The Asian Star March 28 2020

www.theasianstar.com

Vol 19 - Issue 9

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Liberal MP tests positive for COVID-19 A Liberal Member of Parliament has tested positive for COVID-19. In a statement posted to social media, Brampton West MP Kamal Khera confirmed that she started to develop flu-like symptoms Saturday night.

She said she immediately went into self-isolation and was tested Monday morning at Peel Memorial Centre. “While I am still experiencing symptoms, I am in good spirits.

I know that many Canadians are in much worse circumstances,” she said in the statement. “I want to assure the constituents of Brampton West that I will continue to serve them as their MP and they can count on me Continued on page 9

Tel:604-591-5423

No way home in sight for Canadians stranded in India amid COVID-19 lockdown Canadians stranded in India are growing increasingly desperate to return home as the South Asian country enforces a nationwide lockdown and closure of its airspace because of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 15,000 Canadian passport holders are currently registered with Global Affairs Canada as being in India, according to the federal government. The government has not specified how many of those people want to return to Canada.

As of Tuesday, the federal government had no repatriation flights scheduled to get them out. India has closed its airspace and imposed a 21-day lockdown, preventing people from leaving their homes, following a spike in cases of COVID-19 in recent days.

Continued on page 9

A message from Tony Singh President & Founder of Fruiticana

D

uring these uncertain times where things are changing daily, I would like to reassure all our valued customers that we are with you. We are taking all necessary precautions to keep our dedicated staff and valued customers safe.

For health and safety reasons our staff are now required to wear masks and gloves. High traffic areas, including check out counters are regularly sanitized.

I would also like to reassure our customers that we have ample supplies of all sorts of groceries, therefore there is no need to panic buy and stock up. We request customers to only buy what they need. For everyone’s safety, we have limited the number of customers that can be in the store at any given time.

94,000 NRIs stuck in Punjab, 30,000 in isolation - CM Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh said strict measures have to be taken as nearly 94,000 NRIs have reached the state since the spread of Covid-19. The state government has put 48,000 persons, including 30,000 NRIs, in a quarantine, mainly at their houses, besides imposing curfew in the state to check further spread of the pandemic. The case history of Covid positive persons in the state so far traces them to NRIs or someone who had travelled abroad. The government’s medical bulletin said 29 persons had tested positive for the virus. Of these, 21 were traced to only one NRI from Banga in Nawanshahr, who died within a few days of return from abroad.

Continued on page 35

Please cooperate with us during these challenging times. We assure you that Continued on page 9

Militants kill 25 Sikhs in deadly attack in Kabul At least 25 people have been killed in a militant attack on a Sikh temple in Afghan capital Kabul. The interior ministry said a gunman had burst into the complex early in the morning, firing on worshippers. He was killed in an exchange of fire lasting six hours with security forces. Earlier reports said a group of assailants had carried out the attack. About 150 people were trapped in the complex in the Shorbazar area. The Islamic State group claimed the attack. IS has targeted Sikhs and other religious minorities before in Afghanistan. The country’s main militant group, the Taliban, denied any involvement. Nato in Afghanistan called it an outrage.

Continued on page 6

Physical distancing has halved spread of COVID-19 in BC, official modelling shows Health officials believe physical distancing restrictions in B.C. are successfully beginning to slow the number of new COVID-19 cases in the province by

half. However, despite the rate of new cases having slowed “dramatically” over the past week, officials stress the province is not out of

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www.theasianstar.com

Vol 19 - Issue 9

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Tel:604-591-5423

BC is testing for Covid-19 faster per head than South Korea, even at its peak South Korea has been hailed around the world for its vast amount of Covid-19 testing, conducting 20,000 tests per day at the recent height of efforts to fight the disease. But Canada’s westernmost province of British Columbia is now exceeding that peak daily rate on a per capita basis by a wide margin of about 75 per cent. On the same measure, BC is testing at more than triple the rate of the rest of Canada – and more than five times the daily rate in the US over the past week, even as Canada’s southern neighbour embarks on a

huge escalation of testing efforts. That equates to 690 tests per million people, daily. By comparison, South Korea’s peak daily testing rate amounted to about 392 tests per million.

BC has a population of 5.1 million, while South Korea has 51 million people.

“Thirty-five hundred tests is what we’re doing every day, which is an extraordinary increase,” Dix said, hailing the work of the BC Centre for Disease Control. It is only two weeks ago that BC’s testing capacity was about 800 per day. LifeLabs and other private

facilities were part of the effort to ramp up testing, Dix said. British Columbia is currently the most-infected province in Canada, with 617 confirmed cases, although it is likely to be soon surpassed by Quebec, which has a large number of presumed cases. BC accounts for 13 of Canada’s 27 known Covid-19 deaths.

All British Columbians have been told to stay at home to prevent the spread of the disease and to maintain at least 2 metres of distance from others when outside their homes.

Authorities in BC have come under criticism

for supposedly inadequate testing, the fact that not all travellers are tested for the disease, and that even suspected cases are not always tested. But provincial medical officer Dr Bonnie Henry said that failing to test travellers who exhibited symptoms of Covid-19 was not an oversight, but part of a deliberate strategy.

“To be clear: we are absolutely testing and contact tracing anybody for whom we don’t know the source of their infection,” she said.

“We know the source of infection for people who are coming in from outside Canada.”

4

OPINION Joe Oliver

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Trudeau just tried to overturn the election results

That may sound like hyperbole, but it is not.

Under cover of the COVID-19 emergency, the Liberal government intended to present a bill granting the Minister of Finance power to borrow, spend and raise taxes, bail out companies and guarantee pools of debt, all without Parliamentary approval, until the end of 2021. Some of these initiatives may be needed, but it would be an outrageous assault on parliamentary democracy to give untrammelled power to the executive branch.

Five months ago, the Liberals lost their majority in the House of Commons. They obviously were not at all pleased with their new minority status and were trying to take advantage of a pandemic by pretending they need near-dictatorial powers to deal with it. While Trudeau would be happy to be an autocrat for 21 months, he does not need such sweeping powers to deal with the crisis, which he was very late in confronting in the first place.

The emergency bill would eliminate parliamentary debate and votes on money bills, which require votes of confidence that can bring down a government. Even the Prime Minister’s father, Pierre Trudeau – no authoritarian slouch himself – did not appropriate such control when he imposed the War Measures Act, for totally different reasons.

For any Opposition party to vote in favour of the bill would have been a serious abdication of parliamentary duty. It is impossible to imagine the Bloc Québécois supporting legislation that deprives Quebec of a voice in the allocation of federal spending. But Trudeau may have tried to cut a deal with Jagmeet Singh, who is reluctant to precipitate an election since the NDP is broke and polls indicate it would lose seats if it had to go to the polls.

Furthermore, Singh’s caucus loves tax and spend policies and big government.

The price tag of Trudeau’s fiscal initiatives may rapidly exceed an eye-watering $100 billion, on top of the $100 billion he will soon accumulate during five years in office.

It is virtually certain the Liberal massive stimulus spending will entrench social programs that are excruciatingly difficult to unwind. That will be a small step for Trudeau, but a giant step for socialism. As Churchill said, never waste a good crisis.

In spite of the ideological appeal, it would be political suicide for the NDP to give Liberals carte blanche to pursue spending initiatives that will eat into its support and neuter its effectiveness in Parliament.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives are disadvantaged without a permanent leader to stand up to the Prime Minister. Most of the media and ever-helpful progressives claim it would be inappropriate to have a Conservative leadership convention on June 27, when the coronavirus may still be infecting the population, even though last time only four percent voted in person.

They are joined by several Conservative candidates without adequate funding and, in most cases, no hope of winning.

However, Trudeau’s latest gambit proves they are wrong. Canada would benefit from a permanent Leader of the Opposition who can hold the government to account, especially when it attempts to illegitimately usurp powers that belong to Parliament. Furthermore, the Conservative Party urgently needs to settle the leadership, since a minority government can frequently engineer an election when it is politically advantageous.

Fortunately, Trudeau’s shocking attempt to subvert responsible government seems to have been forcefully rejected by every Opposition party. Canadians should thank them for defending democracy.

Joe Oliver was minister of natural resources (20112014) and minister of finance (2014-2015).

www.theasianstar.com # 202 - 8388, 128 St., Surrey, BC V3W 4G2 Ph: 604-591-5423 Fax: 604-591-8615 E-mail: editor@theasianstar.com Editor: Umendra Singh Associate Editor: Chhavi Disawar Marketing and Sales: Ravi Cheema........604-715-3847 Shamir Doshi....................604-649-7827 Harminder Kaur...............778-708-0481 Parminder Dhillon..........604-902-2858 Pre-Press: Iftikhar Ahmed Design: Avee J Waseer Contributing writers: Jag Dhatt, Akash Sablok, Kamila Singh, Jay Bains

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Saturday, March 28, 2020

Militants kill 25 Sikhs in deadly attack in Kabul From page 1 IS is less powerful than the Taliban in Afghanistan and has lost much of the territory it once controlled - but it has not been part of recent negotiations with the US and retains the ability to carry out deadly attacks, reports the BBC’s Secunder Kermani. What do we know about the attack?

About 150 people were inside the temple, which houses families and regularly hosts morning prayers, said Anarkali Kaur Honaryar, a Sikh MP in the Afghan parliament.

People switched off their phones and tried to hide when the attack began, she said.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Security forces surrounded the scene of the attack Another Sikh MP, Narender Singh Khalsa, put the number of people inside at 200. “Three suicide bombers entered a dharamsala [sanctuary area],� he told Reuters. “The gunmen started their attack at a time when the dharamsala was full of worshippers.�

Italy reports record 919 COVID-19 deaths in a day Global coronavirus death toll passes 25,000, with Italy and Spain announcing almost 2,000 fatalities in just 24 hours. The total number of people who have died as a result of COVID-19 in Italy now stands at 9,134.

Meanwhile, the number of people infected on Friday rose to 86,498, meaning Italy has now become the second country after the United States to overtake China in terms of cases.

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This is how police in India punish anyone who violates 21-day COVID-19 lockdown As day two of India’s 21-day lockdown comes to a close, local police are pulling out all the stops to drive home the importance of

staying home and social distancing. Videos of officers forcing people to do squats, sit-ups, pushups, and in some situations, violently

cane those who flout the restrictions have been circulating on social media this week, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a three-week ban on going outside in an attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19.

When you go out in Lockdown This treatment we are getting from Police in India .. Stay home stay Safe,” tweeted a user, along with a video of a policeman verbally confronting a person outside, before hitting him with a stick.

Despite the ban, hundreds of people flocked to the markets in major Indian cities — Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai — and were seen lining up close to each

other or huddling in crowds to inspect the quality of fruits and vegetables available to buy from vendors.

Shopkeepers and customers haggle over the prices of fruits and vegetables in a crowded Mandi (market place), as nationwide lockdown continues over highly contagious Coronavirus. People have also continued to socialize in public spaces and share rides in cars, motorcycles, despite officials warnings to practice social distancing. Consequently, police in some states have also turned to drawing chalk circles on pavements, each two metres apart, and ordering people to stand in them when waiting in lines. In one video, an official made a man draw a line of circles with chalk. The different tactics employed by authorities have drawn both praise and criticism from the public. Many have praised the police for devising creative ways of punishing those who continue to go out despite the restrictions. However others have condemned them for using “brutality” against residents, calling their actions “a clear violation of human rights”.

The execution of the ban, which was announced on Tuesday, has also received criticism from the public, with questions as to how those in living in slums and other lower-income areas will be able to provide for themselves and their family during the lockdown. Social media users have also commented on the unfairness of police violently punishing people leaving their homes to stock up for the lockdown.

According to Modi, the nationwide ban will go on till March 30, in the hopes of halting any community spread of COVID-19.

Only essential services such as water, electricity, health services, fire services, groceries and municipal services will be allowed to operate. All shops, commercial establishments, factories, workshops, offices, markets and places of worship will remain closed and interstate buses and metros will be suspended. “According to health experts, a minimum of 21 days is most crucial to break the cycle of infection.

If we are not able to manage this pandemic in the next 21 days, the country and your family will be setback by 21 years. If we are not able to manage the next 21 days, then many families will be destroyed forever,” Modi said. Currently, India has reported 718 confirmed cases and 14 deaths from the virus. However, medical officials fear that the level of poverty, cramped living conditions and the exhausted healthcare system could cause a rampant spread of the virus into communities, potentially killing many, as in Italy and China.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

A message from Tony Singh President & Founder of Fruiticana From page 1 Safety measures implemented by Fruiticana Security guards have been placed at doors to ensure that there are only limited customers in any store at any given time. Staff have been equipped with gloves and masks.

Plastic sheets have been installed at cash counters to help with social distancing.

Counters and high traffic areas are regularly sanitized. Floor graphics have been laid as a visual for social distancing. Shelves are regularly stocked to ensure smooth supply.

We are working round the clock to help all our valued customers please do your due diligence and adhere to our staff and security personnel. Your cooperation at this time is key to helping us get through this. Be safe.

lot of products to serve daily and will not run out. We have been working round the clock to restock shelves in all stores. Our warehouses are full of products and ships and trucks are coming in as usual, so there is no shortage of supplies. In times like this we all have to do our due diligence.

Please stay well informed about any new developments, practice social distancing during shopping and while at the cash register (a minimum of 1 meter between yourself and others) and above all remain calm.

We will get by this. Be safe!

Liberal MP tests positive for COVID-19 From page 1 to be back on my feet in short order. My office remains fully operational and my staff continue to work from home to ensure constituents are well supported during these unprecedented times.” Last week Khera, who is a registered nurse, signed up to help provide virtual medical care to patients after the Registered Nurses’

Association of Ontario pleaded for help on Twitter. She posted her decision on social media, saying that she hopes it helps “ease the nurse shortage.”

“As a RN there couldn’t be a more important time to give back to my community,” she posted.

No way home in sight for Canadians stranded in India amid COVID-19 lockdown From page 1 Those who are stuck say the restrictions make it impossible for them to get to the airports in New Delhi and Mumbai.

“We’re frustrated, because we hear how the Canadian government is doing everything they can to get Canadians back, and I can tell you that that is not the case right now,” said Ottawa resident Debbie Lavigne, who is currently in Goa. The federal government said Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne has been in touch with the Indian government and is working to bring people home, but the details of what is being done aren’t known.

The 15,000 number does not account for

citizens who have not registered or who are permanent residents — it is estimated there could be many more who are trying to return.

Narendra Modi orders ‘total lockdown’ of India to combat coronavirus spread Lavigne said Tuesday that she and her daughter have been calling the Canadian Embassy in New Delhi non-stop and sending emails to Canada’s emergency watch and response centre — at sos@international.gc.ca — but have received no answers.

“We actually managed to get a live person, and they advised us to follow tweets and the news. We just need to be reassured to know that somebody is looking out for us,” she said.

After Peter MacKay’s embarrassing interview, Conservatives suspend the campaign The federal conservative party has suspended its leadership race as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to worsen in Canada. The move follows a meme-able interview with leadership candidate Peter MacKay and CTV’s Evan Solomon. During the exchange, MacKay questions his opponents’ failures to campaign as of late, before Solomon jumps in with a counterpoint.

“Because there’s a pandemic and they think people have other things on their minds than campaigning,” Solomon said. “Is it?” MacKay asked, apparently oblivious that his opponents decided to suspend their campaigns because of the pandemic. According to a statement issued by the Conservative Party on Thursday night, the party no longer finds it possible to carry on with the leadership race, citing coronavirusrelated business closures across Quebec and Ontario, including the party’s headquarters, as the major impetus for the decision. The leadership election was supposed to be held June 27, 2020.

Bank of Canada slashing interest rate Canada’s central bank has slashed interest rates by 50 basis points to 0.25 percent overnight Thursday in an unscheduled cut.

The move effectively makes credit cheaper— Canadians with loans will pay less in interest, thereby keeping more money in their pockets.

Credit card debt is not affected by this news.

Banks from G7 countries are coordinating their efforts during the COVID-19 crisis, the Bank of Canada said, adding that it will update Canadians again in mid-April. All 317 Service Canada locations across the country are shutting down amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) fears after nearly a million people applied for employment insurance in Canada over the past week and a half.

Service Canada locations allow people to apply in person for EI, old age security, passports, and pensions. The recent onslaught of EI applications resulted in higher than normal traffic at each location, the Globe and Mail first reported, prompting workers to feel unsafe. Ahmed Hussen, the minister of social development, issued a statement acknowledging the shutdown, and said “we need to make sure our service delivery model follows the best public health advice, while also meeting the needs of Canadians.”

Canadians can still apply for benefits online, including the new Emergency Response Benefit, which will pay Canadians affected

by COVID-19 $2,000 per month for four months. The benefit’s online application portal will be up and running by early April, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier this week.

Trump doubles down on U.S.-Canada border militarization

LOCAL

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, March 28, 2020

BC officials remaining cautious, still preparing for all outbreak scenarios At the daily update on COVID-19 cases from B.C. health officials on Thursday afternoon, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reported 66 new cases of COVID-19.

