-focused tracker with state-by-state and county map, open tmsnrt.rs/2w7hX9T in an external browser.

• EUROPE • Italy will extend lockdown restrictions to April 13, as data from this week suggests a slowdown of growth in total cases, though its national health institute says official death toll could be underestimated.

• Cases in Spain topped 100,000 on Wednesday, and two planes with protective equipment arrived to restock an overloaded public health system.

• France became the fourth country to pass the 4,000 coronavirus deaths threshold.

• Britain said it would ramp up the number of tests amid widespread criticism that it was doing far too few.

• Switzerland no longer faces shortages in coronavirus testing, its top health official dealing with the pandemic said on Wednesday.

• Measures to limit the outbreak in the Netherlands appear to have halved the rate of infection but need to be continued to be really effective, a top

health official said.

• Germany will extend social distancing measures introduced last month to slow the spread of the coronavirus to April 19 and the government will re-evaluate the situation after the Easter holiday.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking precautions to protect himself, as Moscow launched a smartphone app designed to track people who have been ordered to stay home.

• Russia sent the United States medical equipment on Wednesday to help fight the coronavirus pandemic, a public relations coup for Putin.

• Turkey will step up measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak if it keeps spreading and people ignore “voluntary” quarantine rules,

Pre • Eur an trac

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• U.S wan incl nex in dea • The har who Cal

'Things under control': how Europe sle

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arely a month before Europe embarked on a scramble for masks, ventilators and testing kits to fight coronavirus, governments told Brussels their healthcare systems were ready and there was no need to order more stocks, EU documents show.

This rosy assessment is in stark contrast to the shortages of masks and medical equipment just a few weeks later, when the European Commission estimated needs across EU states to be 10 times higher than would usually be available.

While the dearth of equipment is mostly down to ballooning global demand, internal and public documents seen by Reuters show European Union governments may have worsened their predicament by overestimating their response capacity.

“Things under control,” a European Commission official said at a closeddoor meeting with diplomats from member states on Feb. 5, two weeks after China locked down nearly 60 million people in Hubei province, or roughly the population of Italy.

“There is strong level of preparedness in member states, most have measures in place” to detect and treat COVID-19, the official said, relaying comments from national envoys, according to minutes of the meeting seen by Reuters.

That was only two weeks before the first victims of coronavirus in Italy, where 12,428 people have now died from COVID-19, almost four times the death toll in China were the disease first emerged.

Asked whether the documents seen by Reuters showed the European response had been too slow, a spokesman for the EU executive said: “As from January, the Commission offered the possibility of support to member states.”

EU governments began to realise the gravity of the situation in March but rather than focusing on joint action many resorted to protectionist measures, raising trade barriers to hinder the export of medical equipment to their neighbours.

Italy still only has a fraction of the 90 million face masks its medical workers need each month, France ordered over 1 billion masks last week and manufacturers are adapting production lines to make ventilators.

‘CAPACITIES ARE IN PLACE’ The optimistic analysis presented by the European Commission official on Feb. 5 stemmed from a series of meetings with health experts from EU member states.

At a meeting on Jan. 31, delegates f Commission they did not need help acq the minutes.

“No countries have, as of yet, re countermeasures,” the minutes showed might need protective equipment if the countries were not named.

On Feb. 28, a month after its first offe to clarify their needs in at least two mo launched a joint procurement programm gear. The tender on behalf of 25 memb internal document seen by Reuters show bids made under a second tender but n deliveries are still weeks away, accordin EU governments had assured Brussels on how to handle COVID-19 patients, a though Italy only required medical staff

The Indian Weekender

COVID-19 Special Coverage

Friday, April 03, 2020

New York scolds 'selfish' residents, California intensive care beds running out

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he governor of New York clamped down harder on public gatherings in the face of the coronavirus, calling residents “selfish” for refusing to stay home as California’s governor warned his state may run out of intensive care beds and ventilators next month.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told New York City police to more aggressively enforce rules for social distancing as deaths in the state shot up to nearly 2,000.

“Young people must get this message, and they still have not gotten the message, you still see too many situations with too much density by young people,” said Cuomo in imposing new rules to close playgrounds, swing sets, basketball courts and similar spaces. The Democratic governor sounded vexed by reports of crowds gathering at a Manhattan pier to watch the arrival of the U.S. Navy hospital ship, the Comfort.

“How reckless and irresponsible and selfish for people not to do it on their own,” he said.

More than 4,700 people have died across the United States from COVID-19 as of Tuesday

afternoon, according to a Reuters tally, with more than 212,000 cases reported.

White House medical experts have forecast that even if Americans follow unprecedented stay-athome orders, some 100,000 to 240,000 people could die from the respiratory disease.

Since 2010, the flu has killed between 12,000 and 61,000 Americans a year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The 1918-1919 flu pandemic killed 675,000 in the United States, according to the CDC. HOTELS AS HOSPITALS Already 38 states and the District of Columbia

have told residents to avoid leaving the house unless necessary, orders that now apply to roughly 260 million people, or 80 percent of the U.S. population. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told a news conference the city was contracting with hotels as part of a massive effort to add 65,000 additional hospital beds by the end of the month.

De Blasio said the city has already arranged to add 10,000 beds at 20 hotels, which have lost most of their guests as travel has stopped. “This is going to be an epic process during the month of April to build out all that capacity,” de Blasio said at a briefing. “But this goal can be reached.”

YOUNGEST VICTIM Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced what he called a tragic milestone as the virus claimed its youngest known U.S. victim to date, a six-week-old baby.

“It just is a reminder that nobody is safe from this virus,” Lamont said at a field house at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, where more than 200 hospital beds have been set up.

ad of the coronavirus around the world

esident Tayyip Erdogan said. ropean scientists and engineers will launch initiative to support the use of digital contact cing applications.

ERICAS

S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she nts to virus-proof the November election by luding funding to boost voting by mail in the xt pandemic response plan, as confirmed cases the country climbed to 186,101 and while aths rose to 3,603. e governor of New York cracked down even rder on public gatherings, calling residents o disregarded stay-at-home rules “selfish” as lifornia’s governor warned his state will run

out of hospital beds by next month.

• Canada’s death toll jumped by 35% in less than a day and Quebec said it was running low on key medical equipment.

• An indigenous woman in a village deep in the Amazon rainforest has contracted the coronavirus.

• Cuba suspended arriving international flights and asked all foreign boats to withdraw from its waters.

• - Nearly 30 medical workers at a hospital in northern Mexico have been infected, as the national tally climbed to 1,215.

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

• Mainland China reported dwindling new infections on Wednesday and for the first time disclosed the number of asymptomatic cases, which could complicate how trends in the outbreak are read.

• Singapore reported 74 new cases in its biggest intraday jump, bringing its total to 1,000.

• Japan will ban entry to foreigners from 73 countries and ask everyone arriving from abroad to begin quarantine.

• India scoured mosques to trace people who attended a Muslim gathering in New Delhi that later emerged as a hotspot.

• The rate of new infections in Malaysia appears to be slowing amid month-long curbs on movement, a senior health official said.

• A team of Chinese scientists has isolated several antibodies that it says are “extremely effective” at blocking the ability of the virus to enter cells.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

• Iran’s president said the U.S. had missed an opportunity to lift sanctions on his country,

though he said the penalties had not hampered Tehran’s fight against the virus, which has killed more than 3,000 people and infected close to 48,000.

• Ugandan doctors accused the government of endangering the lives of those in medical emergencies by requiring that all seek permission to secure transportation to hospitals.

• Egypt has ramped up efforts to fight the coronavirus, ordering manufacturers to channel medical protective equipment to public hospitals.

ECONOMIC FALLOUT

• World equity markets began the new quarter with steep losses on Wednesday. [MKTS/GLOB] • Factories fell quiet across much of the world in March as the coronavirus pandemic paralyzed economic activity, with evidence mounting that the world is sliding into deep recession.

• China’s ports and shipping firms are bracing for a second wave of supply chain disruptions that may be deeper and more prolonged than during the country’s lockdown.

• The European Commision proposed a shorttime work scheme modelled on Germany’s Kurzarbeit programme to help people keep their jobs.

• Italy plans to spend another $11 billion to guarantee debt and liquidity for professionals and companies hit by the crisis.

• Switzerland is preparing to expand an emergency liquidity programme for businesses, as banks have already lent out more than half of the $20.70 billion set aside for state-backed loans.

• U.S. restaurants asked the White House and congressional leaders for at least $325 billion in aid.

WORLD

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Australia starts putting time limits on 'draconian' virus measures

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ustralian authorities began putting time limits on the use of police to enforce restrictions on personal movement intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus, as standoffs continued with cruise ships denied entry to ports. Australian states have instructed police to issue fines of up to A$11,000 ($6,672) to people who violate federal orders that ban nonessential travel and limit groups of people gathering outside to two.

In New South Wales, the most populous state with nearly a third of the country’s 25m population, police have also threatened prison terms of up to six months for people who violate the rules.

“When is the turn-off period for these orders? It is 90 days,” state police commissioner Mick Fuller told a televised news conference in Sydney. People will have gotten the message by then, hopefully. And we won’t be talking about the powers, we’ll be talking about what does it look like coming out of this?”

Police in NSW and other states have already started issuing tickets to people suspected of breaching orders which authorities themselves have called “draconian”.

Officials in the second most populous state of Victoria said policing of social distancing rules may last until June, without giving specific dates.

SHUTDOWN BITES Like countries around the world, Australia has ordered the shutdown of restaurants, cafes, bars, movie theatres and instructed people to stay inside unless they are shopping for food or taking their daily exercise as it tries to contain the flu-like illness.

So far, more than 5,200 people have been infected in Australia, and 23 have died.

The restrictions have crippled the local economy, putting hundreds of thousands out of work and hammering investors. The Australian share market was down about 3% on Thursday, following declines on Wall Street where U.S. health officals gave projections of hundreds of thousands of deaths, quashing hopes of a quick return to business as usual.

Australian health authorities have said infection rates appear to have slowed in recent days but it is too early to say definitively.

eepwalked into the coronavirus crisis

from national health ministries told the quiring medical equipment, according to

equested support to obtain additional d, with only four states warning they situation worsened in Europe. The four

er to help, and after urging governments ore meetings, the European Commission me for face masks and other protective ber states initially received no offers, an wed. EU member states are now assessing no contracts have yet been signed and ng to Commission estimates. s their medical workers were well briefed according to documents seen by Reuters, to wear masks when handling suspected

cases from Feb. 24.

Nearly 10,000 Italian health workers have been infected, or more than 9% of the cases in Italy, according to official data.

At an EU meeting on Feb. 4, national health experts said: “Diagnostic capacities are in place, and several countries have begun rolling out testing.”

Now, EU states are facing a massive shortage of testing kits and launched a joint procurement scheme on March 18.

The need to jointly acquire ventilators crucial for patients with severe breathing problems only arose for the first time at a meeting of EU health experts on March 13, according to minutes of the meeting.

A procurement scheme was launched by the European Commission on March 17.

Risks that healthcare systems might exceed their capacity were considered “low to moderate” in mid-February by the EU agency for disease control, which relies on assessments by individual member states.

A month later, it updated its assessment to say no countries would have enough intensive care beds by mid-April.

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WORLD

COVID-19 Special Coverage

Friday, April 03, 2020

The Indian Weekender

Chinese scientists seeking potential

COVID-19 treatment find 'effective' antibodies

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team of Chinese scientists has isolated several antibodies that it says are “extremely effective” at blocking the ability of the new coronavirus to enter cells, which eventually could be helpful in treating or preventing COVID-19.

There is currently no proven effective treatment for the disease, which originated in China and is spreading across the world in a pandemic that has infected more than 850,000 and killed 42,000.

Zhang Linqi at Tsinghua University in Beijing said a drug made with antibodies like the ones his team have found could be used more effectively than the current approaches, including what he called “borderline” treatment such as plasma.

Plasma contains antibodies but is restricted by blood type. In early January, Zhang’s team and a group at the 3rd People’s Hospital in Shenzhen began analysing antibodies from blood taken from recovered COVID-19 patients, isolating 206 monoclonal antibodies which showed what he described as a “strong” ability to bind with the virus’ proteins.

They then conducted another test to see if they could actually prevent the virus from entering cells, he told Reuters in an interview.

Among the first 20 or so antibodies tested, four were able to block viral entry and of those,

two were “exceedingly good” at doing so, Zhang said.

The team is now focused on identifying the most powerful antibodies and possibly combining them to mitigate the risk of the new coronavirus mutating. If all goes well, interested developers could mass produce them for testing, first on animals and eventually on humans.

autoimmune diseases and infectious diseases.”

The antibodies are not a vaccine but could potentially be given to at-risk people with the aim of preventing them from contracting COVID-19. Normally it takes around "But two years for a drug even to get it’s really exciting to find these close to approval for use on potential treatments, and patients, but the COVID-19 then have a chance to test pandemic means things are them out. Because if we can moving faster, he said, with find more candidates, then steps that would previously be taken sequentially now eventually we’ll have being done in parallel. better treatment" Zhang, who posted the findings online, hopes the antibodies can be tested on humans in six months. If they are found to be effective in trials, actual use for treatment would take longer.

Other experts urge caution.

“There’s a number of steps which will now need to be followed before it could be used as a treatment for coronavirus patients,” Hong The group has partnered with a Sino-U.S. Kong University infectious disease specialist biotech firm, Brii Biosciences, in an effort “to Ben Cowling said when the finding was advance multiple candidates for prophylactic described to him by Reuters. and therapeutic intervention”, according to a “But it’s really exciting to find these potential statement by Brii. treatments, and then have a chance to test them “The importance of antibodies has been out. Because if we can find more candidates, proven in the world of medicine for decades then eventually we’ll have better treatment,” now,” Zhang said.

“They can be used to treat cancer, Cowling said.

Bolsonaro, Trump talk coronavirus help as Brazil cases rise sharply

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residents Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro discussed cooperation between the two countries in the fight against coronavirus, as Brazil’s health minister warned that infection rates and lack of medical supplies were a big concern.

The two presidents discussed medical and logistical cooperation on a telephone call but steered clear of confinement and quarantine policies, according to Brazil’s Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo.

Both leaders have stirred controversy for their positions on the latter.

The White House said they discussed the importance of working together through the Group of 20 nations, cooperating on vaccine development and restoring global economic growth.

Criticism has grown over Bolsonaro’s handling of the crisis.

The right-wing populist has attacked state governors for lockdowns that are causing job losses, played down the threat of what he calls “a little flu” and contradicted his own health

minister’s position on self-isolation and social distancing.

Brazil’s Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta said the latest coronavirus figures were very worrying and expressed concern about the lack of protective equipment, medical equipment and ventilators.

The Health Ministry said on Wednesday that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in

Brazil rose by 1,119 to 6,836 and the death toll by 39 to 240.

A 20-year-old indigenous woman in a village deep in the Amazon rainforest was the first case reported among Brazil’s more than 300 tribes.

Mandetta said monitoring indigenous people is a challenge, and their lifestyle could facilitate the spread of the virus.

He told reporters that Brazil was having difficulty importing

urgent medical equipment because the United States sent 23 planes to China to be filled up, and Brazil’s share was slashed as a result.

Mandetta said that 200 million personal protective equipment items would arrive from China this month.

Meanwhile, Bolsonaro repeated his insistence that jobs and the economy cannot be forgotten in the coronavirus fight and warned that imports of food were already falling.

Figures on Wednesday showed that Brazilian manufacturing activity in March shrank at its fastest rate in three years, while the real sank to a record low of 5.27 per dollar.

The government pledged billions more to help the poor but was criticized for fraying ties with congress that could delay aid reaching those most in need.

Economy Minister Paulo Guedes said the government will spend about 98 billion reais ($18 billion) to help 54 million informal workers affected by nationwide lockdowns, part of an overall 800 billion reais government aid package.

Corona cases to reach 1mn in next few days, toll to hit 50,000

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n the next few days, the world will see confirmed COVID-19 cases reach one million and death tally climb to 50,000, the chief of World Health Organization (WHO) noted.

"As we enter the fourth month since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am deeply concerned about the rapid escalation and global spread of infection," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Noting a near-exponential growth of new COVID-19 cases over the past five weeks around the world, Tedros said the death toll has more than doubled in the past week.

As of Wednesday, the pandemic has killed 40,777 people worldwide, as a total of 827,419 infections were reported by over 200 countries and regions, the WHO situation dashboard indicated.

Outside China, the number of cases surged to 744,781, while 37,456 patients have died as of Wednesday.

France passes 4,000 coronavirus deaths, no end of lockdown in sight

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rance became the fourth country to pass the 4,000 coronavirus deaths threshold on Wednesday, after Italy, Spain and the United States, as the government scrambles to stay ahead of the curve regarding ventilator-equipped beds that are quickly filling up.

French health authorities reported 509 new deaths from the disease, taking the total to 4,032. But, after speeding up the previous two days, the rate of increase of deaths has decelerated in France, which is now in its third week of lockdown to try to slow the spread of the virus.

Speaking by videoconference in front of a parliament committee created to hold the government accountable for the way it handles the crisis, French Prime Minister

Edouard Philippe said the lockdown would likely be unwound gradually rather than in one go.

The government has ordered people to stay in their homes except for essential travel from March 17

government might start to ease or completely lift the lockdown.

The daily government tally still only accounts for those dying in hospitals but authorities say they will very soon be able to compile data on deaths in retirement homes, which is likely to result in a big “We increase in registered fatalities. are coping State health agency director with a highly Jerome Salomon told a exceptional pandemic, news conference that that has an unprecedented the number of cases had impact on our health risen to 56,989, a rise of system. A deadly 9%, versus an increase of pandemic, with a very until at least April 15.

17% Tuesday. contagious virus" “It is likely that we Salomon said 6,017 are not heading towards people were in a serious a general de-confinement in one condition needing life support, up go and for everyone,” Philippe 8% compared with Tuesday. France said without indicating when the has increased the number of beds in

intensive care units from 5,000 to about 10,000 since the start of the crisis and it is aiming to reach 14,500 as soon as possible.

“We are coping with a highly exceptional pandemic, that has an unprecedented impact on our health system.

"A deadly pandemic, with a very contagious virus”, Salomon said.

With 13,155 deaths to date, Italy accounts for almost 30% of the global death tally. Spain has 9,053 deaths and, just like France, the United States has just passed the 4,000-mark.