The number of people being treated in hospital grew by just two overnight and there were no new intensive care cases compared to Wednesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s count.

COVID-19: B.C. officials remaining cautious, still preparing for all outbreak scenarios On Wednesday, Henry suggested she was somewhat heartened by that dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slow growth in hospitalized cases, a trend that was repeated again on Thursday. But she remained cautious about the situation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still very much in the first period

So we are not going to see a dramatic change for another five to six days â&#x20AC;Ś There are many things that can happen. We can have an outbreak in the community. We can have an outbreak in a hospital. There are so many scenarios right now.â&#x20AC;?

This advertisement has not loaded yet, CVU ZPVS BSUJDMF DPOUJOVFT CFMPX t "T PG UIF latest numbers released on March 26, 2020, there are a total of 725 confirmed cases of

from when we started putting in these restrictive measures,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are people out there who were incubating this disease. We know thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been transmission.

$07*% JO # $ t Ä&#x2021;F DBTFT TQBO BMM B.C. health regions: Vancouver Coastal (359), Fraser Health (241), Island Health (52), Interior Health (62) and Northern Health (11). â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know there is community transmission on Vancouver Island and BDSPTT # $ w )FOSZ TBJE t 'PVSUFFO QFPQMF have died, 66 are in hospital (26 of which are in intensive care), and 186 have recovered.

Ottawa unveils wage subsidies of up to 75 per cent for small businesses Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled a sweeping package for small business owners on Friday, including loan guarantees and significantly higher wage subsidies to help them cope with the dire economic consequences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. PM Trudeau relented to pressure from the small business community, which had been pressing Ottawa to boost wage subsidies well beyond the 10 per cent that Ottawa had announced last week. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is clear we have to do more, much more so we are bringing that percentage up to 75 per cent for qualifying businesses,â&#x20AC;?

Mr. Trudeau told his daily news conference. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This means that people will continue to be paid even though their employer has had to slow down or stop its operations because of COVID-19.â&#x20AC;? Other large wage subsidy programs announced internationally have been subject to several conditions. Mr. Trudeau declined to provide specifics on Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wage subsidy program Friday, saying that details were still being reviewed and that further information will be released

on Monday. The new wage subsidy will be backdated to March 15, Mr. Trudeau aid.

The Prime Minister said small store front businesses are also reeling from having their businesses shuttered and that Ottawa will provide help loans. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To help you bridge to better times, we are launching the Canada Emergency Business Account. With this new measure banks will soon offer $40,000 which will be guaranteed by the governmentâ&#x20AC;? he said. The loans will be interest free for the first year and $10,000 will be foregiveable. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our government will also provide an additional $12.5-billion through Export Development Canada and Business Development Bank to help small and medium-sized businesses with their operational capital requirements,â&#x20AC;?

Mr. Trudeau said.

As well, Mr. Trudeau said the government will defer GST and HST payments as well as duty taxes owned on imports until June. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is the equivalent of giving $30-billion of interest free loans to businesses,â&#x20AC;? Mr. Trudeau said.

11

Saturday, March 28, 2020

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, March 28, 2020

BC poultry farmers facing challenges amid COVID-19 Like everyone else in the province and the globe, BC egg and chicken producers are dealing with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both egg and chicken farms are trying their best to reduce the number of visitors to local operations, and ensure that all labourers follow proper distancing and hygiene practices.

But, for the most part it’s business as usual for both industries.

“Farmers are used to staying home because work and home are the same place,” stated BC Egg executive director Katie Lowe. “Our farmers will be working hard to ensure their hens are healthy and continue to send nutritious eggs to the grading stations.”

Lowe said minimizing visitors to egg farms and limiting the time they interact has also been key to ensure saftey standards during the coronavirus outbreak.

“Obviously, some people need to go a farm – drivers of egg and feed trucks, auditors, and so on,” she said. “Most farmers know their regular delivery and pick-up drivers and feel comfortable letting them go about their business without supervision. BC Egg has limited the number of farmers our auditors come in contact with in a day to protect everyone’s health. Important inspections and tests are still being done; however, the auditors are keeping meetings with farmers to a minimum.”

She added that B.C. is not in danger of an egg

shortage anytime soon, but urged consumers to only buy what they need to allow everyone the opportunity to take their product home.

“People are buying more eggs than they usually do so, the stores are running out of eggs faster than normal,” she said. “There is no shortage of eggs in B.C. as the hens continue to lay and farmers are working hard to get the eggs to the grading stations and then on to the stores. We ask people to follow the advice of the government and to not stockpile food. Eggs are perishable and won’t last forever. Buy what you need and leave the rest for your neighbours.”

It’s a similar story for the B.C. chicken industry, with the B.C. Chicken Marketing Board’s executive director Bill Vanderspek telling Black Press Media that the demand has been high, although the industry has been able to keep up.

“The B.C. chicken supply chain remains intact and there is plenty of chicken to supply the local market. Stores across B.C. are stocked daily with fresh local chicken,” he said. “We have noticed that chicken and other products are disappearing quickly from store shelves.

British Columbians are cooking at home so there is more chicken being sold at retail.

Our processors are making adjustments to transfer chicken from restaurant/food service to retail channels to meet the shift in demand.”

Vanderspek added that increased quarantines could impact the available labour for local farms, and said his group will continue to adjust in these challenging times.

“Chicken farms in B.C. are multigenerational family farms,” he said.

“Like all B.C. families, health and safety is our primary concern. Producers are concerned for the welfare of their flocks, especially if there are increased quarantines which could impact the supply of labor.”

At 7pm each night, BC residents applaud health-care workers At the same time each night, Rev. Gary Paterson and about half a dozen other neighbours have begun gathering at least two metres apart on the rooftop patio of their building in Vancouver’s west end.

They don’t know who will signal the beginning, and everyone’s clocks are slightly different, but just before 7 p.m., they hear clapping in the distance.

“It’s usually at about two minutes to seven, like people can’t restrain their enthusiasm, and then it starts to move like a wave,” he said on Wednesday.

The applause is for healthcare workers and other essential service providers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s a practice that became commonplace in Italy, which has recorded more deaths from

the novel coronavirus than anywhere else and has now taken hold in British Columbia.

Paterson said the first few nights were quieter, but the wave has grown in strength.

“Last night was incredible. There just seems

to be more and more people. People swinging open their windows and clapping and leaning out. People on balconies and somebody blowing a trumpet somewhere — just a wonderful response from the whole community,” he said.

Food Bank asks for donations amid COVID-19 crisis As many Semiahmoo Peninsula residents find themselves out of work – and conserving their resources – due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sources Food Bank has issued a plea for donations of both food and cash.

Jaye Murray, manager of Sources food bank in White Rock/South Surrey, said that while it’s unclear at this point how sharply demand for service will rise in the coming weeks, donations to grocerystore bins have already dropped noticeably.

On Monday, Sources issued a request on its Facebook page for donations of rice, oats, canned meat and tuna – as well as other shelf-stable proteins – along with fresh and canned fruits and vegetables, powdered milk, sandwich-

sized Ziploc bags and size 5 and 6 diapers.

Speaking with Peace Arch News Thursday morning, Murray said the food bank experienced a bit of a lull in demand this week. However, she noted, there are a couple likely reasons for that.

Uncertain whether they would be able to remain open, Sources provided clients with double the usual amount of food last week, she said.

“We let them know they didn’t have to come in (this week) in case we had to shut down, which we didn’t.”

In addition, it is “cheque week,” when demand for food is usually down, Murray said.

That can all change swiftly, she acknowledged.

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Here’s some of the financial help available in BC during COVID-19 crisis Many British Columbians are facing financial uncertainty amid the wave of layoffs, reduced hours and business strife resulting from the spread of the novel coronavirus.

In response, the B.C. government has announced a $5-billion economic action plan to help families and businesses struggling financially through the crisis, including one-time payments of $1,000 to people who are now out of work.

Premier John Horgan said the new plan has set aside $2.8 billion to immediately help people pay the bills and fund the services the public needs to get through the crisis, such as health care.

The other $2.2 billion is allocated as relief for businesses and, eventually, their recovery after the pandemic.

Here are some emergency resources and funding out there to help. The list will be updated as more funds and programs become available.

Rent A monthly rent rebate of up to $500 will be paid directly to landlords through B.C. Housing. The money will not arrive in time

for April 1 and the premier asked that tenants and landlords co-operate in the meantime.

Housing Minister Selina Robinson said the province is still working out whether the rebate will be granted per tenant or per unit.

For renters in some parts of the province, it’s possible to get emergency help for rent payments and one-time interestfree loans through rent bank programs.

Numerous advocacy groups are calling for federal and provincial governments to immediately pause all rent payments, in addition to mortgage payments.

Mortgage Canada’s six largest banks — RBC, TD, BMO, Scotiabank, CIBC and National Bank — will allow mortgage payment deferrals for up to six months for those affected by the economic consequences of COVID-19, effective immediately. They will also provide relief for other credit products.

Vancity is also deferring payments of mortgages and other loans for six months on a case-by-case basis.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing

Corporation is also increasing flexibility for lenders to defer mortgage payments on homeowner government-insured mortgage loans.

BC Hydro BC Hydro has introduced a COVID-19 customer assistance program to defer bill payments or arrange for flexible payment plans with no penalty. Call BC Hydro’s customer team at 1-800-224-9376 to discuss bill payment options. Those facing temporary financial hardship and possible disconnection of their service due to job loss, illness, or loss of a family member may also be eligible for BC Hydro’s Customer Crisis Fund, which provides access to grants of up to $600 to pay their bills.

Port Coquitlam is waiving the March 31 penalty and extending the deadline for payment of 2020 utility bills which includes water, sewer and solid waste. The next due date is May 31 but the city will consider extending it further closer to the time.

ICBC currently allows one monthly

deferral request per policy term. You can change the date of an upcoming monthly payment online.

Employment Insurance Finance Minister Carole James has announced a $1,000 Emergency Benefit for Workers will be available to people who have been laid off, those who are sick or quarantined and those who’ve had to stay home to care for their children or sick family members. More details here. The federal government has waived the one-week waiting period for employment insurance for workers in imposed quarantine or who have been directed to self-isolate. The previous requirement of a medical certificate to access EI sickness benefits is now waived.

Apply for EI sickness benefits through the government website.

Monthly memberships and subscriptions Many gyms and other monthly services are offering membership freezes or refunds if the facility is closed. Call the individual business to confirm and set up.

Symptomatic Canadians arriving home from abroad cannot take taxis, ride-sharing cars or public transit home Canadians returning home from outside the country during the ongoing COVID19 pandemic with symptoms of the disease will no longer be able to take taxis, ridesharing cars or public transit home if they don’t have their own transportation, but rather must use transit arranged by the federal government, says the Health Minister.

Patty Hadju announced the plan on Wednesday, saying it will apply to travellers who don’t have private transportation options, but exact details are being worked out as the order, under the federal Quarantine Act, takes effect midnight Wednesday night.

Asked if travellers will be taken on their way by bus or Uber ride-sharing,

Drug dealer loses appeals of shooting murders in Surrey & Langley A dial-a-dope drug dealer who was found guilty of murdering a man in Surrey and a woman in Langley, nine days apart in 2009, has lost his appeal of both convictions.

Robert David Nicholas Bradshaw appealed his two convictions by judge and jury following his trial in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster, arguing the judge had erred by refusing to answer a juror’s question he claims was clear. He also claimed the judge erred in failing to caution the jurors related to bad-character evidence and in her handling of his post-offence conduct.

Bradshaw was convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting of Marc Bontkes and second-degree murder in the death of Laura Lamoureux. The murders were five days apart, with Lamoureux being shot dead in Langley on March 14, 2009 and Bontkes being killed at Surrey’s Hi-Knoll Park on March 19, 2009.

Justice David Harris noted in his March 24, 2020 reasons for judgment that both victims had been “connected

to

and involved in the drug trade.

The Crown’s case was that Bradshaw was involved in a dial-a-dope scheme and he, along with Roy Thielen, committed the murders. Thielen pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder on Nov. 3, 2011. A third person, Michelle Motola, pleaded guilty to manslaughter related to Bontkes’ slaying.

This was Bradshaw’s second trial, with the Crown calling 19 witnesses and filing 43 exhibits.

His lawyer argued the case against Bradshaw had not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

But Harris found the trial judge didn’t err in refusing to answer the hypothetical question as it was posed to her.

“Answering that question would have been unhelpful, confusing and potentially prejudicial,” he decided.

“The judge did not err in proceeding the way she did.” Concerning the issue of bad-character evidence, the jury heard Bradshaw was a drug dealer – a driver for a dial-a-dope drug line – and “though his drug dealing, he was part of Surrey and Langley’s unsavoury drug world.

Ms. Hadju said, “There will be a variety of different methods but likely buses that will be able to transport people. Again it will be depending on the situation and my officials are working through those details with [Canada Border Services Agency] right now.”

She also said plans are in the works to provide hotels for travellers who need them.

Returning Canadians will also be told to quarantine themselves for 14 days; “significant penalties” will be imposed if people violate those orders.

Andrew Scheer, the federal Conservative

leader, said on CBC’s Power & Politics that many travellers won’t know what to do when they land in Canada because there is no clear plan now. “We’re a little frustrated that there don’t seem to be the details.”

A spokesperson for Canada’s airports was taken aback at the plan.

The latest on the coronavirus: U.S. considers putting more troops at Canadian border Coronavirus guide: Latest news and essential resources about the COVID-19 pandemic If you are returning to Canada from anywhere, you need to self-isolate.

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Saturday, March 28, 2020

Sikh temple in Surrey to deliver groceries to those in need, meals amid COVID-19 During the pandemic Sikh temples across the Lower Mainland are stepping in to offer help to those in need.

The Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib in Surrey will send volunteers out to deliver groceries to seniors, people with disabilities and international students.

The temple will also be offering a drive-

through langar, or drive through meal service for those in need.

In Sikhism, langar refers to free meals offered to all visitors at the temple’s communal kitchen. The langar will be held from 7 am to 10 pm every day, since dining at the temples has been banned.

Volunteers or anyone wanting to donate food are asked to contact the temple.

BC defines essential services in fight against COVID-19 BC Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth released a list of essential services Thursday as he vowed to use his emergency powers to keep “communities safe, goods moving and essential service workers supported” as the province attempts to curb the spread of COVID-19.

As a result of last week’s declaration of a provincial state of emergency, Farnworth has the ability to ensure the supply and movement of necessary goods and services, protect consumers, maintain minimum levels of transportation for those who need it most, co-ordinate the efforts of communities and enforce closures of businesses.

To that end, the province has given bylaw enforcement officers across the province the power to enforce orders of the provincial health officer. “[These] measures will make sure communities are taking necessary steps, in co-ordination with the province, to get ready should more action be required to combat COVID-19,” Farnworth said in a statement.

B.C. doctors urge province to close all nonessential businesses, enforce social distancing The province defines essential services as “essential to preserving life, health, public safety and basic societal functioning. They are the services British Columbians rely on in their daily lives.”

Here’s a breakdown of what they are: Health and health services

1. All health-care services, including acute care (hospitals), secondary/longterm care, coroners’ services, health-care providers working within and outside an acute-care setting and other health services, including public health, detox facilities, safe-injection sites, COVID-19 testing, clinical research supporting the COVID-19 response, blood/plasma donation services and emergency pre-hospitalization services.

2. Other health services and caregivers: for example, physicians, dentists, psychiatrists, psychologists, mid-level practitioners, nurses and assistants, infection-control and qualityassurance personnel, pharmacists, physical and occupational therapists and assistants, social workers, mental-health and substanceuse workers including peer support workers, speech pathologists, diagnostic and therapeutic technicians and technologists, counsellors, chiropractors, naturopaths, crisis centres, outreach workers, overdose and harm-reduction services, meal programs.

3. Health first responders (paramedics) Health service providers 1.

Pharmaceutical production, medical laboratories/research, medical testing, pharmacies, medical supply and equipment manufacturers, wholesale, distribution and stores, and analytical testing labs related to testing of finished product for pathogens and contaminants.

66 new cases of COVID-19 identified in BC bringing total numbers to 725 The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in B.C. has risen to 725 after 66 new cases were identified on Thursday.

No new deaths have been recorded, so the province’s total remains at 14. Sixtysix people are in hospital being treated for COVID-19, including 26 in intensive care.

A total of 186 people have now recovered from their illnesses.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said it’s too early to be optimistic about B.C.’s rate

of hospitalization, which has yet to rise sharply.

“I don’t dare hope at this point. We’re still very much in the incubation period,” she said.

Any dramatic jumps might still be five or six days away, Henry added.

COVID-19 cases in BC include outbreaks at nine long-term care centres, the most serious of which has been at Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver, Continued on page 16

British Columbians now face $25K fine, jail if they ignore public health orders over COVID-19 People who ignore public health orders can now be jailed or fined upward of $25,000.