The four countries now account for about two-thirds of the total deaths now at more than 45,000 - from the coronavirus around the world.

The Indian Weekender

SPORTS

Friday, April 03, 2020

23

Wimbledon cancelled for the first time since World War Two

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he Wimbledon championships were canceled for the first time since World War Two on Wednesday as the coronavirus pandemic struck another blue-riband sports event off the calendar and wiped out the entire tennis grasscourt season.

While the decision had looked inevitable for some time, since the virtual shutdown of world sport and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, Wimbledon had been one of the few events not to have been officially canceled or postponed.

But after emergency talks between the various stakeholders over the last few days, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) announced that it was impossible for the grasscourt Grand Slam, scheduled for June 29-July 12, to take place.

"It is with great regret that the main board ... have today decided that The Championships 2020 will be canceled due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus

NO VACCINE = NO TENNIS Players across the tennis fraternity reacted with shock and sadness at the cancellation of Wimbledon.

Roger Federer, whose record haul of 20 Grand Slam titles includes eight Wimbledon trophies, said he was “devastated”.

“There is no gif for these things that I am feeling,” he added.

In a statement from the organizers of the Halle Open, which was also canceled, Federer said: “We are going through difficult times but we will emerge stronger. I already look

forward to returning to Halle next year. Stay healthy.”

Former Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo did not think either the U.S. Open or the French Open would go ahead this year.

“I think we’re going to have to draw a line under the 2020 tennis season,” Mauresmo said on Twitter this week.

“International circuit = players of all nationalities plus management, spectators and people from the 4 corners of the world who bring these events to life. No vaccine = no tennis.”

Unlike the French Open which is played on clay, Wimbledon’s scope for re-arranging the start date was extremely limited.

While Centre Court and Court One boast a roof, playing elite level tennis outside on grass would have been extremely challenging in late summer or autumn with a lack of light and problems caused by dew forming on the surface late in the day.

icketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler has said he will auction the shirt he wore in England’s 2019 World Cup final victory to raise funds for efforts to fight the coronavirus.

Buttler was instrumental in England’s thrilling victory over New Zealand in the final at Lord’s last year, scoring a half-century and then dislodging the stumps to run out Martin Guptill off the final ball of the super over.

The 29-year-old has placed the shirt on the auction website eBay and all the funds raised will go to the Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals’ charity.

In a video posted on Twitter, Buttler confirmed the shirt would be signed by all the players from England’s World Cup squad.

“As we all know, hospitals, doctors, nurses and the NHS are all doing quite an incredible job at the moment,” said Buttler.

“And in the weeks and months to come they are going to need our support even more.”

The highest bid as of 0445 GMT on Wednesday was 65,700 pounds ($81,316.89).

according to NHS figures.

The French Open, originally due to be held from May 24-June 7 was postponed and controversially rescheduled by the French tennis federation for Sept. 20-Oct. 4, shortly after the end of the U.S. Open.

The U.S. Open organizers said they were continuing with their plans to host the hardcourt Grand Slam in New York as scheduled from Aug 31Sep 14.

epidemic," the AELTC said in a statement here “The 134th Championships will instead be staged from June 28 to July 11, 2021.”

Following the cancellation of the grasscourt major, and with the pandemic worsening in Europe and the U.S, the men’s ATP Tour, women’s WTA Tour and the International

Tennis Federation extended the suspension of professional tennis for another five weeks to July 13.

“At this time, tournaments taking place from July 13, 2020 onwards are still planning to proceed as per the published schedule,” said a joint statement from the governing bodies.

Britain’s death toll from the virus reached 2,352 on Wednesday,

Buttler to auction World I can relate to Ibrahimovic's England's Cup final shirt for coronavirus fight story: Bumrah to Rohit W

I

ndia pacer Jasprit Bumrah on Wednesday said he takes inspiration from Swedish star footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the way he rose from the ashes to become one of the best in the business.

Talking on Instagram live with India opener Rohit Sharma, Bumrah said: "I love Ibra. I can relate to his story that people did not take him seriously and then he became a star. I can relate as I think people took me lightly initially and then I proved them wrong, I am still trying."

Bumrah is the No. 1 ranked ODI bowler at present.

He rose through the ranks playing for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and had a forgettable first outing .

On debut against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Bumrah was smashed to three boundaries by Virat Kohli in his first-ever IPL over. However, what followed that was a ribbon-cutting to his glorious cricketing career. Rohit and Bumrah, both teammates at Mumbai Indians with the former leading the team to their record fourth title, also spoke on Sri Lanka T20 captain and veteran pacer Lasith Malinga who also plays for Mumbai Indians. Rohit asked Bumrah on his relation with Malinga.

"The communication was difficult initially. He taught me the mindset when he gets hit, he smiles. I used to get annoyed at the beginning but he explained there is no point getting angry," Bumrah said.

Bumrah also said he looked forward to bowling with New Zealand pacer Trent Boult in the IPL but with it now being postponed due to the coronavirus, he has to wait. "When he was in Delhi, I asked him about slower ball. I met him in New Zealand also and I spoke to him."

Will always bleed blue & stand for humanity: Yuvraj

F Rohit said Mumbai had a balance team this term and would have done well.

"I was looking forward to this (season) we had lethal new ball combination, we had all bases covered. IPL would have been exciting but anyway this can't be controlled," said India's limited overs vice-captain and one of the best white-ball batters.

ormer India cricketer Yuvraj Singh has reacted to the backlash he received for asking for help for Shahid Afridi foundation amid the coronavirus outbreak. He said that he didnt want to hurt anyones feelings and all he tried was to help people suffering due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"I really don't understand how a message to help the most vulnerable people gets blown out of proportion!

All I tried to achieve through that

message was to help people in our own respective countries by providing healthcare, my intention was not to hurt anyone's feelings," Yuvraj said in a message posted on his Twitter handle.

"I'm an Indian and I will always bleed blue and will always stand for humanity. Jai Hind," he added.

Earlier Yuvraj and Harbhajan Singh paired up with Afridi to help those in need during the pandemic which has claimed thousands of lives across the world.

Breathe in, breathe out, stay active: Ronaldo

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ootball superstar Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday posted a workout photo of his and asked everyone to "stay active" during the lockdown period across the world owing to the coronavirus pandemic which is wrecking havoc globally.

"Breathe in, breathe out. Stay active," Ronaldo said in a tweet with a shirless picture, showing his enviable body and his eyes closed

as if meditating. Madeira-born Portuguese football star Ronaldo and his manager Jorge Mendes are going to donate five ventilators to the Regional Health Service of Madeira, Lusa News Agency reported last Saturday.

The latest donation will bring the total number of the ventilators in the region to 99, the release said.

Last Tuesday, Ronaldo and Mendes made

donations to turn a wing of the Santo Antonio Hospital in the Northern city of Porto into Intensive Care Units (ICU) with 15 beds fully equipped with ventilators, monitors and other equipment.

Portugal has so far seen 8,251 coronavirus cases and 187 deaths.

Meanwhile, Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has recently revealed that star striker

and his teammate Ronaldo had to buy iMacs for the entire team after he was given a red card in his first Champions League match for the Italian club.

After spending nine years with Real Madrid, Ronaldo had moved to Juventus in 2018 and in September that year, he played his first Champions League match with his new club against Valencia.

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FEATURES

COVID-19 Special Coverage

Friday, April 03, 2020

Tommy the robot nurse helps keep Italy doctors safe from coronavirus

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e doesn’t wear a mask but he is helping save lives from coronavirus just the same. Meet Tommy, the robot nurse.

Tommy is one of six new robots helping flesh-and-blood doctors and nurses care for coronavirus patients at the Circolo Hospital in Varese, a city in the northern Lombardy region that is the epicenter of the outbreak in Italy.

“It’s like having another nurse without problems related to infection,” said Doctor Francesco Dentali, director of intensive care at the hospital.

The child-size robots with large blinking eyes are wheeled into rooms and left by a patient’s bedside so doctors can look after others who are in more serious conditions.

They monitor parameters from equipment in the room, relaying them to hospital staff. The robots have touch-screen faces that allow patients to record messages and send them to doctors.

Most importantly, Tommy and his high-tech teammates allow the hospital to limit the amount of direct contact doctors and nurses have with patients, thus reducing the risk of infection.

More than 4,000 Italian health workers have contracted the virus treating victims in Italy and 66 doctors have died.

The death toll in Italy, the world’s hardest hit country in terms of deaths, topped 13,000 on Wednesday, more than a third of all global fatalities.

“Using my abilities, medical staff can be in touch with the patients without direct contact,” Tommy the robot, who was named after a son of one of the doctors, explained to a visiting reporter on Wednesday.

It takes a while for patients to realize that, given the enormity of the task of combating coronavirus and the toll it is taking on overworked medical staff, robots may be just

what the doctor ordered.

“You have to explain to the patient the aim and function of the robot,” Dentali said.

“The first reaction is not positive, especially for old patients. But if you explain your aim, the patient is happy because he or she can speak with the doctor,” he said.

The robots also help the hospital limit the number of protective masks and gowns staff have to use.

“These days, they are a scarce resource,” said Doctor Gianni Bonelli, the hospital’s director.

The shortage of masks has been one of the biggest problems dogging the national health system since the contagion surfaced at the end of February.

The national commissioner for the

emergency has said it will take Italy at least two months to become self-sufficient in producing protective masks.