Reselling essential supplies like food and cleaning material is now prohibited.

The province is intervening to ensure the supply of food and medical supplies is secure.

Municipal states of emergency have been suspended.

The provincial government has taken a number of “unprecedented” steps to ensure people obey public health orders, stop hoarding vital supplies and secure the flow of essential goods into B.C.’s stores and hospitals during the COVID-19 crisis.

People who ignore public health orders, including a ban on large gatherings, can now be fined upwards of $25,000. Jail time is also possible, the province said Thursday.

City bylaw officers across the province now have the power to help enforce those orders, through education and potentially gathering evidence of a violation.

The province is also cracking down on the

black market by prohibiting the resale of food, medical supplies, personal protective equipment, cleaning products and other essential supplies. People who ignore the order can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for one year, or both.

“These are unprecedented measures for unprecedented times,” said Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth.

A new government unit has also been created to co-ordinate the distribution of vital goods and services in the province. Retailers and suppliers must now report to the unit on inventory of critical supplies, including medical supplies for frontline workers.

Bylaws that restrict the delivery of goods to certain times of the day are being suspended.

The provincial government also on Thursday suspended local states of emergency declared in response to the pandemic, except for the City of Vancouver.

Schools to remain open but full-scale classroom instruction suspended Students may be allowed back to schools in small numbers in the weeks

and months ahead, but full-scale classroom instruction will remain suspended, according to a bulletin from the Ministry of Education.

Education and school-based child care during the COVID-19 pandemic will look very different for the foreseeable future.

COVID-19: B.C. schools to remain open, full-scale classroom instruction to remain suspended As part of a plan to ensure that service and support is available to essential service workers only, “a limited number of students will be present in-person in schools at any given time to allow for sufficient physical distancing,” it says.

The ministry is working with the Provincial Health Officer and the B.C. Public School Employers’ Association on hygiene practices “to ensure the health and safety of staff and/or students who are present in schools now, and in the weeks ahead.”

Districts are considering a variety of online and traditional paper-and-pen learning systems, depending on whether families have computers or tablets and Internet access. Many will adapt materials already in use by parents who home-school their children.

“We have been working behind the scenes in order to prepare for what will be a fundamentally different

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A ray of hope, but protective measures remain vital in preventing dramatic spread of COVID-19 The number of COVID-19 cases in B.C. continues to rise but there are early signs that drastic measures to control its spread are helping, says the provincial health officer.

Provincial testing facilities led by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control have finally cleared a backlog of tests so recent numbers are more reflective of the current situation in the province, Dr. Bonnie Henry said during her daily update on Wednesday. She reported 42 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 for a total of 659 in

the province, up from 231 one week ago.

Henry said B.C.’s case count is still “a generation behind” because some people were exposed before protective measures were implemented. As of Wednesday, 14 people had died and 183 people had recovered. Sixty-four people remained in hospital, including 26 in intensive care.

But some of the people who were exposed before the social distancing measures were ordered will develop the disease in the next week to 10 days, Henry said. “It’s heartening

BC announced changes to the province’s state of emergency Dramatic measures are being taken in B.C. to address the spread of novel coronavirus, Mike Farnworth, minister of public safety and solicitor general, announced Thursday.

One of those new measures includes allowing municipal bylaw officers to enforce orders outline by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.

“Dr. Henry’s orders aren’t suggestions.

They are the law,” Farnworth said at a news conference Thursday.

“To that end we will be enabling municipal bylaw officers to be redeployed to help ensure compliance with the provincial health officer’s recommendations and orders. Orders which could carry fines or even jail time.”

Those orders include physical distancing, the closure of some businesses and bans on gatherings of more than 50 people.

Other new measures include: Establishing a provincial supply chain to make sure goods and supplies get where they need to Protecting consumers by banning the resale of food, medical supplies, personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies Ensuring passenger and car ferries provide minimum service levels

Suspending all local states of emergencies, except in the City of Vancouver The update came eight days after B.C. declared a provincial state of emergency over the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Farnworth made the announcement alongside Premier John Horgan.

“It’s a stressful time, it’s an uncertain time. But people have been resilient,” Horgan said, calling today’s announcement “unprecedented.”

But Horgan and Farnworth did not go as far as saying B.C. was under a lockdown.

In fact, Horgan has previously said that the term could cause “more confusion rather than less” and during Thursday’s news conference, he reiterated that the province is taking very strong measures.

“Dr. Henry has been abundantly clear that if you don’t need to be out, stay home. That includes not just travelling to the Okanagan or not travelling to Prince Rupert, it means stay home,” Horgan said.

“I believe that people are looking for terminology to kind of capture these extraordinary times and if ‘lockdown’ is a term people want to use, fair enough.”

Physical distancing has halved spread of COVID-19 in BC, official modelling shows From page 1 A new report released Friday has also found the province is “reasonably” prepared to handle the influx of patients, with 17 of its biggest hospitals now identified as primary COVID-19 treatment sites.

Officials believe those 17 sites, which are spread across all of the province’s health authorities, have enough capacity to meet the expected demand. If they don’t, the province said additional centres are being prepared to care for the overflow.

The report comes after the officials compared the estimated trajectory of new cases in B.C. with the case growth in two areas with some of the most severe coronavirus outbreaks in the world to date: northern Italy and China’s Hubei provinces.

Taking those two regions’ experiences as lessons, B.C. looked at its own healthcare system to determine whether the province has enough beds and ventilators to treat everyone who would need help if the worst-case scenarios became reality.

The modelling, Henry stressed, is not a prediction of where B.C. is headed, but valuable data put together to help the province prepare its health-care system.

The 17 major hospitals identified in Friday’s report are the province’s largest, with the highest level of expertise and capacity for critical care.

The report found those hospitals would be enough to handle an outbreak as severe as the one seen in China’s Hubei province, where the pandemic originated.

A briefing offered Friday showed the province would be immediately overwhelmed if it saw a scale of COVID-19 cases similar to that in northern Italy. However, officials said

the model shows B.C. is already developing a “cascading’’ approach to free up additional hospital and other capacity over time.

to me, though, that we’re not seeing dramatic increases, and doubling in a day or two days or three days, of the hospitalized cases,” she said. “It is gradually increasing though and we’re watching that very carefully.”

On Wednesday, the B.C. government announced supports for renters during the pandemic, including a supplement worth

up to $500 available through B.C. Housing for the next four months, paid directly to landlords when a tenant cannot pay rent.

The province is also banning evictions and rent increases until the crisis has passed.

Henry said it remains critical that people continue following orders and

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Saturday, March 28, 2020

Ottawa shuts Service Canada centres after employees refuse to work The federal government is shutting the doors to all of its 317 Service Canada Centres – where people can apply in person for employment insurance, Old Age Security, pension benefits and passports – on Friday after employees en masse refused to work.

The government bent to pressure Thursday evening from the Canadian Employment and Immigration Union, which represents 17,000 Service Canada employees, including 3,360 who staff the centres.

My job has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. What do I do now?

Many had called in sick or refused to

work because they didn’t feel safe during the coronavirus pandemic, despite safe distancing measures put in place that kept the centres open, said Crystal Warner, executive vice-president with the union.

The centres were crowded and efforts to control the traffic resulted in long lines outside and sometimes irate visitors, she said. In recent days, so many missed work that 187 centres closed on Thursday – almost 60 per cent of the network.

Under the new measures, staff will still come to work at the centres but the front doors will be locked. People who show up will

be redirected to Service Canada’s website and phone number. Staff will help them remotely by appointment, except in rare circumstances where applicants have accessibility issues.

In those cases, they can come in to meet staff in sanitized rooms, at a safe distance.

Ahmed Hussen, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, said Canadians will still be able to access their benefits online and over the phone.

“This will allow more Canadians to get the support they need, while better protecting both them and our staff,” he said in a statement.

Job losses across Canada have exploded in the past two weeks amid a widespread

shutdown of the economy to slow the spread of the virus. That overwhelmed the government as almost one million people last week alone filed for unemployment benefits.

The government encouraged Canadians to apply for services available through the centres online, by telephone or by mail instead, asking those with symptoms of COVID-19 to self-isolate and stay away.

It gave protective gloves to employees and posted workers by the doors to limit the number of people inside.

In normal times, the centres get 11,000 visitors a day.

Bank of Canada says retailers shouldn’t refuse cash amid COVID-19 outbreak The Bank of Canada is encouraging retailers to continue to accept cash, despite ramped-up health precautions by all levels of government to thwart the spread of COVID-19.

The central bank is asking Canadians to follow the same public health standards after handling money as they would after touching any other item in the public domain, such as doorknobs or gas pumps.

“The risks posed from handling Canadian bank notes are no greater than those posed

by touching other common surfaces such as doorknobs, kitchen counters and handrails. Canadians handling cash should follow the public health guidelines on COVID-19 and wash their hands as they would do for other activities,” the bank said.

“If individuals want to take additional safety

precautions at this time, it is possible to clean polymer bank notes with a bit of soap and water since they are resistant to moisture. Note that this is not the case for older paper bank notes.”

Some businesses are choosing to limit or reject cash to mitigate contamination,

a trend the Bank of Canada discourages during this economically turbulent time.

“Refusing cash could put an undue burden on people who depend on cash as a means of payment. The Bank strongly advocates that retailers continue to accept cash to ensure Canadians can have access to the goods and services they need.”

The Bank of Canada is also working with financial institutions across the country to ensure no disruption in cash flow.

66 new cases of COVID-19 identified in BC bringing total numbers to 725 From page 14 where four additional residents and three workers have tested positive in the last 24 hours.

Henry has ordered that health-care workers be restricted to working at a single care home so that they don’t spread the virus between homes.

She continued to stress the message that British Columbians need to do their part

to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus by following public health orders to stay home and not gather in groups.

“We can all make a difference but we need everyone to be 100 per cent committed to doing this,” Henry said.

“We need to take care of each other right now. We need to be kind and we need everybody to do their part.”

Health Minister Adrian Dix said B.C. has now cleared 3,903 acute care hospital beds and 371 critical care beds to make way for COVID-19 patients. Fifteen new ventilators arrived in the province on Wednesday and more are expected on Friday.

He described the decision to cancel nonurgent elective surgeries as one of the most difficult choices B.C. has had to make.

“This will be a difficult time, as difficult as we have seen in this province,” Dix said. “The actions we take today matter.”

Earlier Thursday, the provincial government announced a series of emergency orders meant to ensure that British Columbians are abiding by restrictions from public health officials.

People who ignore public health orders, including a ban on large gatherings, can now be fined upwards of $25,000. Jail time is also possible, the province said Thursday.

City bylaw officers across the province now have the power to help enforce those orders, through education and potentially gathering evidence of a violation.

B.C. has also introduced measures to rein in the black market on the necessities of daily life, bringing in fines of up to $10,000 and possible jail time for anyone caught reselling food, medical supplies, personal protective equipment, cleaning products and other essential supplies.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Kareena motivates her fans amid COVID-19 Rukh Khan shares advice on Covid-19 prevention with help from his movie scenes in hilarious video. Watch Shah Rukh Khan shares

industry under shutdown, many celebrities are selfisolating them to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The number of people who have tested positive for the coronavirus rose to 724 on Friday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Shah

advice on Covid-19 prevention with help from his movie scenes in hilarious video.

Watch When Shah Rukh Khan was ‘disgustingly possessive’ about wife Gauri Khan, would not let her wear white shirts When Shah Rukh Khan was ‘disgustingly possessive’ about wife Gauri Khan, would not let her wear white shirts

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By posting a stunning picture of herself, Kareena Kapoor on Friday motivated people to stay strong during the tough times that the country is facing amid the coronavirus crisis.

The actor took to Instagram and posted a high-on-style picture of herself clicked from behind.

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, on Tuesday, 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

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Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan wins Hyundai Creta 2020

Shah Rukh Khan raved about the 2020 Hyundai Creta when he had unveiled the SUV for the first time at Auto Expo 2020.

The King of Bollywood has now become the first customer in India of the secondgeneration Creta with the company handing

over the keys in a small ceremony. Shah Rukh Khan already has a garage-full of ultra luxury vehicles but had previously said that his fleet also includes the firstgeneration Creta that was launched in India back in 2015. Interestingly, he was also the first owner of a Creta in the country at

the time. He had previously said he loves to drive the car and that his children also enjoy themselves in it. Taking the opportunity, he had lavished praise on the second-generation Creta as well. Shah Rukh Khan has been a brand ambassador for Hyundai for over two decades. “It’s an honour to be with my Hyundai family,” he said. Auto Expo 2020.

“Two things happened in the last 22 years - I had a son and became the brand ambassador of Hyundai India. So I am like the father of Hyundai in India.” The Bollywood superstar who has an unmatched fan following around the world, while praising Creta, had admitted that it is the Santro that is his all-time favourite car. 2020 Creta, however, has the potential to become the new favourite. The car received more than 14,000 bookings in the first two weeks since these were opened. Hyundai officially launched 2020 Creta on Monday at a starting price of ₹9.99 lakh. It is offered in three BS6-compliant engine options - 1.5-litre petrol,1.5-litre U2 CRDi diesel and a 1.4 turbo petrol. In its latest avatar, the Creta gets significant design

Tusshar Kapoor on chose surrogacy over adoption Actor Tusshar Kapoor has been enjoying daddy duties since he welcomed a son, Laksshya, through surrogacy in 2016. On Kareena Kapoor Khan’s radio show What Women Want, he opened up about his decision to become a single father and why he opted for surrogacy instead of adoption.

When Kareena asked Tusshar why he did not adopt a child, he said, “Mujhe apna bachcha chahiye tha (I wanted a biological child). Maybe I will adopt in the future, you never know. Never say never to anything. If people who get married and have stereotypical families would like to have their own kids, why can’t I, as a single parent?”

“Pata nahi yeh kyun hota hai ki agar aap single ho aur aap apna bachcha chahte ho, toh log bolte hai, ‘Aap adopt kyun nahi kar lete?’ Arre, poori duniya khud ke bachche paida kar rahi hai, hum kyun nahi kar sakte (I don’t know why it happens that if you are

single and you want a child of your own, people say, ‘Why don’t you adopt?’ When the entire world is having biological children, why can’t we)?” the actor added.

Tusshar also opened up about the moment he knew that he was ready to have a child. He said that after he turned 35, his paternal instincts were very strong and he gave it some serious thought. He felt that marriage could wait till later but fatherhood could not.

“I was getting a little nervous because my energy is high right now and I can have a child.

After 15-20 years, when I turn 50, I won’t be able to play with my child the way I can now. So, I have to think about this fast. I was quite excited but then, the nervousness kicked in. It took me a month or two to actually start the process,” he said.

Tusshar’s sister and producer Ekta Kapoor is also a single parent to a son, Ravie, born through surrogacy in January 2019.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Shilpa considers cleaning as one of the best workouts amid COVID-19 lockdown Shilpa Shetty considers sweeping as one of the best workouts during coronavirus lockdown. On Friday, she posted a video on her Instagram account in which she is seen cleaning her garden area. “This is a workout guys. Maid nahi ayi hai... garden ho... ghar ho... safai karo. Isse better workout nahi ho sakta. Aur self isolation mein occupation bhi mil jaata hai. ...Yeh ho gaya aaj ka cardio (The maid isn’t here today. So whether it’s your home or your garden, clean it up. There cannot be a better work out than this. It also keeps you occupied throught the selfisolation. Here’s enough cardio for today),” Shilpa said in the video. Not only this, she also took out a moment to appreciate the efforts of house helpers.“Cleaning and tending to the garden

for these last few days.

This lockdown time has made me realise and remember that having help in any form is one of those few things we should always appreciate.

Our lives become so much easier because of all our house help/ staff but unfortunately, sometimes we only realise this in times like these.

“Today, I’m grateful for every single person who has made life easier for us in their own way. It is because of them that we can enjoy the gift of time to go out and pursue our dreams. When life gets back to normal, don’t forget to let them know that you value them,” she added.

Preity Zinta making the most of self quarantine Preity Zinta like many other celebrities is using the time of lockdown due to Covid-19 is a productive matter.

On Friday, she posted a picture of herself where she revealed she had learnt to make masala dosa. She wrote: “Yesss !

Finally learnt how to make Masala Dosa It’s incredible how we have not gone out for 16 days nor met anyone.

Feels strange, but I’d rather be home safe than sorry. Its really nice to hang with mom & learn recipes of some of my fav. Dishes. Trying to stay positive & productive while we stay in #day16 #quarantine #cooking #dosa #lockdown #stayhome #staysafe #ting.” The picture shows Preity with a plate in her hand (held the way waiters in restaurants do) and

in it is a nicely made masala dosa with a green chutney and a bowl (the contents of which are not visible).

The post got quite a few comments with one person (possibly a friend) saying Preity was in fact a rather good cook. She wrote: “Yum!!

Btw guys she’s a brilliant cook. Made delicious dal, subzi and mixed vegetable rice for me when we were in london together.” Actor Ananya Pandey’s aunt Deanne Pandey reacted to it and wrote: “Yummy @realpz’ followed by a bunch of appreciative emojis.

Few days back Preity posted a video of her mother giving her an oil massage, sitting out in sun. The video has been shot by Preity’s husband who addresses the elderly lady as ‘sasuma’.

Himesh Reshammiya in ‘Namastey Rome’ His “Happy Hardy and Heer” with him in a dual role as actor, and also singercomposer, went unsung last month. As always, Himesh Reshammiya in unfazed, and is going full steam into making a sequel of his “The Xpose” and also a new television show. But his prime work now is “Namastey Rome,” in which he is actor, singer and composer again. The romance is directed by Rajesh Sethi, who had last directed a TV series in 2009 and had been assistant to Yash

Chopra. Pamela Chopra, wife of the late filmmaker, has complimented Sethi on his work and blessed him, stating. “Only a disciple of my husband could have thought of making a film like this.” More importantly, Reshammiya is reuniting with Javed Akhtar after “Namastey London” (2007) in this film and has mentioned that “every word of the writer is a gem,” Akhtar, in turn, has stated that he never listens to his own work after the recording is over, but he did so here and was pleasantly surprised.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

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Bollywood

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re making sure our team, staff and their families are taken care of in these tough timesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; - Anil Kapoor Much like everyone else around the world, Anil Kapoor, also trying to keep calm in face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Besides urging people to join #WarAgainstVirus and to stay home, the actor also feels that panic is the biggest enemy of the current crisis as it can spell doom on the whole plan of battling this situation. While acknowledging that this is indeed a â&#x20AC;&#x153; tough time for the whole worldâ&#x20AC;?, the 63-year-old feels that the only option right now is to remain patient, positive, generous, kind and humble. Excerpts:

Amid this lockdown and quarantine becoming the way of life, how are you keeping yourself occupied? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all trying to be productive as much as possible around the house. I make it a point to workout indoors every day and keep a keen eye on my diet. On a serious note though, I must give a shout-out to the health and medical authorities, not just in our country, but the world over, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re toiling endlessly to keep us safe from this deadly virus! If it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t for their selfless work, we would all be doomed!

Those who run after money, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;They are hiding in their houses, saying save us from coronavirusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; - Kangana Ranaut Kangana Ranaut is very much in touch with her spiritual side and goes on retreats every now and then to rejuvenate herself. In a new video shared by her team on Instagram, the actor urges Indians to embrace spirituality instead of only running after materialistic pleasures. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You must be thinking, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Kangana is a superstar, fashionista, and the best actress.

So why does she become a hermit or a yogi sometimes?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; I find it weird that you people find it weird. The purpose of life is not only to earn money. Western thinking and capitalism has convinced

us to earn money but where are those people today? They are all hiding in their houses and saying, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Take all our money but save us from coronavirus.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; People are now understanding that life is not all about their job, their social media profiles, their standing in society or even their relationships.

Then what is life? Life is just life,â&#x20AC;? she says in the clip.

Kanganaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sprawling mansion in Manali was specifically built for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;sadhanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and meditation, she shared in the video.

With so much panic around, how are ensuring that people around you stay safe?

(We are) just trying to do our best, staying home and safe, keeping a positive attitude.

My family, team and I, are all aware, prepared and equipped, ensuring that we take all the necessary measures. (My wife) Sunita and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been making sure our team, staff and their families are taken care of in these tough times. You daughter Sonam (K Ahuja) shared a detailed account of how

she and husband Anand (S Ahuja) were screened at the airport upon their arrival from London, lauding the effort put in by the authorities, as she also continues to spread awareness via social media. Sonam is in Delhi now with Anand. She and her family are staying home and safe. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been very vocal, brave and informative about her whole experience, which is a great. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure it helped a lot of people, and has also answered their questions.

HOROSCOPE Aries March 21 - April 20 Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new moon in your sign is certainly the best of the year for you and an excellent opportunity to kick-start work toward those goals that are dear to your heart.

Consider writing a list of your intentions.

Even if you put the list away, you might be surprised by how many of them materialize.

For best results, start on your most important

motivation to resolve it.

Taurus April 21 - May 20

closure on any matters that are blocking you from making progress. This could be an issue

you more recently. Whatever it is, this weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new moon in Aries and a spiritual zone can be your chance to let it go. Let inner peace replace any troubles. You can do this by starting a spiritual practice, such as meditation, yoga, or everyday mindfulness, that can help you understand yourself better.

Gemini May 20 - June 21 If you feel a little put out by the actions of a friend, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take it too seriously. They may have issues to deal with, and this might be one

social sector linking to the healing energy of Chiron, this can be an opportunity to take your friendship to a deeper level. Reach out and be prepared to talk things over. Doing so can help melt away any barriers to greater intimacy.

In general, the new moon in your social zone is an excellent time to move in new circles

Cancer June 22 - July 23 This week brings the possibility of a new beginning. And to take advantage of it, you only need to step outside your comfort zone and start. With the new moon in your sector of goals and ambition, this is the perfect time to initiate those plans and ideas that may have been on the back burner for too long. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let doubts get in the way, because with the sun roaring through a prominent sector over the coming weeks.

Leo June 24 - August 23 This is a great week to embrace travel opportunities, especially if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready to visit

sign of Aries, so this is a good time for new discoveries and opportunities. And the people you meet could open your eyes to new ideas and perspectives on life. This new moon could also be a starting point for many journeys and

you feel very much at home in and that leaves you recharged and revitalized.

Virgo August 24 - Sept 24 Will the week ahead bring a transformation your way? The new moon is in your sector of deepseated change, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a possibility. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had a desire to turn over a new leaf for some time, things can begin to fall into place to make this happen. !

! long-term relationship, or a desire to change as a person.

If there are any wounds that are getting in the way of your progress, talking it over with a therapist

!

Libra Sept. 24 - Oct 22 A relationship could take a bold step forward this week, taking it to a new and

"

sector of relating is the perfect time to make

! to you and your partner.

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready to take a budding romance further, this new moon also ties with the healing power of Chiron, so taking the initiative and asking that special person out could help you overcome any past hurts and rebuild your

Scorpio Oct 23 - Nov 22 This could be an exciting week for you, with all kinds of creative ideas and fresh possibilities bubbling up. But in order to make the best use of them, the cosmos encourages you to create a strategy that allows you to reach your goals with ease.

The new moon is in your sector of work and lifestyle, so this is one of the best times to go ahead. Look at your activities and see which ones you can jettison. Time is your most precious resource. Once a day is spent, it can never be reclaimed.

Sagitarius Nov 23 - Dec 22 If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re eager for new adventures, the sun is moving deeper into your sector of leisure and recreation, so this is the time to go exploring. What do you want to experience? If you need a chance to enjoy life, the coming weeks can be an opportunity to try new activities, enjoy spending time with loved ones, and perhaps hone a talent or learn a new skill.With a new moon in this sector, you have the opportunity for a fresh start. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re eager to learn something that you sense youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be naturally good at, this lunar phase can be the best time to start.

Capricorn Dec 23 - Jan 20 This could be a very productive week for you, one in which you can make positive strides in the direction of your desires.

With both abundant Jupiter and potent Pluto connected in your sign, you may become aware of just how much power you have at your disposal and all the good things you can accomplish with it.As both planets align with sweet Venus, the lesson is to align with love and make decisions from the heart, because these will be the ones that bring the best outcome.

Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19 This can be a good week for signing new deals and contracts and promoting your work using social media and the Internet. With a new moon in your sector of communication, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be in your element and eager to get moving on any plans that have been in the pipeline.

This powerful lunar phase encourages you to let go of any doubts about your abilities, move beyond your fears, and boldly step forward. Just because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never done something before doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be a success.

Pisces Feb 20 - March 20 Your social life takes an even more exciting turn this week as powerful planets merge and encourage you to take on a bold project. Do you have a long-held wish? This is the time when you could decide to make it a reality. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve feared making a start, this weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s powerful energies

and encourage you to have a go.

Friday and the weekend can be particularly powerful, with one encounter or meeting bringing you opportunities that seem too good to be true.

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Saturday, March 28, 2020

The legendary Prem Chopra talks about his prolific career Bollywood star of yersteryears Prem Chopra started his career in 1950s. “I came when the industry swore by so many big stars. They gave so many hits. Then their films began to flop and producers stopped signing them. But 60 years after I started out, I am still working!” says 84 years own youngster-atheart, who does not look a day over 65. He has just wrapped up his work for Yash Raj Films’ “Bunty Aur Babli 2” (he was the first to reveal to me that Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji were doing the film when we had

met by chance. This was before the release of “Mardaani 2,” at which interview, Mukerji had denied this outright!). Also released recently is his latest English film, “Line Of Descent,” with an international cast, and he is all praise for the makers of both films. For a veteran of 400-plus movies (overwhelmingly in Hindi but also in Punjabi, Gujarati and English), that’s almost like a certificate for them. An artiste whose filmography of directors includes Raj Kapoor, B.R. Chopra, Manoj Kumar, Raj Khosla, Manmohan Desai, Yash Chopra, Vijay Anand

and Rakesh Roshan, the cream of heroes and heroines and even the best of fellowvillains from Pran to Danny Denzongpa, Amjad Khan, Ranjeet, Shakti Kapoor, Kader Khan, Gulshan Grover and Amrish Puri.

Of late, when he just keeps busy rather than over-busy, Chopra has been seemingly, on an award-collection spree: he has just won four prestigious Lifetime Achievement awards—from the Goa, NOIDA and Jaipur International Film Festivals and from Star-Screen. The actor’s study is literally crowded with awards, honors, felicitations and trophies won over the years. Chopra has been even conferred the Mother Teresa award for his social work.

Long, long ago, this writer had met Chopra for the first time, the son of a government officer who would have preferred him to be a doctor, but when the son wanted instead to follow a future in the movies after participating in dramatics in his academic years, had no objection.

Chopra Sr.’s only precondition was that his son should take up a steady job while trying to make his hobby his profession.

After all, Chopra was a graduate. “So I joined The Times Of India in Mumbai on a cushy, fun job with lots of travel opportunities and a nice salary of Rs 2500 in the late 1950s!” he recalled. Soon, Chopra landed a hero’s role in the Punjabi film, “Chaudhary Karnail Singh” which released in 1960. The film was a hit and won a National Award. But there was little progress in Hindi cinema until the 1964 “Woh Kaun Thi?” and the 1965 “Shaheed.”

Prem Chopra thus owes a lot to common co-star of these films Manoj Kumar, who also wrote the latter film. “I shot to big-time as Manoj Kumar’s villainous brother in the 1967 “Upkar,” which was a significant film in my career, as it was halfway through its shooting that I dared to leave my job! I became a villain because my films as hero flopped and those as villain became hits!”

Of course, apart from lead roles in Punjabi, Chopra later did the occasional sympathetic role in Hindi as well, even attempting comedy in the 1990s. Of late, most of his characters have been just like his

personality—benevolent and cool!

Rajendra Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Dharmendra, Shashi Kapoor, Jeetendra, Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan were among the actors who worked frequently with him as “villain” and the stardom these men saw ensured Chopra’s gravy train for decades.

Asked to now list his fave films, Chopra, in a phoner, says that there are so many. But he as a special affection for some flops wherein he was appreciated for a key role, like in “Aas Paas”

and “Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year.” His successful favorites include “Do Anjaane” that won him the Filmfare award for Best Supporting Actor), “Himmat,” “Do Raaste,” “Kranti” and brother-inlaw (their wives were sisters) Raj Kapoor’s “Bobby.”

“But what I think isn’t important. The audience should appreciate me, and for that the picture should be a hit!” he says decisively. Chopra’s oneliners in “Bobby” (“Prem naam hai mera. Prem Chopra”), “Souten” and some other films were so popular that that he would even do shows of his own, in which he would also sing! Even now, Prem Chopra’s mimics earn their living through doing items on him, and the generous actor blesses them if they meet him.The actor treasures his association with other big names and his specific memories about them. “Dilip Kumar was among my inspirations and is very fond of me. When I was termed “better” than him in “Bairaag” by a critic, I was afraid Dilip-saab would get annoyed, but he wasn’t! Dev (Anand)-saab was another darling. He would call me “Premi” and was planning “Hare Rama Hare Krishna 2” when he left for London, from where he never came back.

Music maestro Pyarelal in “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa” Veteran music composer Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma will be participating in upcoming episode of singing reality show “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa.” A promo has been released in which host Maniesh Paul is s e e n welcoming Pyarelal and his wife Sunila Sharma on stage.

W h i l e interacting with the renowned composer, Maniesh shared an anecdote when the former played the piano at his request.

“As we all know Pyarelalji is known for playing piano

which he has stopped playing since last few years, we all requested Pyarelalji to perform on which he agreed to join us on stage and played his and my favorite tune on a piano.” “Following that all the contestants along with the judges joined

him and sang all time favourite song ‘Zindagi Harr Kadam Ek Badi Jung Hai’ from the movie ‘Meri Jung’. We are were so thrilled and excited and it was out of the world experience to see Pyarelalji perform live,” Maniesh said.

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Saturday, March 28, 2020

Radhika Apte

Stunning Sunny Leone

S

She was recently nominated as best actress at the Emmy Awards for the web series “Lust Stories.” The nomination is another feather in the cap for her after her movies “Andhadhun” and “Pad Man” won diverse National awards.

In a media release, the actor spilled the beans on how easily she steps into multiple characters while working on different projects. “Every character requires a different type of preparation,” she said. “A lot of it has to do with your collaboration with the director and

your co-actors. Some characters require a lot of research to be done, while others require a lot of practice.” “So the process may differ each time. I’m not someone who gets attached — I detach myself from my character with a lot of ease and it almost happens automatically when I’m done shooting.” In the international space, the actress will be seen as a spy in “Liberte: A Call to Spy,” based on real incidents from World War II. She will be playing the role of Noor Inayat Khan a.k.a. Nora Baker, who was the first female wireless operator to parachute into Nazioccupied France to help the French resistance.

Film ‘Lootere’ Juhi Chawla, who wore just a shirt in song “Main Teri Rani Tu Raja Mera,” in “Lootere” (1993), did not want it to look tasteless, she said. Speaking with media, she opined that she was “very selfconscious!” It was a beach sequence in a white shirt and the actor says that she was hesitant at the time of shooting it.

Chawla admitted that it was “hard” for her back then, as when she signed the film she had only one hit (“Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak”) behind her. “This was a radical change in my look and feel and everything. It was all Dharmesh Darshan and his imagination. It had

unny Leone has been doing it all from her films to TV shows, and even promoting her makeup business.

When not neck deep in work commitments, the star makes it a point to jet out on relaxing holidays with her hubby Daniel Weber and their three kids.

This time around, the beauty headed over to Jaipur for a short break and surprised fans with a stunning photo to assure all that she is having a swell time there. Posting a mirror selfie in a floral bikini, the star not only showed off her curves but also gave everyone a good look at her sculpted abs.

“Pulled this bikini after a long time! Time for a swim in my private villa pool here in Jaipur! Gorgeous resort!” she captioned the photo.

While shooting for her TV show, Sunny also ventured South and starred in ‘Madhuraja’ featuring superstar Mammootty in the lead. known by the name Sunny Leone a Canadian-born Indian-American star and actress, model, currently in Indian film industry, Bollywood. She has American citizenship. She has also used the stage name Karen Malhotra.[8][9] She was named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003, was a contract performer for Vivid Entertainment, and was named by Maxim as one of the 12 top porn stars in 2010. She has played roles in independent

mainstream events, films and television series. Her first mainstream appearance was in 2005, when she worked as a red carpet reporter for the MTV Video Music Awards on MTV India.

In 2011, she participated in the Indian reality television series Bigg Boss. She also has hosted the Indian reality show Splitsvilla.

In 2012, she made her Bollywood debut in Pooja Bhatt’s erotic thriller Jism 2 (2012) and shifted her focus to mainstream acting which was followed up with Jackpot (2013), Ragini MMS 2 (2014), Ek Paheli Leela (2015) and Tera Intezaar (2017). Apart from her acting career she has been part of activism campaigns including the Rock ‘n’ Roll Los Angeles Half-Marathon to raise money for the American Cancer Society and has also posed for a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) ad campaign with a rescued dog, encouraging pet owners to have their cats and dogs spayed and neutered.Since 2011, Leone has been married to musician Daniel Weber. She currently lives in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Press release to be in a shirt and I was so self-conscious and asked, ‘What? I am in a shirt on a beach? Only a shirt!’” Only when Chawla found out that Saroj Khan would be choreographing the song did she breathe a sigh of relief. “The moment I knew Saroj-ji was choreographing, I was, like, okay, because she has done work with Sridevi-ji and Madhuri Dixit, and her work has finesse. So then I was comfortable and it happened, and even I have to say that it looked quite nice,” she said.