Tommy and his fellow robot nurses have one more advantage - they are not subject to exhaustion. A quick charge of batteries and they are back at work in the ward.

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acebook has announced to expand its Community Help feature as part of COVID-19 efforts which will help people offer help to those affected by the new coronavirus pandemic, as well as donate to nonprofit organisations.

Zoom bug can let hackers steal your Windows password

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as they focus on delivering the technology needed to fight Covid-19 at a national and global level,"

Facebook expands Community Help feature for COVID-19 efforts

People can access Community Help in the COVID-19 Information Center on Facebook.

"Community Help is a place for people to request or offer help to neighbours, such as volunteering to deliver groceries or donating to a local food pantry or fundraiser," Facebook said.

The social networking giant is starting to roll it out in the US, the UK, France, Australia and Canada in the next few days.

"We're working to bring it to more countries in the coming weeks," said the company. This is the first time Facebook has launched Community Help on a global scale and being used for a health pandemic. The new coronavirus cases reached over 8.5 lakh globally on Wednesday, with over 42,000 deaths. The cases in US reached 1.8 lakh alone, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

Cyient to support production of Covid-19 medical equipment yient, a global engineering and technology solutions company, here on Tuesday, announced that it had received clearance for its Mysore facility to run MedTech manufacturing lines to support production of medical equipment that were critical in the fight against Covid-19.

According to the Hyderabad-based firm, it's producing assemblies used in X-ray generators from GE Healthcare and diagnosis units from Molbio Diagnostics to enable rapid disease testing in India.

Cyient's Mysore factory is dedicated to electronic manufacturing processes, including printed circuit board assemblies, cable harnesses and boxbuilds, that closely align with its core competence in electronic systems design, integration and manufacturing services.

"We are proud to support our customers in the healthcare industry at this critical time. We will continue to do everything we can to help reduce the impact of this crisis on our customers' operations

The Indian Weekender

said Rajendra Velagapudi, Senior Vice-President and CEO, Cyient DLM.

lammed for the lack of users privacy and security by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and cybersecurity experts, video meeting app Zoom is also prone to hacking, a new report has claimed, saying an unpatched bug can let hackers steal users Windows password.

TheZoom client for Windows' is vulnerable to the 'UNC path injection' vulnerability that could let remote attackers steal login credentials for victims' Windows systems, reports TheHacckeNews.

The latest finding by cybersecurity expert @_g0dmode, has also been "confirmed by researcher Matthew Hickey and Mohamed A. Baset,' the report said late Wednesday.

The attack involves the "SMBRelay technique" wherein Windows automatically exposes a user's login username and NTLM password hashes to a remote server, when attempting to connect and download a file hosted on it.

"The attack is possible only because Zoom for Windows supports remote UNC paths, which converts such potentially insecure URLs into hyperlinks for recipients in a personal or group chat," the report claimed.

RULETHE The Indian Weekender

Friday, April 03, 2020

KITCHEN

Spiced carrot & lentil soup

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delicious, spicy blend, packed full of iron and low fat to boot.

It's ready in under half an hour or can be made in a slow cooker Ingredients • 2 tsp cumin seeds • pinch chilli flakes • 2 tbsp olive oil • 600g carrots, washed and coarsely grated (no need to peel) • 140g split red lentils • 1l hot vegetable stock (from a cube is fine) • 125ml milk • plain yogurt • and naan bread, to serve Method • Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry 2 tsp cumin seeds and a pinch of chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas.

• Scoop out about half with a spoon and set aside. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, 600g

FEATURE

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Coconut Curry Chicken Soup Ingredients • 2 cans (13.66 ounces each) coconut milk • 1/3 to 1/2 cup red curry paste • 1 package (8.8 ounces) thin rice noodles • 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar • 2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce • 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt • 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken • 1-1/2 cups shredded cabbage • 1-1/2 cups shredded carrots • 3/4 cup bean sprouts • Fresh basil and cilantro leaves

Method • In a Dutch oven, bring coconut milk to a boil.

Cook, uncovered, 10-12 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 3 cups. Stir in curry paste until completely dissolved.

• Meanwhile, prepare noodles according to package directions.

• Add broth, brown sugar, fish sauce and garlic salt to curry mixture; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring

coarsely grated carrots, 140g split red lentils, 1l hot vegetable stock and 125ml milk to the pan and bring to the boil.

• Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils Ingredients have swollen and softened.

• 1 teaspoon canola oil • Whizz the soup with a stick blender or • 1 medium onion, finely chopped in a food processor until smooth (or • 1 garlic clove, minced leave it chunky if you prefer).

• 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed • 1 tablespoon chili powder • Season to taste and finish with a dollop • 2 teaspoons ground cumin of plain yogurt and a sprinkling of the • 1 teaspoon dried oregano reserved toasted spices. Serve with • 2-1/2 cups vegetable or warmed naan breads. reduced-sodium chicken broth • 1 cup salsa • 12 taco shells • 1-1/2 cups shredded lettuce • 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes • 1-1/2 cups shredded reducedfat cheddar cheese

occasionally. Stir in chicken; heat through.

• Drain noodles; divide among six large soup bowls. Ladle soup over noodles; top servings with vegetables, basil and cilantro.

Tasty Lentil Tacos

Sweet Chili & Orange Chicken

• 6 tablespoons fat-free sour cream

Method • In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; saute onion and garlic until tender.

Add lentils and seasonings; cook and stir 1 minute.

• Stir in broth; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, 25-30 minutes.

• Cook, uncovered, until mixture is thickened, 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Mash lentils slightly; stir in

salsa and heat through.

• Serve in taco shells.

• Top with remaining ingredients.

Tomato-Melon Chicken Salad Chicken-Stuffed Ingredients

Ingredients • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon pepper • 2 tablespoons butter • 3/4 cup sweet chili sauce • 1/3 cup thawed orange juice concentrate • Hot cooked jasmine or other rice • Minced fresh basil

Method • Toss chicken with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat; stir-fry chicken until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes.

• Remove from pan; keep warm.

• Add chili sauce and juice concentrate to skillet; cook and stir until heated through.

• Stir in chicken.

• Serve with rice; sprinkle with basil.

• 4 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges • 2 cups cubed seedless watermelon • 1 cup fresh raspberries • 1/4 cup minced fresh basil • 1/4 cup olive oil • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon pepper • 9 cups torn mixed salad greens • 4 grilled chicken breasts (4 ounces each), sliced

Method • In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, watermelon and

Cubanelle Peppers

raspberries. In a small bowl, whisk the basil, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

• Drizzle over tomato mixture; toss to coat.

• Divide salad greens among 6 serving plates; top with tomato mixture and chicken.

Instant Pot Sesame Chicken

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces • 1 tablespoon sesame oil • 1/4 cup honey • 1/4 cup soy sauce or gluten-free tamari soy sauce • 1/4 cup water • 3 garlic cloves, minced • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes • 3 teaspoons cornstarch • 2 tablespoons cold water • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds • Hot cooked rice • Thinly sliced green onions, optional

Method • Select saute or browning setting on a 6-qt.

electric pressure cooker.

• Adjust for medium heat; add sesame oil. When

oil is hot, brown chicken in batches.

• Press cancel.

• Return all to pressure cooker.

• In a small bowl, whisk honey, soy sauce, water, garlic and pepper flakes; stir into pressure cooker.

• Lock lid; close pressure-release valve. Adjust to pressure-cook on high for 4 minutes.

• Quick-release pressure.

• In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into pressure cooker.

• Select saute setting and adjust for low heat.

Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, 1-2 minutes.

• Serve with rice.

• Sprinkle with sesame seeds and, if desired, green onions.

Ingredients • 6 Cubanelle peppers or mild banana peppers • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten • 3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast • 1 cup salsa • 3/4 cup soft bread crumbs • 1/2 cup cooked long grain rice • 2 cups meatless pasta sauce Directions • Preheat oven to 350°. Cut and discard tops from peppers; remove seeds.

• In a large bowl, mix eggs, chicken, salsa, bread crumbs and rice. Spoon into peppers.

• Spread pasta sauce onto bottom of a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with peppers.

• Bake, covered, 60-65 minutes or until peppers are tender and a thermometer inserted in stuffing reads at least 165°.

26

FEATURES

COVID-19 Special Coverage

Friday, April 03, 2020

The Indian Weekender

Global coronavirus cases

increase to 937,567: Johns Hopkins

T

he coronavirus pandemic was still raging across the world, posing a test for countries and regions, as the global number of confirmed cases increased to 937,567, according to the latest update by the Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE).

As of Thursday morning, the CSSE data showed that that global death toll stood at 47,226 The numbers came only a day after global COVID-19 cases hit the 800,000 mark, reports Xinhua news agency.

"In the next few days we will reach 1 million confirmed cases, and 50,000 deaths," World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a daily briefing on Wednesday.

"As we enter the fourth month since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am deeply concerned about the rapid escalation and global spread of infection," the WHO chief said.As per the CSSE data, the highest number of cases in the world was recorded in the US at 216,515, while Italy accounted for the largest death toll at 13,155.

The pandemic was showing no sign of abating in Europe, where the confirmed cases were approaching 500,000 and the death toll swelled to 30,000 on Wednesday.