Fraser Health has created online resources to help answer questions and provide additional information about COVID-19. I wanted to share it with you in case it is helpful to you.

Our COVID-19 web hub (www. fraserhealth.ca/COVID19) has up-todate information and downloadable files of our COVID-19 materials, including Q&As and infographics.

Content currently incudes items on how to talk to your friends about COVID-19, Use the ER Wisely During COVID-19, myth-busters, tips for talking to kids about COVID-19, managing anxiety during this time and more.

Currently these materials are in English and we are working on translations into other languages. We continue to update and add the web hub so you’ll see new materials refreshed regularly.

22

Saturday, March 28, 2020

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Vol. 11 No. 9

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1 in 3 Canadians worry they’ll miss rent or mortgage payment due to COVID-19 — survey In addition to its serious health consequences, COVID-19 is causing Canadians to worry about their financial health, according to a survey commissioned by the Angus Reid Institute. The results suggest the virus outbreak is already having a major impact on Canadians’ finances.

More than a third (34 per cent) of respondents said they were worried about missing a rent or mortgage payment this month because of the virus, which has caused widespread layoffs and a drastic reduction in the amount of paid work available for those lucky enough to have kept their jobs.

Among those surveyed, 44 per cent said they had either lost work themselves since the crisis began, or someone else who lives in their household has. An additional 18 per cent say they expect to lose work soon. The polling firm said it conducted the survey online March 20 to 23 using “a representative randomized sample of 1,664 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum.” Statisticians say sample of that size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Even among those who are currently working, more than half say it is only a matter of time before their hours get cut.

Businesses are cutting back because of quarantines and the corresponding drastic reduction in demand for products and services.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said Monday that one-third of small businesses across the country won’t be able to survive the next month without massive

government aid.

“More than half of small firms have begun laying off staff, with a quarter reporting they have already been forced to lay off their entire

workforce,” CFIB president Dan Kelly said.

Those layoffs are already adding up. The federal government said last week it has been flooded with a record number of new applications for employment insurance since the crisis began, and the numbers

That number is likely to increase in the have risen since then. “For all of March last year, there were about 150,000 applications,” coming weeks as “many small business will be Scotiabank economist Derek Holt said in a forced to make additional layoff decisions in note to clients on Wednesday, “versus 929,000 the next few days,” Kelly said. just last week alone.”

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Saturday, March 28, 2020

Some renters get reprieve on evictions as COVID-19 restrictions take hold The City of Vancouver has asked developers to voluntarily and indefinitely hold off on evicting tenants if the e v i c t i o n is for redevelopment, and therefore falls under the city’s tenant relocation policies. Sarah Lindsay is one tenant who could benefit from such a delay: the Vancouver resident has rented a twobedroom apartment in a heritage house in Mount Pleasant for 17 years. She was give an eviction notice in December 2019 so the developer that bought the house, Port Living, can redevelop her home and neighbouring buildings. Lindsay pays under $1,000 to rent her current home, and her main income source is $1,200 a month in disability payments. She’s been searching for a new place for months, but so far hasn’t had any luck, even though she’s given up on Vancouver and has been looking in small towns on Vancouver Island. Her eviction is now looming at the end of April. With businesses and normal activities increasingly shut down to limit the spread of COVID-19, she’s found that landlords are now not even showing units that were previously advertised as available. “I’ve been looking for over a year and I’ve applied for a lot of places and I keep getting turned down, and I have a

month left,” Lindsay said. “No one’s listing anything right now and every place that I had a viewing cancelled on me.”

To make matters worse, a small business she runs — finding and selling props to sell to film companies shooting in Vancouver — has now ground to a halt after the retail space she rented closed down because of COVID-19.

Because Lindsay’s building is being redeveloped, it falls under the City of Vancouver’s Tenant Relocation Plan — a policy intended to give tenants extra compensation and assistance to look for a new place.

But today the City of Vancouver asked developers who are in the process of evicting tenants to voluntarily put a

temporary — but indefinite — hold on evictions for developments that fall under to the Tenant Relocation Plan. The city says it sent the message at noon today and has been in discussions with various developers throughout the afternoon.

In an emailed statement, PortLiving said it is “in close contact with our development partners at the City of Vancouver and will continue to follow their direction toward ensuring the social and economic health of our home and community.”

On Tuesday, Ontario’s provincial government announced it will temporarily not issue any new eviction orders due to COVID-19 and will halt the enforcement of evictions scheduled for this week.

The move followed similar eviction bans enacted in some American cities and states as the COVID-19 pandemic and measures to contain it increasingly take a toll on the economy. On March 16, California’s governor issued an executive order to authorize local governments to halt evictions for renters and homeowners who have been affected by COVID-19.

The B.C. government has been working on the issue, according to MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert, and may have more to say tomorrow. On Wednesday afternoon, Chandra Herbert said he was bringing his recommendations to Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Those recommendations will then go to cabinet on Thursday or Friday.

Reasons why Canada’s apartment building owners are happy

R

ental apartment building market in Canada is trongest it’s ever been, especially from the perspective of apartment building owners.

Buildings are practically full across the country, rental rates are at or near 10-year highs in nearly every market, and average national rents have climbed 4.4 per cent annually over the last two years, according to a new report by commercial property brokerage house CBRE. This rapid rise of rental rates is earning more money for building owners. Total annualized returns for the Canadian multifamily sector were 9.8 per cent as of the first quarter of this year, just behind the industrial sector.

Canada’s national average rental apartment vacancy rate ended 2018 at 2.4 per cent, below the 10-year average of 2.6, CBRE said in its national multifamily mid-year update.

Investors are lining up to get into the market in most cities. Multifamily investment volume reached record levels for four consecutive years, including an alltime high of $8.3 billion in 2018.

Apartments are traditionally viewed as stable and defensive assets to own, said CBRE Canada vice-chairman Paul Morassutti. “(The asset class) never displays great amounts of volatility,” he told Postmedia

last week. “Very rarely would you have declines in rental rates or net operating income. Typically, things would go up in a slow and steady fashion and it was always a favoured asset class for all those reasons.”

Here are other main drivers that Morassutti and his firm believe will continue to stoke demand for apartment buildings in Canada.

Population growth: Canada’s population is expected to grow by nearly one per cent annually over the next four years, surpassing

growth in all other G7 countries, the report said. Much of this momentum is being fuelled by immigration, which accounted for 80.5 per cent of the country’s population growth last year. The government has a plan to welcome one million new immigrants between 2019 and 2021. Much of that new population is settling in the Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver regions, with Toronto and Vancouver experiencing the sharpest annual apartment rental price growth of 5.0 per cent and 7.1 per cent, respectively, over the past four years.

Shortage of new supply Canada’s big cities are not building enough new rental apartments to keep up with demand, when compared to global peers, the report said.

The largest rental market in Canada is Montreal with just under 600,000 units.

Toronto follows well behind with 313,000 units, and Vancouver trails with just 109,000 units. Units on the secondary market, including privately rented condos, do close the gap, but it’s clear that renters across the country need more options, or else rents will continue to climb.

While we are seeing increased construction of rental units more recently, the overall number remains relatively low, Morassutti said.

Rising cost of home ownership An expanding proportion of Canada’s big-city dwellers can’t afford to buy a home. This factor, above all others, is probably having the greatest effect on stoking apartment rental prices, while spurring investors to buy buildings, Morassutti said. “In Toronto, if you want to buy a detached house or semi-detached house, you need to have a household income of close to $200,000,” he said. “The average household income in Toronto I believe is something like $100,000.”

(According to the last Canadian census, the average household in the Greater Toronto Area earned $87,993 after tax.) That leaves residents with only a couple of choices.

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Saturday, March 28, 2020

The mortgage stress test is making housing supply issues worse — and making homes even more unaffordable

C

anada is experiencing sustained economic and population growth.

Millennials and new Canadians are forming households and their desire for home ownership is very strong. Interest rates are low. In this environment, home sales should thrive and supply should rise alongside demand, keeping prices in check. Instead, our housing supply is lagging and prices have risen dramatically in key markets.

Governments bear much of the blame for this undesirable market imbalance, as a narrow focus on suppressing household debt has dominated the policy mix while the root causes of undersupply — including excessive red tape, fees, taxes and nimbyism — have gone largely unaddressed.

If we want to address housing affordability in Canada, governments need to redesign the policy mix to confront these factors. For its part, the federal government could start by developing a more nuanced mortgage “stress test.”

Ottawa’s stress test is demolishing Canadians’ housing dreams. Which party will rebuild them?

Why Ottawa’s attempts to help young Canadians afford housing simply won’t work The mortgage ‘stress test’ has started harming Canadians more than it helps

First, consider mortgage debt in the Canadian context.

Canadians have some of the highest rates of home ownership and mortgage borrowing in the world.

Evidence shows that Canadians use mortgage debt responsibly; in the majority of cases, we make additional payments or otherwise accelerate our repayments.

Equifax credit scores for first-time Canadian homebuyers are in the upper half of the range considered “very good,” and they typically continue to improve in the first, second and third years of home ownership.

Second, we have the indisputable finding, reproduced in dozens of independent surveys, that Canadians strongly value home ownership. It is overwhelmingly identified as a top priority across the age

spectrum, from millennials to baby boomers.

And the opportunity for home ownership here is a key attraction for immigrants, many of whom leave behind societies where it is rare.

Unfortunately, despite all the evidence that Canadians are committed and responsible

borrowers, would-be homebuyers are today restricted by a number of government policies that need redesign, most notably the mortgage stress test. To be clear: when applied selectively on mortgagors who are attempting to borrow significantly more than their annual income or who are carrying a heavy load of non-mortgage debt already, the stress test can be a useful tool. But there is reason to be concerned about the scope and duration of the test’s current application in Canada. While the government’s one-size-fits-all approach has helped cool overheated markets, it has also destabilized Prairie housing markets, which were already suffering from that region’s economic slowdown.

It has now been 23 months since the stress test was implemented. At that time, policy-makers wanted to ensure borrowers could service their debts when their mortgages came up for renewal — mainly because it was widely presumed rates would rise in the near term. But now, if anything, interest rates are expected to ease amid weakening economic growth, trade tensions and other factors. Given the current environment, we must ask if the marginal improvement in mortgage credit quality created by the stress test is worth the many unintended consequences it causes.

Condos, the ‘future of our communities,’ now cost more per square foot than a detached home Condominiums may be the “future of our communities” but per square foot, they are hardly a bargain. According to a Royal LePage report released today, aside from Vancouver and Calgary, every major city’s condo price per square foot has increased. With the exception of Vancouver, the median price per square foot of a condo is now higher than that of a single family detached home nationwide. Canadian home prices are up — but by the smallest amount in

a decade. Seven reasons Canada’s housing market is stronger than it looks Vancouver’s housing market is dismal — but you still need six-figure income to get your foot in the door “While condo units are smaller, they are the present and future of our communities. With more development opportunities, they can meet both the growing need for housing and lifestyle expectations of homebuyers,” said Phil Soper, the president of Royal LePage in a

press release. The Greater Ottawa condo price per square foot appreciated the fastest among the cities that were measured, rising 17.9 per cent year-over-year to $395, while the Greater Vancouver price actually declined the most by 8.3 per cent to $764. “We are seeing significant interest in Ottawa’s south and west ends from residents working in the nearby military and technology hubs,” said Kent Browne, broker

Over 11% of Vancouver condos have a non-resident owner, says new CMHC report

#106 - 7565 132 St. Surrey, BC 604.572.3005

Over 11 percent of Vancouver condos have at least one non-resident as an owner, a number that jumps to more than 19 per cent when it comes to newer built condos.

The information is contained in a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation housing market insight report which also found that non-residents — defined as someone who

doesn’t have their principal residence in Canada — tend to own more expensive properties than residents, especially in Vancouver.

Some of the other findings: 7.2 per cent of all Vancouver properties have at least one non-resident owner.

Non-resident ownership is highest in

and owner of Royal LePage TEAM Realty. The city of Vancouver remains the most expensive condo market in the country, with homebuyers paying $1,044 per square foot for a condo and $1,279 per square foot for a single-family detached home. Greater Calgary offers the lowest condo price per square foot, with a fall of 6.7 per cent to $313.“For the fourth consecutive month, condo inventory in the region declined compared to last year.

26

Classifieds / Jobs

Saturday, March 28, 2020

South Asian Seniors - Filing Income Tax Returns Free for Year 2019.

From March 1st 2020 (Sunday) to April 30th 2020 (Thursday).

Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey informs South Asian Seniors that during the Tax filing period we can help you to file your Income Tax Returns for the year 2019, free of cost, through the community volunteer program of Canada Revenue Agency ( CVITP ), from March 1st. 2020 (Sunday) to April 30th 2020 (Thursday). If you are living in Surrey / Delta. The eligibility Criteria are as follows 1.Single individual with annual income limit up to $ 35,000. 2. Couples with annual income up to $ 45,000. 3. Three persons income $. 47,500, 4. Four persons income $. 50,000 , 5. Five persons or more, add $ 2500 for additional members.

Interest income not over $ 1,000.00 and this income will be included as total eligibility. With no investment income, no rental income , no business or partnership income and no capital gain or loss. Sin# card and photo identity will be required to prove the documents. If you are eligible then please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further information.

South Asian Seniors - Filing Income Tax Returns Free for Year 2019.

From March 1st 2020 (Sunday) to April 30th 2020 (Thursday).

Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey informs South Asian Seniors that during the Tax filing period we can help you to file your Income Tax Returns for the year 2019, free of cost, through the community volunteer program of Canada Revenue Agency ( CVITP ), from March 1st. 2020 (Sunday) to April 30th 2020 (Thursday). If you are living in Surrey / Delta. The eligibility Criteria are as follows 1.Single individual with annual income limit up to $ 35,000. 2. Couples with annual income up to $ 45,000. 3. Three persons income $. 47,500, 4. Four persons income $. 50,000 , 5. Five persons or more, add $ 2500 for additional members. Interest income not over $ 1,000.00 and this income will be included as total eligibility. With no investment income, no rental income , no business or partnership income and no capital gain or loss. Sin# card and photo identity will be required to prove the documents. If you are eligible then please contact Surendra Handa Coordinator Tel. 604 - 507 - 9945 for further information.

27

Saturday, March 28, 2020

COVID-19 impact on economy The COVID-19 pandemic is well underway worldwide, but it wasn’t until this month that Canadians started coming to grips with the economic pain it can bring, in addition to its heavy human toll.

Economists are struggling to come up with best guesses as to what might be coming.

There’s still a lot that they — and we — don’t know. But the picture they’re painting for Canada’s financial future is already bleak.

At a minimum, the Conference Board of Canada is assuming that most industries across the country will be essentially shut

down for at least six weeks.

If they take an optimistic view and assume that’s enough to contain the outbreak, even that short term pain will make a major dent in the country’s total output, a metric known as the Gross Domestic Product, or GDP. Should this relatively mild scenario come to pass, Canada’s economy would eke out a tiny 0.3 per cent growth for 2020 as a whole as things ramp up in the latter half of the year.

That’s far from booming — Canada’s economy grew by 1.6 per cent last year, for example —

but it’s preferable to other alternatives.

Under a more pessimistic scenario, the board sees lockdowns and quarantines stretching for up to six months, until August. If that happens, the GDP hit would be massive — an annualized contraction rate of 9.6 per cent in the second quarter, which is worse than what we saw in the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. The economy shrank at an annual pace of 8.7 per cent at its worst stage, in early 2009 before rebounding starting in the spring. Alberta’s economic decline will be the ‘most severe’ the province has ever seen: RBC “Brace yourself for some horrible data in the

near-term, as there’s little doubt that the second quarter will produce some painful and likely historic figures on ... economic contraction,” the economics team at TD Bank said in a note to investors.

Economists tend to focus on GDP in their modelling, but when you ask Canadian workers how they think the economy is doing, they tend to focus on whether they have jobs that pay the bills.

It already looks like the recession caused

by COVID-19 will be one for the record books when it comes to joblessness.

What Vancouver’s housing market could hold in 2020 A funny thing happened in Vancouver’s housing market in 2019: for the first time in many years, not much happened.

“Condo prices have slowed down. The fear of missing out madness at open houses has gone away. So there’s been a pause in the market,” said Tom Davidoff, an associate professor at UBC’s Sauder School of Business. One way to measure the relative calm of the market is by looking at the average sale price for detached homes, townhouses and apartments in the area overseen by Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.

Wild fluctuations were once common, as luxury properties were traded like hotcakes. But in 2019, the average value for any type of property never went up or down by more than 17 per cent compared to the previous year.

That might not seem significant — but it’s the first time that’s happened since 2014.

After a taxing year for real estate, housing

market expected to remain cool in 2019 In between, a massive surge in housing prices created both a windfall for existing homeowners and a backlash that contributed to the fall of provincial and local governments.

But with a host of taxation and antispeculation measures now in place, and new supply continuing to come on the market, prices for all types of housing stabilized in 2019, with small declines generally seen across the board.

“We wound up in a pretty balanced place,” said Davidoff.

“I think it’s a pretty good outcome in that way and I think you’ve probably seen ... a calming of the public discourse around housing.” Too soon to predict 2020 Whether a stable 2019 will continue into 2020 is another question. Multiple housing experts told CBC News it is difficult to predict what direction the housing market will go next year. Market

Metro Vancouver’s luxury home prices forecast to slip further The national brokerage issued a forecast in February, reporting that the median price of a luxury house in Metro Vancouver at the end of January 2020 was $5,394,594, which is 6.7% year-over-year decline. Luxury condos in the region dropped 4.4% to $2,411,773 over the same period, it added.

However, Royal LePage said that recent signs of recovery in the market will eventually trickle up to push up prices in the luxury sector, albeit at a slower pace than the lower end of the market.

The report said, “While luxury real estate in Greater Vancouver is showing year-overyear declines in median prices for both houses and condominiums over the twelve-month period, a significant boost in luxury unit sales since October 2019 is moving the market towards stabilization. From October 1, 2019 to January 31, 2020, the median price of a

luxury house in Greater Vancouver decreased 1.3% year-over-year, while the median price of a condominium was relatively flat, posting a 0.2% year-over-year increase.”

Jason Soprovich, a West Vancouver realtor with Royal LePage Sussex, said, “Metro Vancouver’s residential real estate market is shifting towards a balanced market and this trend has been moving upward through the luxury market. There is healthy demand for homes priced between $3 million and $5 million, and this segment is starting to stabilize. It will take more time for the upperend segment to move into a balanced market, but it is expected.”

The report added that luxury home prices in the region were expected to continue their decline, but with relatively “modest” drops, over the coming year.

adjustments to the new taxes are one factor, but so are trade war concerns, continued low interest rates, and the effect of new mortgage rules. “The big picture is actually watching how mortgages, and the availability of mortgages and cheap money, will or will not become available,” said Andy Yan, director of the City Program at Simon Fraser University.

Vancouver is still in a housing crisis. But when will we know if it’s over?

Yan said that with debates around the effect of speculation taxes largely settled, the most heated

policy arguments would likely be around rental housing, particularly whether proposed projects offered enough nonmarket and multi-bedroom units.

“There is this idea of less heat being generated in the [housing] debate, but then there is much light being generated towards the conversation of what kind of city are we becoming,” said Yan. “Who are we including, as well as who are we excluding?”

‘Not magically affordable’

28

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Realtors to cancel open houses amid COVID-19 The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver is advising its members to stop hosting open houses to help limit the spread of COVID-19.

The board issued a media release Thursday encouraging its 14,000 Realtor members to follow government recommendations on social distancing.

Earlier this week, the board also removed the rule requiring that properties listed on MLS be made available for showings.

“Realtors want to do their part to help prevent the spread of illness in our communities and to meet the housing needs of residents in a responsible way,” said board president Ashley Smith in the media release.

“We’ve heard from some in the community who are unhappy that their Realtors are not holding open houses. To those people, we ask for your understanding given the public health crisis we all face today.”

The board says anyone who has recently travelled abroad or is unwell should not view a property and should stay home.

It suggests alternatives to maintain social distancing to slow the spread of the disease, including virtual showings, limiting the number of people viewing a property, regular hand sanitizing, and avoiding touching doorknobs and other surfaces.

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, March 28, 2020

BC suspends evictions, offers renters’ rebate of up to $500 / month As more and more people face layoffs due to the COVID-19 crisis, the B.C. government has announced a new renters’ rebate and a freeze on evictions across the province.

Speaking from the legislature on Wednesday, Premier John Horgan said the government is offering struggling renters up to $500 a month for four months to ensure they don’t lose their homes.

But Horgan stressed that the money, which will be distributed by B.C. Housing and paid directly to landlords, is only intended for those who need it to get them through the crisis. “If you can pay your rent, you should pay your rent,” the premier said. “This fund is there to help people who are in genuine distress. The fewer people who access the program, the more

ability we have to expand it going forward.”

B.C. Housing Minister Selina Robinson said the relief is designed for those who make a low or moderate income and have seen a “significant reduction” in pay due to COVID-19.

The government also announced it is suspending all current and future evictions until the pandemic, which has already prompted hundreds of thousands of layoffs

and job losses across the country, has passed.

That includes all evictions already approved by the Residential Tenancy Branch, but not those ordered by the courts, which the province cannot control. There will also be exceptions for extraordinary circumstances, such as cases where there are safety concerns with a tenant.

Horgan said he is cognizant of the challenges faced by landlords as well, but that the renters’

CMHC expanding insured mortgage purchase program to $150B, up from $50B Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. is expanding its insured mortgage purchase program to $150 billion as part of its response to the COVID-19 crisis.

The move to help bolster the financial system is an increase from an initial plan for $50

billion announced March 16.

The expansion is part of the emergency measures passed by the government to deal with the fallout of

the novel coronavirus and the steps taken to slow its spread.

CMHC has said the insured mortgage pools already carry government backing,

so there is no additional risk to taxpayers.

Ottawa had a similar program to buy insured mortgages during the 2008-09 financial crisis.

Canadian dollar gains as economic aid encourages investors Canada’s main stock market rallied for a third straight day and the loonie rose to a nine-day high on Thursday as Ottawa tripled the size of a mortgage securities buying program, with investors becoming more impressed with the amount of economic aid.

Canada said it was ready to buy C$150 billion of mortgage securities, up from C$50 billion announced earlier this month, to expand funding for lenders dealing with tighter credit markets due to the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

On Wednesday, Canada almost doubled the value of an aid package to C$52 billion to help people and businesses deal with losses from the outbreak, while the Bank of Canada has cut its key interest rate by a total of 100 basis points this month to 0.75 per cent.

Some economists expect the central bank to cut rates to zero and begin purchasing in large scale assets such as government bonds.

CMHC to take more mortgages off banks’ books to free up cash for loans amid COVID-19 crisis The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is expanding the number of insured mortgages it is willing to buy from banks to give the banks more freedom to lend out more money to consumers and businesses and keep the economy humming.

The taxpayer-funded agency, which backstops the vast majority of Canada’s housing market by insuring the loans that finance them, announced earlier this month it was willing to take up to $50 billion worth of loans off of banks’ books.

On Thursday, the CMHC announced it would expand that mortgagebuying program to $150 billion.

“This action will expand the stable funding available to banks and mortgage lenders in order to ensure continued lending to Canadian consumers and businesses,” the agency said in a statement.

Moving loans from banks to the CMHC helps the banks’ books and allows them to free up cash that they can lend out to consumers and businesses while the COVID-19 pandemic is hitting them hard and threatening the overall economy.

Canada’s big banks have promised interest rate relief for up to six months to Canadian borrowers struggling to make their payments, but the CBC has reported that the fine print of those programs make it so that the deferred interest must be paid back at some point, which makes the loan longer and more expensive.

Canada’s big banks are being flooded by requests for payment relief by borrowers — to the tune of 213,000 requests so far, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Quebec grocery stores kick out returning snowbird not self-isolating despite mandatory COVID-19 quarantine A snowbird from Quebec’s Lac-Saint-Jean region who recently returned from the United States was kicked out of two local grocery stores Wednesday after trying to shop there.

Until further notice, Canadians returning from travel abroad must comply with a mandatory quarantine.

Offenders face a fine of up to $750,000 and a maximum prison term of six months.

In a message posted to its Facebook page (see below), the IGA Marché Lamontagne et fille in the town of Saint-Félicien, said that the alleged offender attempted, unsuccessfully,

to shop at the store and another Metro store located on the same street in the town of about 11,000 people. The presence of the snowbird’s huge motor vehicle attracted the attention of the people of the municipality, many of whom linked the vehicle to the person.

The post on the IGA store’s Facebook page includes a photograph of the vehicle, marked with a big X in disapproval.

The post was shared by more than 3,500 people within hours.

Ontario likely has ‘Tens Of Thousands’ of undetected COVID-19 cases, officials say As cases continue to pile up along with requests for testing, the province has a problem. The spread of COVID-19 in Ontario continues, and the province is currently awaiting results on almost 11,000 potential cases of the disease. However, health staff have reportedly warned that there could be additional “tens of thousands” of cases going undetected right now.

This news comes shortly after Ontario confirmed the number of positive cases has jumped by 170 overnight into Thursday morning, March 26.

Ontario’s dedicated COVID-19 page reports that nearly 39,000 potential cases have been investigated in the province. So far, 26,727 have come back negative, with 837 current confirmed active cases. 13 people have died, and eight have been resolved.

But, according to CBC, health officials warn it’s likely there could be tens of thousands of cases that the province simply doesn’t know about right now.

The Toronto Star reports the number of cases being investigated should not be considered representative of the actual situation as testing has largely been limited by several factors.

It’s suspected that many Ontarians with mild symptoms could well be infected with the virus. However, most in this bracket are asked to stay home in self-isolation, meaning the numbers are likely not being recorded.

According to the Star’s Ed Tubb, Ontario completed 2,439 COVID-19 tests on Wednesday, March 25.

That number was down from the day before, despite the province insisting it wants to be carrying out 5,000 exams per day by the end of this week.

B.C. has done over 31,000 tests, which is around 2.5 times faster than Ontario’s COVID-19 exam rate.

All these figures seem to back up health officials’ advice about the importance of social distancing.

Businesses, offices and park facilities are all shut, and we’re being strongly advised to stay home unless absolutely necessary.

In fact, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, even said on Tuesday that people who don’t follow self-isolation and distancing protocols risk jeopardizing the “civil liberties” of the rest of the local population.

Airbnb announces plan to offer free housing to Coronavirus responders As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect people all over the globe, Airbnb has stepped up with a plan to offer free or subsidized housing to people working on the disease’s front lines, namely health care professionals, emergency workers and relief personnel.

“Medical workers and first responders are providing lifesaving support during the coronavirus outbreak and we want to help,” Airbnb cofounder Joe Gebbia said in a statement.

“We’ve heard from countless hosts around the world who want to provide a comforting home to heroic first responders. We are connecting our nonprofit partners, government agencies and others with our incredible host community to work together in these extraordinary times.” Homes and apartments made available through this program will need to meet a standard of cleanliness determined by Airbnb-selected medical experts.

The company’s goal is to house 100,000 of these workers around the world. Both emergency workers who are looking for accommodations and hosts who would like to make their properties available can visit an Airbnb portal designed specifically for that purpose.

A version of this initiative began last week

in France, where the government and Airbnb worked together to find 4,000 hosts willing to let medical personnel like doctors, nurses and caregivers stay in their accommodations for free.

This doesn’t mean that every single listing on Airbnb will immediately be up for grabs, though. It will still be up to individual hosts to decide if they want to donate the use of their accommodation.

“Hosts can opt into the program and have the option of opening their homes for free through Airbnb’s Open Homes platform, created in 2012 to meet the needs of people requiring emergency housing,” the company explains, adding: “If hosts are not able to host for free, Airbnb will still waive all fees on the stay.”

Earlier this month, Airbnb expanded its “extenuating circumstances” policy, which permits guests to cancel or alter their bookings without paying a fee in the event of a natural disaster or emergency.

This move came in light of the fact that many travelers were trying to get home or otherwise change their plans as coronavirus spread throughout the world and many countries and municipalities introduced travel bans or quarantines.

31 19

Hospitals across Canada face COVID-19 ‘storm’ To slow the spread of COVID-19, provinces have closed schools, urged people to stay home and shut businesses to varying degrees — responses that differ with the degree of community spread in each place.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization’s director general, said Wednesday that staying home buys time and reduces pressure on health systems.

“Aggressive measures to find, isolate, test, treat and trace are not only the best and fastest way out of extreme social and economic restrictions — they’re also the best way to prevent them,” he said.

But the WHO doesn’t give specific recommendations on what businesses are essential, and because public health is a provincial responsibility, “essential” means different things in different parts of the country.

For example, Prince Edward Island originally ordered government-run liquor stores to close as part of social distancing efforts, while they remained open in Ontario. (And P.E.I. changed its decision on Wednesday.)

Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious disease physician at the University of Alberta, called it a symptom of the Canadian system.

“I think it would be much better to have standardized understandings of what essential is and then people between provinces would not have to question, ‘Well, why do you

consider a liquor store crucial?’” Saxinger said. “It is, from the point of view of public messaging and consistency, a bit of a weakness.”

Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver has been particularly hard hit by a major outbreak of COVID-19. (Ben Nelms/CBC) Doctors and public health officials are bracing for an onslaught of new cases from people exposed before the border and social distancing measures began.

“It’s this kind of calm before the storm,” she said. “In other areas, we see the storm is starting. We have a more mature epidemic happening in B.C.” Dr. Stephanie Smith, director of infection prevention and control at U of A, said given that it takes up to 14 days for symptoms of COVID-19 to appear, it is too early to tell how much of an effect the physical distancing measures and closures are having in Canada.

“It’s become very clear that the earlier you can institute these measures, the better off you’re going to be,” Smith said.

In Toronto, Dr. Michael Gardam is concerned people who feel well will relax on physical distancing measures.

“This is not something that we can relax after two weeks,” he warned.

Gardam, the hospital’s chief of staff and infectious disease physician, is scrambling to stockpile masks to protect his staff at Humber River Hospital.

Alberta won’t ‘tolerate’ returning snowbirds who don’t self-isolate amid COVID-19 - Jason Kenney Snowbirds who are returning to Alberta from the U.S. must follow self-isolation rules or else the government will enforce them, Premier Jason Kenney said Monday.

All Albertans who have travelled outside the country are asked to self-isolate for 14 days immediately upon return to limit the spread of COVID-19. That directive is not merely a suggestion, Kenney said at a news conference, noting that thousands of seniors are set to return at the end of March.

COVID-19: Alberta won’t ‘tolerate’ returning snowbirds who don’t selfisolate immediately, Kenney says “It is an absolute public health imperative,” he said. “This does not mean going to the grocery store. It does not mean going to the kennel to pick up your dog. It does not mean dropping your RV off at a service company to be serviced. It does not mean going and visiting the grandkids,” he said.

“It means one thing and one thing only. When you come into the country … you must go directly and immediately

to your home without stopping.”

Premier Jason Kenney gives an update on the government’s COVID-19 response including further finanical assistance for businesses and families affected by the pandemic at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton, on Monday, March 23, 2020.

Photo by Ian Kucerak/Postmedia Premier Jason Kenney gives an update on the government’s COVID-19 response including further finanical assistance for businesses and families affected by the pandemic at the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton, on Monday, March 23, 2020. Ian Kucerak/Postmedia Kenney said that if self-isolation directions are ignored, the province will implement legal rules and penalties.

“We will not tolerate people coming from overseas and mixing with the general population,” he said.

Kenney also had stern words for hoarders and scammers who are trying to take advantage of vulnerable people during the COVID-19 crisis.

20 32

National / Finance

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Canada backs $57bn Coronavirus relief bill Canada’s multi-billion-dollar relief package to respond to the coronavirus slowdown has passed in the House of Commons.

It allows the government to spend C$82bn ($57bn, £48bn) in emergency aid and economic stimulus. The bill received approval Wednesday with support from all parties, after amendments that removed provisions giving cabinet unprecedented powers.

It must now go to the Senate for approval.

Legislators passed the package, worth about 3% of the country’s GDP, after a debate in the House of Commons that went into the early morning hours. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had promised to push the bill through parliament this week.

“No matter who you are, where you are or what you do, Covid-19 is having an impact on your life,” he said on Tuesday in a press conference from his residence.

“Speed is of the essence.”

Local governments have been increasing social-

distancing measures to stem the spread of coronavirus, which has led thousands of businesses to close their doors.

The government said it received 500,000 claims for unemployment benefits last week, about 20-times the amount from the week before. Canada’s oil and gas sector has also taken a sharp downturn as the price of oil plummeted, from about $35.82 for a barrel of Western Canadian Select in January to just $5.43 last week. The oil and gas industry accounts for about 10% of the country’s gross domestic product. What will the relief package provide?

Measures in the bill include a boost to child benefit payments to families with children,

wage subsidies for small employers, assistance for people unable to work due to the pandemic, and tax relief measures.

An earlier version granted Mr Trudeau’s

cabinet far-reaching powers to tax and spend without parliamentary approval for up to 21 months. This prompted sharp criticism from opposition parties. Mr Trudeau’s Liberal Party lead a minority government and need the support of other parties in order to pass legislation.

Emergency COVID-19 bill, upping $27 billion in direct support to $52 billion, gets royal assent An emergency federal bill to give the government billions of dollars to spend to help anxious workers, families and employers cope with COVID-19 is now law.

Governor General Julie Payette signed the bill at 12:18 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, after both the House of Commons and Senate issued speedy approvals earlier in the day.