Spain became the third country with the highest number of cases at

Programs in 15 countries have been supported through these funds and additional countries were being identified under the global CERF allocation of $60 million -- one of the

largest ever made.

So far, according to the OCHA, close to $374 million in donor funds have been made available for the global plan.

Scientists studying role of

mucus in spreading coronavirus

A 104,118 on Wednesday, after the US and Italy (110,574).

In Italy, a further 727 deaths from COVID-19 were reported in the 24 hours from Tuesday to Wednesday, taking the death toll to 13,155.

But that was the lowest daily tally of fatalities since March 26.

In France, 509 more COVID-19 patients died in the past 24 hours, bringing the death tally to 4,032 on Wednesday, said General Director of Health Jerome Salomon.

The cumulative number of infection cases in the country rose to 57,763.cross the Atlantic, the US became the first nation with more

03 April – 09 April 2020 | By Manisha Koushik ARIES (MAR 21-APR 20) On the professional front, you may find things turning favourable. Those facing interview are likely to fare well. Someone’s presence at home may become a source of strength for you. You will need to keep an open mind regarding a personal issue.

Buying a vehicle or property is on the cards for some, as your monetary situation improves. Health poses no problems. You may plan an outing with friends in this week. Lucky No.: 2 / Lucky Colour: Brown TAURUS (APR 21-MAY 20) You are likely to turn the situation to your advantage on the academic front. You may implement some new ideas on the professional front. Your confidence and belief in yourself will thwart all opposition impeding your progress. A chance to boost your image on the social front may come to you. Something that needs to be done will be completed, as you are not likely to sit on your laurels.

Your financial position remains strong. Lucky No.: 7 / Lucky Colour: Red GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 21) You may try to bring some improvements in whatever you are involved in. A positive improvement in health is foreseen for those feeling under the weather. Your hard work in your chosen field is likely to be most fruitful. Some encouraging signals may be received on the romantic front. A journey you are not too keen on may come to you. Some of you may be engaged in a new construction or renovation on the home front. Lucky No.: 3 / Lucky Colour: purple CANCER (JUN 22-JUL 20) You will find your luck shining on both the personal and professional fronts. Stars on the property front appear the brightest. Those trying to sell property may find a lucrative offer that they just can’t miss.

Academic excellence is foreseen for some. Support from the family is assured and will help you in doing better in your field. You will manage to get your act together on the professional front. Chance for a vacation may materialise for some.

Lucky No.:8 / Lucky Colour: Navy Blue

than 200,000 COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, according to a new tally from Johns Hopkins University.

It has recorded a total of 5,119 deaths.

Meanwhile, UN agencies continued to help countries contain the virus and limit its socialeconomic impact.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it has provided $78.8 million in responses to the pandemic.

It includes $75 million from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), with the rest coming from country-based, pooled funds.

team of US researchers is utilizing special aerosols in a closed environment to simulate coughing to help determine how different mucins carry the virus through the air.

Mucus is a "slimy" material that coats many epithelial surfaces and is secreted into fluids such as saliva. It is composed chiefly of mucins and inorganic salts suspended in water.

As the lethal COVID-19 coronavirus propagates around the globe, we know a sneeze, a cough or simply touching a surface with the virus can spread the infection.

What researchers don't know is exactly the role different compositions of mucus, the slimy substance on human tissue, play in the transmission and infection of coronaviruses. Nor do they know why some people known as "superspreaders" will spread the disease more than others.University of Utah biomedical engineering assistant professor Jessica R. Kramer is now researching how mucus plays a part

in transferring coronaviruses from person to person.

"Not everyone spreads the disease equally. The quality of their mucus may be part of the explanation," said Kramer.

"One person may sneeze and transmit it to another person, and another may not, and that is not well understood". She has received a one-year, $200,000 Rapid Response Research (RAPID) grant from the National Science Foundation for the research.

Kramer and her team will create different forms of synthetic mucins, the proteins that make up mucus, and test them with non-hazardous versions of coronaviruses.

She will also test the viability of the virus when it lands on a surface based on the mucins that carry it.

Her lab will also examine how mucin composition on the next victim's mouth, eyes or lungs affects whether the virus makes it through the mucus into their cells to replicate.

Manisha Koushik is a practicing astrologer, tarot card reader, numerologist, vastu and fengshui consultant based in India with a global presence through the online channels. She is available for consultations online as well. E-mail her at support@askmanisha.com or contact at +91-11-26449898 Mobile/Whatsapp: +91-9716145644 • www.askmanisha.com

LEO (JUL21-AUG 20) TSome good is likely to come out of your efforts on the social front. You will happily accompany friends or relations on a fun trip. Those seeking accommodation near their place of work are likely to find what they are looking for. You enjoy excellent health by keeping your diet under check. Those in a relationship will find the going most satisfying. You may get motivated to join a gym or an exercise regimen to get in shape. Lucky No.:6 / Lucky Colour: Yellow

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 23-DEC 21) Your efforts on the academic front may get mixed results, so time to put in more efforts. Clinching a lucrative deal is likely to bring in big profits. Correct assessment of the present situation is important to set your sights accurately. It is not in your interest to show all the cards in a professional negotiation. You will have to participate wholeheartedly in a family event, lest you be labelled family’s black sheep! Expect celebrations on the romantic front.

Lucky No.: 5 / Lucky Colour: Magenta

VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 23) The bail out that some of you are hoping for on the financial front may require some efforts. You will be able to give a good account of yourself on the professional or academic front. Your performance will get noticed even without you making any efforts for it. Some worries on the home front can keep you in a pensive mood, but you may be overreacting. Your careful nature is likely to save you from something unforeseen. Lucky No.: 4 / Lucky Colour: Olive Green

CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 21) Those playing the stocks will need to be careful.

Some hurdles are foreseen for those trying to further their careers, but nothing that cannot be surmounted.

A business trip may be required to rope in some lucrative deals. Things may not be same that you had expected in meeting someone you had not met in years. Rekindled love life will become a source of much enjoyment.

Highway driving is likely to prove most educative for some new drivers.

Lucky No.:2 / Lucky Colour: Chocolate

LIBRA (SEP 24-OCT 23) You may be rather liberal in your praise for someone who really doesn’t deserve it! Enjoying togetherness with family is indicated and will keep you in high spirits. You are likely to be at your sociable best and will try to revive old relationships. Someone’s interest in you will keep you on your best behaviour.

Love is likely to capture your heart. Good health will keep you energetic and in a positive frame of mind. Lucky No.: 1 / Lucky Colour: Fuchsia

AQUARIUS (JAN 22-FEB 19) Good progress is likely to be made on the academic front, but you will have to keep at it. Steady progress on the academic front will give you added confidence to do better. On the professional front, you are likely to beat competition to grab a lucrative assignment. Much fun is in store for you on the family front. You may invite friends over for something special.

A budding romance is likely to give immense joy. Lucky No.: 8 / Lucky Colour: Silver

SCORPIO (OCT 24-NOV 22) You have to keep your wits about in a situation that is likely to confront you. Professional front paints a rosy picture and finds you in a favourable situation. Those pursuing academics will manage to display steady progress. You are likely to enjoy your friends’ circle and even invite some new friends to join in. You may be required to accompany someone to an out of town destination that promises to be most interesting. Health remains satisfactory. Lucky No.: 6 / Lucky Colour: Cyan

Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20) An honour or praise can be expected on the social front. You will be able to score over others on the academic front. A project submitted by you promises to get you much acclaim. Financially, you do well by earning on the side. Spending on friends cannot be ruled out. You will have to be at your tactful best in handling a family member. A function that you are forced to attend is likely to bore you thoroughly. Lucky No.: 4 / Lucky Colour: Purple

The Indian Weekender

TIME OUT

Friday, April 03, 2020

CROSSWORD NO: 51

27

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S QUESTIONS

SUDOKU NO: 51

HITORI NO: 51

Hitori – a logic puzzle with very simple rules and challenging solutions. Can you eliminate numbers until there are no duplicates in any row or column? Objective / Rules. Eliminate numbers until there are no duplicates in any row or column. Eliminate numbers by marking them in Black. You are not allowed to have two Black squares touching horizontally or vertically (diagonally is ok). Any White square can be reached from any other (i.e. they are connected).

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE NO: 51

See how many differences you can find in the right or left photo.

1. In the song “Frosty the Snowman,” what made Frosty come to life? An old silk hat 2. What Christmas decoration was originally made from strands of silver? Tinsel 3. Who played George Bailey in the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life?” Jimmy Stewart 4. Per a recent holiday fad, what “spy” hides around the house, reporting back to Santa on who has been naughty and nice? The Elf on the Shelf 5. What Christmas beverage is also known as “milk punch?” Eggnog 6. One of Santa’s reindeer shares a name with a famous symbol of Valentine’s Day. Which reindeer is that?

Cupid 7. What Christmas-themed ballet premiered in Saint Petersburg, Russia in 1892? The Nutcracker 8. In 1981, Bob and Doug McKenzie released their own version of a classic Christmas song. Which song is that? The Twelve Days of Christmas 9. What animated 2004 film is about a train that carries kids to the North Pole on Christmas Eve? The Polar Express 10. What much-reviled Christmas edible is known for its long shelf life? Fruitcake 11. In Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” what was Mr. Scrooge’s first name? Ebenezer 12. What Bing Crosby song is the best-selling single ever?