Emergency COVID-19 bill,

upping $27 billion in direct support to $52 billion, gets royal assent The bill allows the federal government up to $52 billion in funds to directly help Canadians, including a repackaged aid program for workers who can’t work for almost any reason connected to the virus.

That Canada Emergency Response Benefit will offer $2,000 a month in direct support

Canada’s big banks have already fielded 213,000 requests for mortgage deferrals under coronavirus-relief plan Canada’s biggest banks have fielded hundreds of thousands of requests from homeowners seeking to hold off making mortgage payments under a new coronavirus-related relief plan.

More than 213,000 requests to defer payments have been completed or are being processed since the country’s six largest banks announced the plan last week, Mathieu Labreche, a spokesman for the Canadian Bankers Association, said Thursday in an interview.

“The large number of customers that have been helped continues to grow as the result of concerted efforts by front-line workers, contact-centre agents and operations teams working diligently,” he said. Royal

Bank of Canada, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Bank of Nova Scotia and three other large lenders announced plans on March 17 to provide financial relief to Canadians impacted by the economic consequences of Covid-19, with mortgage deferrals among the measures introduced. Customers in good standing who have been impacted by the pandemic can apply, with deferrals available for an indefinite period and no deadline to apply, according to the association.

Under the plan, payments are skipped for a period of time, and interest accrued is added to the mortgage’s outstanding balance. The additional interest is incorporated into future monthly payments when they resume, or upon renewal at the end of the mortgage’s term.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Liberals back down on proposed bill to broadly tax & spend without parliamentary approval Government had proposed new powers for up to 21 months to unilaterally spend, borrow and tax Canadians. Hours before introducing a bill to spend up to $82 billion and increase federal powers to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the Liberals backed off a measure that the Opposition decried as an attempt to get Parliament to sign them a blank cheque.

While Conservatives said they were prepared to quickly approve the billions in emergency financial aid and economic stimulus as promised by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week, they balked at a proposal to give the government sweeping new powers for up to 21 months to unilaterally spend, borrow and tax Canadians without seeking Parliament’s approval. The unprecedented proposal was in a draft of the emergency legislation to be tabled in a scaled-down Parliament on Tuesday.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said the Opposition has acted in good faith, but is not prepared to grant unfettered spending powers to the government. “Our hope is that they will stay focused on providing assistance to

Canadians, not focused on a power grab, not focused on giving themselves unprecedented new powers,” he said during a news conference in Ottawa Tuesday. Scheer said MPs can be recalled any time with 48 hours’ notice to pass new measures if needed, while still addressing public health concerns. The government has been negotiating with opposition parties to whip the bill quickly through the House of Commons within a few hours, followed by swift approval by the Senate on Wednesday and royal assent immediately after that.

Ordinarily, the power to impose taxes and allocate the proceeds is in the hands of Parliament, not ministers, and a government falls if the House of Commons won’t support its budgetary plans. Government House leader Pablo Rodriguez tweeted late Monday night that the government would change its draft bill before introducing it. “We will always work collaboratively and respect the fundamental role of Parliament,” the Montreal MP wrote.

G-7 failed to agree on statement after USA insisted on calling Coronavirus as ‘Wuhan virus’ G-7 countries foreign ministers representing seven major industrialized nations failed to agree on a joint statement on Wednesday after Trump administration insisted on referring to the coronavirus outbreak as the “Wuhan virus,” three officials from G-7 countries told The Washington Post.

Other nations in the group of world powers rejected the term because they viewed it as needlessly divisive at a time when international cooperation is required to slow the global pandemic and deal with the scarcity of medical supplies, officials said.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has brushed off criticism of his use of the term, saying it’s important to point out that the virus came from the Chinese city of Wuhan and that China’s government had a special responsibility to warn the world about its dangers.

When asked about a report that his insistence on including the term caused a rift at the G-7 meeting, Pompeo did not deny the charge but said that any disagreements among the group were tactical and not sweeping in nature.

Pompeo did not deny the charge but said that any disagreements among the group were tactical and not sweeping in nature “Make no mistake about it, everyone in

that meeting this morning was very focused on making sure that we not only solve the health crisis associated with the Wuhan virus but also the economic challenges that face the globe as we confront it as well,” Pompeo told reporters at the State Department.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have discouraged referring to the novel coronavirus by a geographical denomination amid concerns that such terms are correlated with a rise in discrimination and targeted violence against Asian Americans.

President Trump and some Republican lawmakers have referred to the outbreak as the “China virus.”

Pompeo, in his remarks on Wednesday, doubled down on his criticism of Beijing.

“We tried, you’ll remember, from the opening days to get our scientists, our experts on the ground there so that we could begin to assist in the global response to what began there in China, but we weren’t able to do that. The Chinese Communist Party wouldn’t permit that to happen,” he said.

“The Chinese Communist Party poses a substantial threat to our health and way of life, as the Wuhan virus outbreak clearly has demonstrated,” Pompeo added.

Trudeau govt’s promised help for media leaves news organizations ‘profoundly disappointed’ As news organizations across Canada suffer major revenue declines due to the COVID-19 epidemic, and reporting on the quickly shifting story of the virus puts extraordinary demands on the industry, Justin Trudeau offered help on Wednesday — but industry leaders said it was nowhere near enough.

A day after newspaper publishers in Quebec and Atlantic Canada laid off hundreds of employees due to the impact of the pandemic on advertising revenues, “it’s more important than ever that Canadians have access to the latest news and information,” Trudeau said.

“To ensure that journalists can continue to do this vital work, our government is announcing new measures to support them,” he said.

Later Wednesday, Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault announced that Ottawa would spend $30 million on a COVID-19 awareness

advertising campaign, and was moving forward with a previously announced tax credit plan.

Beyond the ad campaign, the lack of an emergency cash infusion for the struggling industry came as a disappointment to John Hinds, president and CEO of News Media Canada.

“I think this is our fundamental issue: We’re confused,” said Hinds, whose association represents print and digital news media members across the country, including Torstar, the Star’s parent company.

“We hoped he was going to announce something new. Instead, what (the government) did was rehash a couple of announcements that were very good with dealing with the crisis we were facing a year ago, but have nothing to do with the (pandemic-related cash crunch) crisis we’re facing today.”

NATIONAL

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INDIA

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Centre issues fresh guidelines on lockdown exemption The home ministry on Wednesday issued fresh guidelines covering additional people and services who will be exempted from the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In the new guidelines, the ministry said Reserve Bank of India and RBI-regulated financial markets, pay and accounts officers and field officers of the CAG, petroleum products and supply chain and forest staff are exempted from the purview of the lockdown. Those people handling cargo operations in airports and railway stations, coal mining activities, officers and staff of resident commissioners based in Delhi and customs clearance at ports, airports and land borders are also exempted.

Forest offices staff and workers required to operate and maintain zoo, nurseries, wildlife,

fire fighting in forests, watering plantations, patrolling and their necessary transport movement, social welfare department staff for operations of homes for children, disabled, senior citizens, destitute women, widows, observation homes and pensions service are also exempted, the guidelines said. The lockdown was announced by the prime minister on Tuesday in a bid to combat the coronavirus pandemic. After Modi’s announcement, the home ministry on Tuesday night issued some guidelines for enforcement of the nationwide lockdown. The guidelines listed several services, including government and private offices, that will be out of bounds during the period, while exempting establishments such as hospitals, ration shops, dairies, banks, insurance offices, and print and electronic media.

Amazon & Walmart struggle to cope as India locksdown India’s largest online retailers including Amazon.com Inc., Walmart Inc.-owned Flipkart and Alibaba-backed fresh grocery delivery service BigBasket are facing severe disruptions and shutdowns, after authorities announced some of the strictest coronavirusrelated restrictions in the world.

The country’s 1.3 billion people are in a three-week lockdown, sending many to scour the web for food and daily essentials. But unlike in China, where online fresh grocery services offered a lifeline during its Covid-19 outbreak, Indian authorities are stopping food trucks on highways, and shutting down warehouses and rice mills. They’re also preventing delivery and supply-chain workers from doing their jobs, sometimes through use of force.

To avoid the rush at supermarkets, Hyderabad-based IT executive Kumar Narasimha attempted to buy groceries, fruit and vegetables for his family online but had to give up because supplies or delivery slots were unavailable. “We were asked not to hoard and many of us didn’t,” he said. “Now, those who followed government advice are at a disadvantage while those who flouted social-distancing rules and hoarded stuff are sitting smug.” Online retail is growing at a searing pace in India, helped by the ubiquity of smartphones and the country’s over halfa-billion internet users. Online retail is expected to reach $170 billion by 2030 -- or over a third of total organized retail -- from the current $18 billion, according to a report from Jefferies.

India likely to unveil $20 billion-plus stimulus package to tackle coronavirus downturn: sources India is likely to agree an economic stimulus package of more than 1.5 trillion rupees ($19.6 billion) to fight a downturn in the country that is currently locked down to stem the spread of coronavirus, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The Indian government has not yet finalised the package and discussions are ongoing between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office, the finance ministry, and Reserve Bank of India (RBI), said both the sources, who asked not to be named as the matter was still under discussion. One of the sources, a senior government official, said the stimulus plan could be as large as 2.3 trillion rupees, but final numbers were still in discussion. The package,

which could be announced by the end of the week, will be used to put money directly into the accounts of more than 100 million poor and to support businesses hit the hardest by the lockdown, the sources said.

India woke up on Wednesday to a sweeping lockdown of its 1.3 billion people, one of the world’s most ambitious efforts to fight the coronavirus. India has identified 562 confirmed cases of the disease, which has so far killed nine people in the South Asian nation. Modi announced the three-week shutdown in a late evening speech on Tuesday. The government will also increase its borrowing plan for the fiscal year 2020/21, which starts from April 1, from the current planned gross borrowing

India’s outsourcing industry struggles with work-from-home scenario amid COVID-19 crisis As the coronavirus pandemic pushes India into a lockdown, the call centres and IT services firms that function as the world’s back office are struggling to piece together work-from-home solutions and other business-continuity plans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday ordered 1.3 billion Indians to stay at home for 21 days to stem the spread of SARS-CoV-2, following

earlier lockdown orders in many Indian cities and states. As of Tuesday, India had reported over 500 cases of the virus and nine deaths.

Many of the companies that provide business services such as call centres, information technology services and business process automation were not prepared for work-forhome arrangements, according to interviews with more than a dozen employees of several companies.

Adopt 9 poor families, PM Modi urges citizens Characterising social distancing as a strategy to battle the global Covid-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday underscored no individual was immune while reiterating that people should avoid self-medication. He suggested the adoption of underprivileged families during the lockdown period and cautioned discriminating against those engaged in fighting the disease.

Interacting with constituents of his Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency from here, PM Modi expressed regret for his inability to be among them in this hour of crisis as their representative.

He, however, said the city should take a lead in showing the way in the battle against Covid.

Reminding people that the norm of social

distancing requiring each individual to keep at least 1 metre distance, he said it was the only way to prevent the spread of the disease and that it was in fact a strategy to fight it. India, he emphasised, would be at the forefront to emerge victorious in breaking the chain. Responding to a question about a perception prevalent among many that the disease would not affect them due to their lifestyle, dietary habits, etc, the PM said human psyche was such that it preferred the easy way out. He asserted that so far the spread had shown the disease did not spare any individual and there was no immunity.

He reminded that so far there was neither any medicine nor vaccine available for it. Modi also urged people to refrain from self-medication,

India has the capacity to eradicate Covid: WHO India, which led the world in eradicating two silent killers — smallpox and polio — has a tremendous capacity in eradicating the deadly coronoavirus pandemic that has now claimed nearly 15,000 lives and infected over three lakh others globally, according to a top WHO official. The executive director of the World Health Organisation, Michael Ryan, said India, the world’s second most populous country, has a tremendous capacity to deal with the coronavirus outbreak as it has the experience of eradicating the small-pox and polio through targeted public intervention.

“India led the world in eradicating two silent killers and eliminating them from the country,” he said. India, through targeted public intervention, ended smallpox and gave a great gift to the world. India also eradicated polio, he noted.

“India has tremendous capacities. It is exceptionally important that countries like India lead the way to show the world what can be done,” Ryan said. “India led the world in eradicating two silent killers, small-pox and polio so India has a tremendous capacity,” Ryan said. “There are no easy answers. It is exceptionally important that countries like India show the way to the world as they have done before,” he said. Diseases such as polio and smallpox, which once claimed many lives in India, have been defeated with targeted public interventions. While India attained the polio-free status in 2014, the country got rid of smallpox in 1977.

Ryan’s remarks came as the WHO said the number of deaths due to the coronavirus soared to 14,652.

Landlords to face strict action for evicting medical personnel The government has decided to take strict penal action against landlords or houseowners who are forcing “doctors, paramedical staff and healthcare personnel” to vacate their rented accommodations. A decision in this regard was taken following a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah by the Resident Doctors Association of AIIMS in which it was apprised that many staffers were “stranded on roads” with all their luggage and requested that the government should immediately issue an order prohibiting landlords from evicting the healthcare professionals working tirelessly

against the Covid-19 outbreak.

Officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the Home Minister late Tuesday night spoke to the Delhi Police Commissioner and asked him to take immediate action to ensure the security of doctors facing harassment. In the order issued by the MHA, it is said such behaviour of landlords or houseowners “not only strikes at the root of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, but also tantamount to obstruction of duty and essential service”.

PUNJAB

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Uphill task to place 16,000 NRIs in isolation The district administrations, health and police teams are racing against time to carry out the task of placing in home isolation thousands of people who have returned from abroad in the region known for its NRI presence. In Jalandhar and Nawanshar alone, it is anticipated that an estimated over 16,000 people will be tracked and placed under home quarantine. The administration in

Jalandhar is tracking a list of 12,900 people.

These are people under foreign travel history who are being placed in home quarantine as a precautionary measure. Meanwhile, at Nawanshahr, an estimated 4,000 will be placed under home quarantine. Last evening alone, a list of 1,983 people had been received which shall be revised this evening.

One man responsible for Punjab’s 70 pc coronavirus cases; count reaches 31 With two more cases reported on Wednesday, the number of confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases has reached 31 in Punjab. One of the fresh cases is from Moranwali village in Hoshiarpur and the other from Ludhiana.

This Hoshiarpur case is also linked to 70-year-old Baldev Singh of SBS Nagar district, who succumbed to the deadly virus last week. With the new case, the total number of cases getting infected from Baldev alone has reached 22; those affected include 18 of his family members

94K NRIs returned to Punjab, 30,000 in isolationChief Minister From page 1 The CM said the curfew orders were revised as people came out in droves during the relaxation hours thus defeating the purpose of the exercise.

“Curfew has been imposed for the safety of your family, not because of any law and order situation. We all need to stay indoors to fight the deadly virus,” he said.

The police arrested 111 persons and lodged 232 FIRs for violation of curfew today. “It is imperative to trace and test all those who had returned from Covidaffected countries,” said the CM, adding that of the over 94,000 NRIs and foreignreturned persons, who had entered the state in recent days, most had been tracked. “Around 30,000 have been placed under isolation. All-out efforts are being made to trace the remaining,” he said, adding that constant monitoring was in progress to keep check on new travellers from abroad. The CM said DCs had been asked to ensure door-todoor delivery of essential commodities, such as grocery, milk, fruits and vegetables, through pre-identified hawkers/ distributors, wherever possible. As per the new guidelines, general exemption is completely barred, with no vehicular movement allowed without curfew passes. Only in case of emergency, people may be permitted to go on foot for essentials or to visit doctors and nursing homes, he said. “In emergency, a resident can call police or civil control rooms to avail necessary essential services,” said the CM, adding that the police and civil administration had instructions to ensure that the citizens do not face hardships and were not harassed.

“Instead of blanket permission for opening of grocery shops, milk vendors, fruits and vegetable shops and chemists, it has been decided to allow them to open on a rotation. so that at any point of time at least one shop each is open in a given area. Such shops will also be allowed to provide door-to-door delivery on a call,” said Capt Amarinder.

from Banga and Phillaur towns. He had returned from Germany after which his condition deteriorated last week. He was found positive after death.The latest to be affected by the deadly virus is a resident of Moranwali village in Garhshankar. He is the son of a priest, who was serving at Pathlawa dera of Banga where deceased Baldev Singh was serving too.

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Punjab issues guidelines on supplies amid COVID-19 lockdown To streamline the supply of essentials in the curfew-bound Punjab, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh issued fresh directives, including instructions for issuance of passes to maintain critical services. A press statement issued by Punjab govt said the CM constituted a committee under the chairmanship of ACS (Industry & Commerce) to oversee the procurement processes for all CoViD-19 related items. To ensure supply of materials and equipment to government medical facilities, the DCs have been asked to contact PSHFW and MD, PHSC, with the facility of sending advance indents. He directed the police and administrative officials to ensure that door-to-door delivery of essential services was maintained, and it may be further streamlined with the assistance of

e-commerce companies/service providers.

Volunteers may also be engaged, if necessary.