White Christmas 13. In the early 1800s, the first gingerbread houses were reportedly inspired by what famous fairy tale? Hansel and Gretel 14. “Miracle on 34th Street” centers on what real-life

department store? Macy’s 15. In the song “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” what “incriminating” evidence was found on Grandma’s back? Claus marks 16. How many reindeer are featured in the poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas?” Eight (no Rudolph!)

17. What traditional Christmas decoration is actually a parasitic plant? Mistletoe 18. In “The Muppet Christmas Carol,” who played Scrooge? Hint: It wasn’t a muppet. Michael Caine 19. What beverage company has been using Santa Claus in its advertising since 1931? Coca-Cola 20. According to legend, what holiday goodies were shaped to resemble a shepherd’s staff, as a way to remind children of the shepherds who visited baby Jesus? Candy canes 21. In the movie “A Christmas Story,” what was the name of the next door neighbors whose dogs ate the Christmas turkey? The Bumpuses 22. What figure from English folklore came to be associated with Santa Claus? Father Christmas 23. In the 1964 classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” what was the name of Rudolph’s faithful elf companion? Hermey 24. According to the folklore of Austria and other countries, what horned figure punishes naughty children at Christmastime? Krampus 25. In the TV special “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” what three words best describe the Grinch? Stink, stank, stunk 26. What well-known Christmas carol became the first song ever broadcast from space in 1965? Jingle Bells

Send us stories, drawings, poems and other contributions by your little ones along with their photographs for this page. E-mail us at reporter@indianweekender.co.nz

28

ENTERTAINMENT

Friday, April 03, 2020

Divyanka Tripathi reveals her brother is a pilot, father a pharmacist, slams discrimination against professions

T

V actor Divyanka Tripathi has slammed people who are discriminating against doctors and airline staff amid the coronavirus pandemic.

She called it a “dastardly act” and shared that her brother is a pilot and her father is a pharmacist - both are risking their lives everyday so that essential services can continue during the current lockdown. Sharing a screenshot of a news item about an airline staff member and her mother who were ostracised by their neighbours, Divyanka wrote on Instagram, “#CoronaShaming is most dastardly act one can indulge into. Keep distance, be careful but don’t lose empathy that primarily defines us as humans.

My brother is a pilot, willingly self quarantined at home, while SHOWING NO SYMPTOMS for 13 days. Even if he would have been affected he would have got himself treated like any other dutiful staff. Until recently, when officials posted a label outside our Bhopal house which is important but it ‘failed to mention that he’s NOT COVID POSITIVE’, I didn’t know what trauma airline staff was going through.

Several being made to leave their houses, many

are being ill treated, their families are being stigmatised...just because THEY CHOSE TO SERVE YOU OVER THEIR LIFE!” She further wrote, “My father risks his life everyday to provide others medicines from his pharmacy. My brother dared to keep flying till last government directive so that several stranded passengers can return home.

It’s a risk so many brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers are taking every day providing us essential services, while their families can only pray for their well being.

We conveniently traveled and we are still shopping for our medicines, grocery etc “#CoronaShaming but when it comes to addressing these is most dastardly act selfless workers, some of us choose to one can indulge into. ostracise them!”

Keep distance, be careful “Least we can do is be respectful but don’t lose empathy as neighbours and fellow citizens, let that primarily defines them live with dignity, if not thank them us as humans." personally. #AviationCrewDeservesRespect #BeingQuarantinedIsNotBeingPositive # S t o p C o r o n a S h a m i n g #NotAllQuarantinedArePositive,” the actor concluded.

Ayushmann Khurrana’s wife Tahira Kashyap is running out of paint supplies during lockdown, says ‘khatam ho corona’

A

ctor Ayushmann Khurrana’s wife and filmmaker Tahira Kashyap has been exploring her artistic side and making paintings while the nation is in a three-week lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tahira made a painting that was inspired by the recent news of deer and other animals venturing out of the forests and on to the streets in Chandigarh due to reduced vehicular activity.

She also shared that she has almost exhausted her art supplies and hoped for the coronavirus outbreak to come to an end.

“Last week heard the news about Barasingha (swamp deer) taking

to the roads of my hometown, Chandigarh.

Got inspired from there! Ran short of canvas, used daughter’s art file!

Running out of paint supplies also.

#khatamhocorona,” she wrote.

Tahira recently started painting again, now that the entire family is confined to their home due to the coronavirus crisis. She shared

Abhay Deol slams ‘self-absorbed’ people whose biggest concern during lockdown is getting a perfect selfie

B

ollywood actor Abhay Deol has hit out at the “privileged” people who cannot think beyond themselves even when the country is going through a crisis. The rapidly spreading coronavirus pandemic has affected millions of lives, including daily wage workers and medical professionals, among others.

Abhay expressed incredulity at how “self-absorbed” some people could be and wrote on Instagram, “My biggest issue currently, ‘how do I take that perfect selfie with my bloody hair out of shape. Why are the salons closed!?’ Countless Indians’ issues currently, ‘how am I to get home without transport? How am I to earn a daily wage today?

Will I have proper gear to treat “Sorry, been wanting patients today? Will I make it "Keep to scream these through these 3 weeks? the humour words to a few up but also help in What of the unaccounted/ people I know! the effort to help the u n d o c u m e n t e d Hope all of you less privileged. Look for poor?’ #privileged are safe and #selfabsorbed #ignorant individuals and NGOs around with family,” you to collaborate with" #apathetic.” he added in his

caption.

In an Instagram post last week, Abhay called social distancing a “privilege” and said that his heart went out to the daily wage workers who did not have a choice to remain indoors.

He wrote, “#socialdistancing. Stay put in one place if you can. Thank your lucky stars for the privilege to be able to do so. Pray for those who have to get out there and earn a daily wage to make ends meet. #weshallovercome.”

To lighten the mood of those cooped up in their homes during the nationwide lockdown to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Abhay has been sharing memes on his Instagram account. However, he has also urged his fans and followers to donate to organisations that are working to help those in need.

“Keep the humour up but also help in the effort to help the less privileged. Look for individuals and NGOs around you to collaborate with,” he wrote on Instagram.

a picture of her painting session with Ayushmann and their children, Vrajveer and Varushka.

“Art at home! Four of us painted together after a long time, guess who has made which painting! Also a reason to post this is to plead with all the parents to maintain safety and one way of doing that is to understand why schools and public places have been shut.

Let’s not encourage group classes where coaches and teachers come home to teach. The purpose is being forfeited.

Let’s please stay at home and contribute to containing the virus to the best of our capabilities,” she wrote.

The Indian Weekender

PRIYANKA CHOP

defends beau

pageants, says Miss World ‘gav me a trampolin my acting caree

A

ctor Priyanka Chopra, a forme beauty queen, has defending beauty pageants at a time when their relevance is being reconsidered. In an interview to UK’s Tatler magazine, she said appearing in pageants gave her great confidence.

“It’s something that I’m extremely proud of,” said the former Miss World.

“It gave me a trampoline to my acting career. It gave me a sense of self, a sense of confidence to be able to stand in front of heads of state, to be able to speak in fron media from around the world, and actually k what I’m talking about.”

Priyanka made her acting debut soon a winning the Miss World crown in 2000, w The Hero: Love Story of a Spy. She has appear in popular Hindi films such as Krrish and D (both 2006), Kaminey (2009), 7 Khoon Ma (2011), Barfi! (2012), Mary Kom (2014), an Bajirao Mastani (2015).

She moved to Hollywood and lande a leading role in the spy series Quantic following which she appeared in a negativ role in Baywatch.

When I went to She has multip America,” she said i n t e r n a t i o n a in an interview, projects lined u “there wasn’t a such as a roman precedence. I didn’t comedy with Min have a road map Kaling, Matrix to follow because Robert Rodrigu there was no one Netflix superhero who had done it Bahrani’s adapta before.

White Tiger, and a Sheela biopic.

“When I went to America,” she said in an wasn’t a precedence. I didn’t have a road map was no one who had done it before.

"I had to figure it out, walk into rooms, i am an Indian actor, my name is Priyanka C kind of films I want to do’.

I demanded playing leading ladies, inste were the stereotype of what a Bollywood act Those also came to me, but I was very clear

YAMI GAUTAM: ‘If I w

film family, I would not

Y

ami Gautam says being an outsider in Bollywood has given her perspective, and she would not change it for anything in the world.

She was a television actor before she successfully transitioned to Bollywood in 2012 with Shoojit Sircar’s Vicky Donor.

In an interview with Pinkvilla, Yami opened up about the nepotism debate in Bollywood.

“There is no fight here. You can’t change if someone is born in an industry; that’s not something anyone has control over. You can’t change where I come from, and proudly so.

"That’s a fact na? If it is a fact, then what is the problem in accepting it?” she said.

“But if you are getting an opportunity, the only thing is that you can’t take anything for granted,” she added.

Yami further said that she would not have been the same person that she is today, had she been born into a film family, and she cannot imagine being anyone but herself. She said, “Even if I feel, had I been from a film family, then

I would have got this... No, then I would not have got the perspective that I have now. I would not be myself. And I want to remain the way I am.”

The last year has been an amazing year for Yami, professionally. Both her releases - Aditya Dhar’s Uri: The Surgical Strike and Amar Kaushik’s Bala - were major box office successes and earned more than Rs 100 crore.

Yami played an intelligence officer in Uri: The Surgical Strike. In Bala, a lighthearted comedy that touched upon the subject of premature balding, she played a TikTok sensation.

After the success of Bala, she said in a statement, “Be it Pallavi in Uri or Pari in Bala, it’s the victory of writers and directors who are creating content that pushes boundaries.

Every actor enjoys commercial success but in this case I am happy that a film like Bala is making it to the mark.

It’s a validation of our choice of stories, assurance that we are doing work that’s resonating and I am genuinely excited to do more of such films.”

The Indian Weekender

Sunny Deol takes care of his house

PRA

uty

helps during lockdown: We’re one family, many of them are staying with us’

s ve ne to er’

“

ourselves from the fake news floating around.

After we go through this process, we’ll value our “People who are getting carried away by fake lives and the world more and think twice before information also know the evil side of social media. The doing something that’s not good for the planet,” government is providing facts and figures, that’s what says Sunny Deol on the 21-day lockdown to contain they should follow without letting anyone manipulate the spread of Covid-19. the information,” Deol shares.

He adds the stay-at-home phase is taking him back And while such situations do require people to step to his youth when life was simpler. “It’s like going up and help, for Deol, there’s no specific time to be a back in time. This is the time to pray for the wellgood samaritan. He feels this period, of a serious crisis, being of all those infected. And after the lockdown requires all of us to come forward. is over, I’m sure that we’ll be more wary about our “We should contribute in ensuring that basic lifestyle. We’ll also be more caring towards Mother commodities are being supplied to those in need. That’s Nature,” he says. something the government is trying to do,” he says, And while the 63-year-old actor-director agrees that adding, “I’ve always looked after our house helps and staying at home for long may be tough, he stresses that we’re one family. Many of them are staying with us it’s “the best solution” to the pandemic. “When we have and they know that no matter what holidays, we usually go out somewhere, but this is the time when everybody is going to connect with each happens, we’re always with other. them”.

"The 21-day lockdown may look very harsh, however, if we value our life and that of our "The loved ones, then it’s the best thing to do 21-day right now,” says Deol. lockdown may look Despite what he feels is a silver very harsh, however, if lining, he agrees that the lockdown we value our life and that will have its repercussions. With shoots of our loved ones, then cancelled and release dates of films it’s the best thing to postponed, he asserts the industry is do right now" used to ups and downs and will find a way to view this through a positive lens. Deol elaborates, “The day we resume work, we need to start from scratch. Showbiz is like a gamble and we know how to take care of ourselves and move ahead.”

While work is a challenge, he points out that a much bigger challenge is to protect

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Friday, April 03, 2020

'Hera Pheri' is 20 years old

P

riyadarshans iconic comedy "Hera Pheri" was released 20 years ago on this date, and the film has gone on to be regarded as a cult entertainer among Bollywood buffs.

The film starred Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal as three goodnatured men struggling in life, who get rich thanks to a freak twist of fate involving a wrong telephone number and a sinister kidnapping gone haywire. Tabu also played a pivotal role in the entertainer, which set the template for new-age comedy in Bollywood. Actor Suniel Shetty took to social media to share a whiff of nostalgia.

"20 years and the love keeps pouring in. Memories that will last a lifetime," Suniel wrote on Instagram.

Along with the post, Suniel uploaded a still of the

film. Several fans took to social media too, to share their love for the film.

A user commented: "Omg!!! How is that 20 years ago??? Time is moving so fast!!! I loved that movie."

Another one wrote: "I can watch this film on loop."

The sequel to "Hera Pheri", titled "Phir Hera Pheri", was released in 2006.

While the three heroes returned, Bipasha Basu and Rimi Sen were cast as female leads, and late Neeraj Vora took over as director.

ENTERTAINMENT 29 Kareena Kapoor motivates fans amid coronavirus crisis: ‘Stay strong.

We can and we will’

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y posting a stunning picture of herself, actor Kareena Kapoor Khan motivated people to stay strong during the tough times that the country is facing amid the coronavirus crisis. he actor took to Instagram and posted a high-on-style picture of herself clicked from behind.

In the picture, the Jab We Met actor is seen standing in front of a vanity that has lights adding on to the glam quotient of the picture.

“Nothing can dim the light that shines from within... Stay strong. We can and we will,” she captioned the picture in which she is seen wearing a blue bodycon dress having puffy sleeves.

"The glamourous picture received scores of comments from the celebrated actor’s fans.

Earlier, Kareena took to Instagram, where she shared a photo-collage of her girl gang – Karisma Kapoor, Malaika and Amrita Arora and Malika Bhat – resting with their eyes closed while in self-quarantine. She captioned the image: “Friends that nap together, stay forever.”

Kareena was last seen on screen in Angrezi Medium, which also stars Irrfan Khan and Radhika Madan.

She will next be seen opposite Aamir Khan in Laal Singh Chaddha.

With the entertainment industry under shutdown, many celebrities are self-isolating them to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The number of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus rose to 724 according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

T

The simplest thing we can do now is show kindness: Juhi Chawla

I

given us the duty to do the puja in the house.” She have brought my son back home with me to believes the lockdown is “grounding” everyone.

Mumbai, but my daughter is a little stubborn “Whenever I stay home, I always experience a (laughs). It makes me feel secure she’s staying fear of missing out and so, I want to keep running with her grandparents in Uganda. around. But this time, staying at home feels like However, I wish we could all be together now,” a detox. The best thing to do is to look around says Juhi Chawla, with her signature warmth. Her yourself and feel grateful,” says Chawla. children, Jhanvi and Arjun, were at their boarding Emphasising how each person should help school in the UK at the time of the Covid-19 those in need, she says, “The simplest thing that outbreak but she decided to fly them down. we can do right now is show kindness and She confides that a while ago, she was consideration. There’s a 96-year-old woman overwhelmed by a sudden rush of nerves. “A living all by herself in Mahim. few nights ago, I had a panic attack. My mind Her children are abroad and they aren’t was racing ahead and I was worrying what if able to send her money. Since there’s a we’re unable to battle this pandemic. I woke up lockdown, I can’t send food across to and told myself to stop thinking,” she says. But her every other day but I’m trying to Chawla is now happy, picking up a skill not many help her as much as I can.” know about. She says, “I was learning to sing but Chawla co-owns Kolkata Knight gave up a few months ago as I couldn’t focus. My Riders, part of the Indian teacher messaged and I felt this is the best time to The Premiere League. resume training since I’m grounded at home. simplest Talking about the IPL’s I’m taking lessons online.” thing that we suspension she shares, The Ishq (1997) actor adds, “Apart can do right now is “The lockdown is till from that, I’ve been reading and watching show kindness and April 14. Then the films. My son and I’ve taken to watering consideration government will take a our garden. And my mother-in-law has

call on what to do next. We don’t know what’s going to happen but we do realise safety of people is more important than anything else. We’ve to wait and watch and let things unfold.”

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FEATURES

COVID-19 Special Coverage

Friday, April 03, 2020

The Indian Weekender

The biggest COVID-19 myths busted:

Doctor reveals the immunity-boosting 'tricks' you

should ignore – and the health advice worth following

A

doctor has debunked some of the biggest myths about coronavirus immunity boosting, and revealed which advice you should be following instead.

Leading Harley Street dietitian and King's College research fellow, Dr Megan Rossi, said the coronavirus pandemic has sent pseudoscience and misinformation 'through the roof'. "Be careful who you take advice from,' Dr Rossi posted on her Instagram profile. I totally get we're all looking to help our immune systems. Yet ultimately, there is no one super food, diet or supplement that will make you immune to COVID-19."

Should you be taking Vitamin C supplements?

While you might have read the claims that dosing up on Vitamin C will help to protect you against coronavirus, Dr Rossi said there is 'currently NO evidence that Vitamin C will help to prevent or fight off the new coronavirus'.

In addition, Dr Rossi, highlighted that the common cold and coronavirus are very different: "It's highly misleading, not to mention dangerous, to suggest Vitamin C can fight coronavirus," she said.

However, that is not to say that Vitamin C can't do you some good and it can't help many bodily functions, including repair, absorption of iron and your immune system.

Focus on getting your Vitamin C as much through your diet as much as possible, she added, and concentrate on staying healthy through good quality rest, food and exercise.

Do you need to 'boost' your immunity?

The second myth that Dr Rossi was keen to bust was the idea that we should be 'boosting' our immunity as much as possible in a bid to fight coronavirus.

"In search of immune-boosting hacks? Let me challenge that,' Dr Rossi said.

"You see, we don't actually want to boost our immune system (think autoimmune conditions where the body attacks itself), just like we don't want to suppress it either (think chemotherapy).'

Instead of a boosted immunity or a compromised immunity, what we should be looking for is a 'balanced immune system'.

You can do this by eating a balanced and varied diet with a wide range of different plantbased foods across all six food groups - fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds - and keeping up your exercise.

Do you need to drink water every 15 minutes?

The third myth that you might have heard recently is that you should be drinking even more water than usual and picking up a glass to have a drink every 15 minutes.

How can you improve your overall gut health?

• Eat 30 different plant-based foods each week.

• Move and exercise as much as possible to regulate your bowel movements and increase the diversity of your gut microbes.

• Avoid unnecessary medications and smoking, as there is growing research to suggest these can impact our gut microbes.

"Please don't be fooled by claims around drinking water every 15 minutes, That doesn't mean there aren't things you can do to support your immune system."

She said that even though we do not have the hard evidence yet, it makes sense that being healthy won't prevent you from getting coronavirus, but it will reduce your risk of becoming severely ill if you do get it.

Aim to get your two to three litres of water each day, and try to get outside for a little bit of

How can you improve your overall gut health?

fresh air and exercise.

"If you're staying home, there are so many great YouTube workouts, free apps and yoga videos available. Stay calm and don't panic managing stress levels is an important factor in looking after your gut and overall health." Dr Rossi said.

What are the simplest ways to get more fibre?

1. Add flavour and texture to your favourite soup by stirring in cooked barley or legumes.

2. Sprinkle mixed seeds on you breakfast whether it's cereal, toast or eggs.

3. Replace a third of the mince in your lasagne with cooked lentils for a twist your gut will love.

4. Keep your skin on both your fruit and vegetables.

5. A small handful of nuts, seeds and dried fruit is a quick way to boost your fibre when you're in a rush.

6. Make the switch from white to wholegrain and seeded bread.

Should you try the keto diet?

The keto diet gets a lot of press for transforming people's health. But Dr Rossi said that the keto diet will not make you 'live longer' or be healthier.

"With respect to the general population the body of evidence says it's NOT the way to go for a happier, healthier life,' she said.

Instead, you need to focus on getting as much of the six food groups as possible, and 'flood' your diet with healthy and balanced foods.

"Tinned, frozen, dried, it all counts,' she said.

"You should also aim for seven to nine hours of sleep every night as this will keep you well rested,' she said.

Cut out and keep: Foods you need 1. Dates: A great source of prebiotics — specific kinds of fibres that feed beneficial bacteria in our gut. The potential health benefits of prebiotics are vast, from improving bloodsugar control and appetite regulation to supporting bone and skin health.

2. Flaxseeds: Like red wine, flaxseeds are an excellent source of polyphenols, plant chemicals mostly unabsorbed in the upper gut, as humans cannot digest them, so they end up in the lower gut, where bacteria transform them into absorbable compounds, linked with health benefits.

3. Pistachios: While it’s a good idea to include

1. Eat 30 different plant-based foods each week.

2. Move and exercise as much as possible to regulate your bowel movements and increase the diversity of your gut microbes.

3. Avoid unnecessary medications and smoking, as there is growing research to suggest these can impact our gut microbes.

any kind of nuts in your diet, pistachios contain the highest level of prebiotics, along with cashews.

4. Damaged fruit: We tend to avoid uglylooking fruit, but they may contain more beneficial plant chemicals as plants produce these under stress to protect themselves. So a perfect piece of fruit could be less good for you.

5. Chai tea: Some prebiotics — such as those contained in the chia mix — are water soluble. Chai tea has the bonus of spices, adding further plant foods to your diet.

6. Cauliflower: Studies show that the plant chemicals in cauliflower directly support the health of the immune cells that line our intestine. The chemicals help strengthen the gut lining, and as 70 per cent of our immune system is on that digestive tract, that is a major boost to our resilience.

7. Turmeric: While research reporting its benefits studied the effect of large doses, turmeric is still worthwhile including in your diet in any amount. The active ingredient, curcumin, has anti-inflammatory effects on the gut.

8. Popcorn: Don’t be surprised: popcorn is high in plant fibre and contains a different kind to wheat, which tends to dominate our diet.

9. Chia seeds: Not only are these tiny seeds thought to help with laxation, but they are also very high in omega 3. And it’s not just your brain that likes omega 3s; our microbes feast on them as well.

10. Pomegranates: Their taste makes pomegranates an easy plant addition to many dishes and they are a great prebiotic food.

11. Seaweed: Studies show seaweed trains guts to work differently — with regular consumption your bacteria develop the ability to digest it.

12. Dried mango: Perfect for sweet cravings, it’s full of helpful prebiotic fibres.

13. Quinoa: Quinoa is also a great way to consume protein because it contains fibre —

and our gut microbes like fibre and protein to be combined.

14. Lentils: All legumes contain an important prebiotic known as galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), but lentils can be added to meat dishes such as bolognese to make it better for the gut. Adding mixed beans to curries is another way to include more legumes.

15. Rye: While wheat also has prebiotics and helpful plant chemicals, I suggest other grains because wheat is the main, sometimes the only, grain people eat.

16. Rosemary: Herbs are a good source of polyphenols. Like rosemary (left), basil, thyme and sage are great options. I count herbs and spices as a quarter of a point in my weekly 30, but they are still beneficial.

17. Cinnamon: Adding powdered cinnamon to food can increase plant chemical intake.

18. Sauerkraut: Fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi (fermented vegetables) can introduce helpful bacteria.

19. Extra virgin olive oil: Very important, as it has excellent polyphenols (plant chemicals).

20. Wheat berries: A textured nutty grain that is chewy, like barley, and comes in readycookedmicrowaveable packets.

21. Blueberries: One of the richest dietary sources of polyphenols. Don’t go for the biggest berries — polyphenols are in the skin so smaller ones have more.

22. Garlic: One of the highest vegetable sources of fructans (a prebiotic). Also concentrated in onions. Pickled garlic has fewer fructans, so is a good option for people with a sensitive gut.

23. Olives Both green and black olives are very high in polyphenols and are an easy way to add another plant food to your week.

24. Pasta al dente: Cooked ‘al dente’ and still firm, pasta is a good source of resistant starch, a fibre gut bacteria love.

25. Ginger: Studies show this soothes the digestive tract and is also very high in polyphenols.

26. Cocoa: Very high in flavanols (another polyphenol) and trials show it has good heart and brain benefits. Many of dark chocolate’s benefits are due to digestion by good bacteria. The raw version, cacao, has more flavanols, but the processed version is a good start.

27. Mushrooms: I choose those sold by supermarkets that are exposed to UV light to increase their vitamin D content. Or leave button mushrooms on a window sill to achieve the same effect. Maximising vitamin D intake is linked to better gut health.

28. Asparagus: A great source of prebiotics and fibre. Research suggests asparagus promotes good bacteria in the gut and is also said to have anti-inflammatory benefits.

29. Walnuts: A study found a handful a day for three weeks increased the microbes that produce a short-chain fatty acid called butyrate, which helps nourish the gut lining.

Walnuts were also linked with a decrease in compounds linked to colon cancer.

30. Cumin: This spice has plant bioactives linked to improved digestion and immunity.

Curry powder contains cumin.

Inviting nominations for

The guidelines, which need to be adhered to, for nominations, are as follows:

The Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 2020

1.

The nominee needs to have an undisputable

2.

Should be nominated by a person of repute. Further,

3.

the nominee.

The nominator has to provide their full contact details. No anonymous applications will be accepted.

4. business, sports, art, culture, or any other profession).

5.

‘The Indian Weekender Honours’ recognises individuals who have built a road to glory for themselves and left a path for the coming generations to tread on; who have touched the lives of thousands and enriched the society with their being; who have brought fame and respect to New Zealand and the Kiwi-Indian community.

The Indian Weekender invites nominations for such personalities from the community for getting inducted into the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 2020.

We also invite nominations for Kiwi Indian Young Achiever of the Year and Kiwi Indian Community Service Exellence Award 2020.

Nominate Online: visit www.halloffame.co.nz Post your nominations: Fill this form and post it to the address given below.

ENTRY FORM: Nomination form for The Indian Weekender Honours 2020 |

Nominator Details

Nominee Details

Name of the nominator

Name of the nominee

6.

7.

8.

9.

Indian origin, from any part of the world, who has settled here in New Zealand. To be of Indian origin, at least one of the parents of the nominee have to be Indian, by blood, thereby making the nominee of Indian lineage.

The nominee must have either a Permanent Residency (PR), or Citizenship of New Zealand to be eligible for consideration.

The nominee should have no prior convictions.

For minors, under the age of 18, parental consent will be required.

The successful candidate will be required to attend the ceremony in person. In case a person is not able to attend, due to any unforeseen circumstances, the jury will use its discretion.

10. cannot be challenged.

Please fill and post it to the address below

About the Nominee For how long have you known the nominee?

Professional details of the nominator

Age of nominee

Gender

Address & Contact number of nominator

Category

Please state your reasons for nominating the above person. You may mention the achievements of the nominee in his/her profession.

M

F

Address & Contact number of nominee

How according to you has the Nominee brought fame and respect to the Kiwi-Indian community? (Add extra sheets to this form, if required)

Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame Kiwi Indian Young Achiever of the year (16 to 35 years only) Kiwi Indian Community Service Excellence Award

Declaration by Nominator the nominee for this application.

Yes

No

Nominee has accepted to appear in person for the ceremony, if he/she gets chosen for the nominated category for Kiwi Indian Honours 2020.

Yes

No

I hereby declare that the above information is true to the best of my knowledge. I also allow The Indian Weekender and the Jury to use the information provided for background checks and to contact either me or the nominee for the purpose of getting any more information.

Signed:

Date:

What to do next?

Please take a print out of this form, sign and send / or email at:

Jury Panel, Kiwi Indian Honours 2019 Level1,133A Onehunga Mall, Auckland 1061

(Add extra pages to this form if required.)

For details contact Indian Weekender on 09-217 3623 or go to: www.indianweekender.co.nz halloffame@indianweekender.co.nz

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