The providers of essential services (hawkers/ delivery boys) or institutions should be allowed to operate for fixed duration, but on specific permissions. For special goods trains, which have been arranged to move food grains out of the state to ensure adequate storage space for the coming wheat crop, the Department of Food has issued complete protocol.

Secretary Arun Sekhri on Wednesday issued revised curfew management guidelines to all Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Commissioners of Police/ SSPs, and others. DGP Dinkar Gupta also issued instructions to officers to ensure that functioning of delivery boys, rehris, small motorised vehicles, etc, was facilitated to ensure smooth supplies.

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INDIA

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Jail for travellers if they will not follow COVID-19 quarantine With Covid-19 cases in India crossing the 600 mark today, the government warned recent travellers to the country, currently under official or home quarantine, to follow protocols or face legal action. The country hasn’t yet entered the stage of community transmission of the virus, it said. The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hoping to minimise the impact of the disease once it transmits into the community.

Currently, 64,000 people who returned to India since March remain under strict disease surveillance because they have the potential to spread the virus. Of them, 8,000 are lodged at government quarantine facilities and 56,000 are in home isolation but under surveillance.

All these travellers need to complete their 14day quarantine cycle and additional isolation

until cleared of any potential infection and certified so.

The Group of Ministers reviewing Covid preparedness met today and decided to issue directions to state governments to ensure that recent travellers follow protocols or face penal action under the National Disaster Management Act, 2005, and the IPC Section 188. “We are fighting a highly infectious disease. To protect ourselves and the community, it is necessary that everyone follows all protocols, guidelines and directions issued by the government. The failure to do so may lead to legal action,” said Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. The government decided to extend the cover of penal action to recent travellers besides the general public that violates social distancing norms of the government under the 21-day lockdown

India locks down its 1.3 billion people to halt coronavirus spread India ordered a 21-day lockdown of its 1.3 billion people on Tuesday to try to protect the world’s second most populous country from the coronavirus spreading around the world. Health researchers have warned that more than a million people in India could be infected with the coronavirus by mid-May, prompting the government to shut down all air and train travel, businesses and schools.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the powerful leader of the world’s biggest democracy went further, saying nobody in the world’s biggest democracy will be allowed to leave their homes for the next three weeks from midnight on Tuesday.

“The only way to save ourselves from coronavirus is if we don’t leave our homes, whatever happens, we stay at home,” Modi said in a second address in less than a week to try and rally around Indians behind the sweeping lockdown. “Every district, every lane, every village will be under lockdown,” he said, warning the country would be set back by decades if it didn’t shut down and

fight the virus. Scores of people turned up at shops in Delhi and Mumbai and elsewhere to buy essentials before the ban orders went into effect.

India has found 482 cases of the coronavirus and 10 people have died from the COVID-19 disease it causes but alarm is growing across the region about prospects for its spread into impoverished communities and the ability of resource-starved public health sectors to cope.

Already health officials said the virus was spreading out of big Indian cities where it first appeared into the small towns that dot the landscape. More than 377,300 people have been infected by the coronavirus globally and 16,520 have died since it emerged in China, according to a Reuters tally. China’s Wuhan where the virus emerged imposed a twomonth lockdown which is only being eased now.

Modi acted just a day after the WHO called for aggressive action by India, saying it was critical to the global fight against the disease.

Doctors evicted amid Coronavirus spread fears Medical Association In India some doctors combating Coronavirus outbreak have been evicted from their homes by force, medical association said, due to fears that they may be infected and spread the disease to neighbors.

The country went into a 21-day lockdown on Wednesday, and experts have said it faces a tidal wave of infections if rigorous steps are not taken to keep the virus in check.

India’s public health care infrastructure is poor and it suffers from an acute shortage of medical staff, who will generally see many patients over a short period. Some doctors in temporary residences had been forcefully evicted by their landlords over infection fears, the Resident Doctor’s Association of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi said. “(They) are

now stranded on the roads with all their luggage, nowhere to go, across the country,” the association - which represents 2,500 doctors - said in a letter to the federal home minister on Tuesday, urging the government to intervene. Late on Tuesday India’s Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, himself a doctor, said on Twitter he was “deeply anguished” to see reports of doctors being ostracized in residential complexes, adding that precautions were being taken to ensure health care workers were not carriers of the infection. A home ministry spokeswoman said the Delhi state administration had issued orders saying penal action would be taken against those evicting doctors. She did not comment on the situation in other states.

Some ports declare force majeure, could delay oil discharges Some ports in India including those owned by Adani Ports & SEZ Ltd (APSEZ) have declared force majeure after Asia’s third-biggest economy announced a 21day lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, documents seen by Reuters showed.

The federal shipping ministry has issued a letter allowing ports to use the COVID-19 pandemic as valid grounds to declare force majeure, according to a separate shipping ministry order also seen by Reuters.

“All our ports are operating. Force majeure is for ensuring that wherever APSEZ has commercial contracts, the time taken for handling and delivery of cargo doesn’t apply,” APSEZ said in a statement. India’s shipping ministry could not be immediately reached for comment. The force majeure declaration could delay discharge of crude oil tankers, an

Indian refining source told Reuters.

“Though FM (force majeure) is declared, some operations are continuing. Ports will not be responsible for any delay and any other thing as per the notification of Adani,” said the source. Port services are categorised as essential, so ports are remaining open with minimal operations, the source said.

Ashok Sharma, managing director of shipbroker BRS Baxi in Singapore, said the lockdown would impact oil demand but not really imports at this stage. “Indian (crude) imports are by and large term contracts and what may be impacted are the speculative spot lifting. Also, 21 days is a relatively short period of time, but if it is extended beyond this period and if the (coronavirus) really bites then we would see a slowing down (in crude imports) for sure,” he said.

India struggles amid COVID-19 lockdown India’s 1.3 billion people were under lockdown in order to prevent explosion of Coronavirus as government struggled to deliver essential goods and calm nerves. PM Modi ordered everyone stay indoor for next three weeks, saying it was the only way to avoid a disaster and effectively shutting down Asia’s third-largest economy. Crowds of people thronged shops to stock up on milk, rations and medicines in the hours before the restrictions went into effect at midnight on Tuesday even though Modi said these would be available throughout the lockdown. Others including laborers and day workers headed

home to the countryside from cities such as Delhi, many walking because public transport also stopped. “My daughter needs allergy medicines regularly. The medicine shops are open but how do we reach there?” said Yash Goswami in the northern town of Moradabad.

“Who wants to risk a run-in with the police?”

Reuters photographers witnessed several cases of Indian police officers hitting people out on the street with sticks. One rickshaw driver, who showed bruises on his calf, said he was defying the lockdown because he was unable to feed his four children otherwise.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

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PAKISTAN

Saturday, March 28, 2020

PM Khan visits quarantine centers amid COVID-19 Prime Minister Imran Khan reached southern Punjab’s major city Dera Ghaazi Khan to oversee the quarantine facilities where people returning from Iran were being kept.

Prime Minister Imran Khan was briefed on the measures taken to prevent COVID-19 from spreading, as well as the facilities provided to the people who had been quarantined. Prime Minister Imran Khan also visited central command room established to oversee the situation. He also met with the people in quarantine and inquired after their health.

Special Assistant to PM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, and Chairman NDMA also

accompanied the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister was also briefed about arrival of pilgrims and steps taken for their screening to check coronavirus, residence, food, and drinking facilities at the Command and Control Room in Dera Ghazi Khan.

Pakistan confirms total of 1,190 COVID-19 cases Reportedly, the people being kept at the center expressed satisfaction on the arrival of the Prime Minister and over the facilities being provided to them.

M e a n w h i l e , Coronavirus cases in Pakistan surged.

Govt suspends domestic flights amid COVID-19 Pakistan has suspended all domestic flight operations until April 2 to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus after the country reported over 1,000 cases and seven deaths from the COVID-19 infection, authorities said on Wednesday. The nationwide tally of COVID-19 patients touched 1,037 with 413 cases in Sindh; 115 in Balochistan; 296 in Punjab; 117 in

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; 80 in Gilgit-Baltistan; 15 in Islamabad and one in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, The Express Tribune reported. The National Disaster Management Authority has said that so far seven people have died due to the coronavirus and 18 recovered. In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the country has halted its domestic flights operations.

‘Hero’ doctor who led the fight against COVID-19 dies A young doctor who spearheaded the fight against COVID-19 in northern region of GilgitBaltistan, has died, the region’s spokesperson said, but did not specify whether he died of the virus or other causes. Dr Usama Riaz’s death was confirmed on Sunday night by local govt spokesperson Faizullah, according to media reports. The doctor had been active in the

screening of patients coming into the region from Taftan, a town which shares a border with Iran, and had been lauded for his bravery.

“It is with extreme sadness that the GilgitBaltistan health department confirms that Usama Riaz who played a key role in the war against coronavirus has passed away,” the GB government’s information department tweeted.

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Civil servants suspended for taking selfie with Coronavirus patient Pakistan has suspended six civil servants after they posed for a selfie with a coronavirus patient in a quarantine centre, an official said on Tuesday. The selfie—widely shared on social media—pictured a group of men around the apparent patient, several of them smiling broadly and none wearing face masks.

The picture was taken at a quarantine facility near Sukkur in virus-hit Sindh province, where 399 of the country’s 892 COVID-19 cases have been recorded so far.

“Six of the government employees have been suspended and put into quarantine,” Rana Adeel, deputy commissioner in Sukkur, said.

The commissioner added the six— employees of the provincial land department—were visiting a local politician who was in quarantine after contracting the novel coronavirus during a visit to Iran. The suspension comes as Pakistan continued

Coronavirus cases reach to 1,000 7 deaths reported The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan surged to 1,000 today. More than 400 COVID-19 cases were reported from Sindh, the worst hit region in the country, Pakistan government said.

Besides, the eastern province of Punjab recorded nearly 300 coronavirus cases. The northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa confirmed 78 COVID-19 cases while Balochistan reported 110 cases, according to Dawn. Pakistan has decided to suspend all domestic flights from

March 26 to contain the spread of the virus in the country. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier said that he will not impose a country-wide lockdown. Khan urged people to self-quarantine themselves to fight coronavirus.

“Twenty-five percent of the population of our country lives under the poverty line. Putting the country under lockdown would mean that my daily-wage workers, street vendors, small shop-owners would be locked inside their homes. How would they earn then?” he said

Govt seals Wagah check post, 6 families stranded at the border Amid COVID-19 the Govt of Pakistan seal Wagah border in Punjab as preventive measure to combat the spread of Covid-19, several families who were crossing the border got stuck at the Check Post. At least six Pakistani families, mostly Hindus, were not allowed to complete immigration formalities as there are restrictions on the movement of tourists on either side. The Pakistan authorities on Thursday issued a notification to close the Wagah border for two weeks. India has already sealed the border. Except for the diplomats

of either side, no one can cross the border till further orders. However, Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) officials were trying to pacify the Pakistani families and persuading them to go back to their relatives’ houses in India till further orders. One of them, Dyal Chand of Balochistan, said his family of three had come to India a month ago and they were supposed to return on Thursday. “We never knew about the sealing of the border due to the Covid threat. I am a patient of diabetes and hypertension. I have run out of my medicines.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

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FIJI

Saturday, March 28, 2020

21 years & 9 months jail for father who raped daughter on multiple occasions A father who raped his daughter on multiple occasions and indecently assaulted her has been sentenced to 21 years and 9 months imprisonment. The man who was a church caretaker was charged with 5 counts of rape and 2 counts of indecent assault.

The incidents happened between 2006 and 2016 in the Central, Eastern and Western Divisions and when the abuse first started, the girl was 6 years old. High Court Judge, Justice Sunil Sharma told the man that he is a shame to the society. Justice Sharma says he does not have any words to describe the man or his actions against his own daughter.

The Judge adds that the man cannot be forgiven for what he has done and has brought shame to all the fathers of the country. Justice Sharma says after every incident of rape, the accused would sit down with the victim and pray with

her seeking her forgiveness and also ask God to forgive him for what he had done and also each time he would assure the victim that he would never do it again but he always did. He says that as a result of his actions his daughter could not complete her education and fulfil her dream of becoming a doctor adding she endured pain in silence by living in the same house as the man. Justice Sharma says that the evidence shows premeditation, careful and systematic planning by the man as he knew when the victim’s mother was not at home and he took full advantage of this on different occasions. He further says that the man also manipulated and installed fear in the victim by threatening her so that she surrenders to him for his lust and sexual gratification.

3 charged for robbery in Nadi Three men have been arrested and charged for a case of alleged aggravated robbery in Naisoso, Nadi earlier this week.

Police say the three are alleged to have threatened a cashier of a shop and stole

cash and cigarettes worth more than $500 on Monday.

The three were arrested by a team of officers from Namaka.

Police say they remain in custody as investigation0 continues regarding their alleged involvement in other burglary cases in the Namaka and Nadi areas.

3 charged with spreading false info amid COVID-19 Three people will be produced in the Suva Magistrates Court today charged with allegedly spreading false information on social media in relation to the COVID-19 situation in Fiji.

The accused persons are a 36-year-old woman from Nadali, a 53-year-old woman from Muanikoso and a 32-year-old bank officer

from Suva. All have been charged with one count of Malicious Act. Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho says all three are alleged to have posted false information on social media in relation to the COVID-19 situation which created panic and fear among the general public.

Lautoka human rights lawyer receives outstanding achievement award Lautoka Human Rights Lawyer Sabrina Khan-Sharma has received an outstanding achievement award from the World Health Organisation’s Health Emergencies Programme towards tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

This recent achievement will allow the women’s rights advocate to support any person or organisation looking to make more positive, precautionary changes at a country level with a view to effectively manage COVID-19 in Fiji.

Her record of achievement is for the COVID-19 Operational Planning Guidelines and COVID-19 Partners Platform to support Country Preparedness and Response.

Ms Khan-Sharma said the course delivered by the World Health Organisation included modules that looked at Country Teams and Partners to support National Governments to prepare for and potentially respond to COVID-19 managing Operational Planning at a country level.

Doctor questioned for social media posts linked to COVID-19 Nadi based Doctor Isireli Biumaitotoya who is also known as Leli Darling has been taken in for questioning in regards to posts on social media on information linked to the

COVID-19 situation.

This has been confirmed by Police Spokesperson, Ana Naisoro who says that the Police will not be releasing any more information at this stage.

Fiji govt annouces $1b COVID-19 package The Government has announced a $1billion COVID-19 stimulus package.

Economy Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says this is an agreement with the Fiji National Provident Fund and their financial sector partners.

Sayed-Khaiyum says people affected by this crisis can take comfort knowing the government’s record-breaking decades of progress has been defined year after year by their commitment to the most vulnerable Fijians.

“The people of this country and the businesses of this country deserve every measure of support their government can afford to give them.

And that support Mr Speaker Sir is preciously what this bill is all about. They can trust that this pandemic will not rob us of our strength of character or ability to help each other.”

The Minister says the pandemic will not erode their commitment to not leave any Fijian behind but instead define it.

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Saturday, March 28, 2020

SOUTH ASIA 25 Sikhs killed in attack Kabul gurdwara At least 25 worshippers were killed and eight others injured when a heavily armed suicide bomber stormed his way into a prominent gurdwara today in the heart of Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul, in one of the deadliest attacks on the minority Sikh community in the strife-torn country. he Islamic State (IS), which has targeted Sikhs before in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for the attack on the gurdwara in Shor Bazar area around 7.45 am (local time) as 150 worshippers were inside the building.

“Unfortunately, 25 civilians were killed and eight others injured,” the Ministry of Interior said on the attack carried out

by a gunman, who was killed by Afghan special forces. It said 80 persons, including women and children, stranded inside the gurdwara were rescued by the security forces. TOLOnews, quoting sources in the Afghan government, blamed the Haqqani group for the attack. The Pakistan-based Haqqani group, designated by the US as a banned terror outfit, has conducted several deadly attacks inside Afghanistan.

The attack that lasted about six hours was carried out by four terrorists.

The IS issued a statement confirming its members carried out the attack on Sikhs in Kabul city.

Why India has the potential to lead the P2P finance revolution India’s cryptocurrency ecosystem has been in limbo since the country’s central bank barred banks from dealing with cryptocurrency exchanges in 2018. As of March 4, the Supreme Court of India has done away with those restrictions on crypto, allowing the second-most populous country — and the most populous democracy — a path to digitalcurrency freedom. The lifting of the ban by the Supreme Court will open new opportunities for India in terms of investments, the economy and the market as a whole. After the Reserve Bank of India restricted financial institutions from dealing with cryptocurrency, trade volumes fell significantly overnight.

Some, such as BitTorrent creator Bram Cohen, believe this action created a lot of fear, uncertainty and doubt. Because

the average person did not have sufficient knowledge to start trading with alternative platforms other than peer-to-peer exchanges, the Indian population wound up becoming a leader in P2P trading.

According to recent data from Paxful, the people of India’s sentiment around digital currency prior to the lifting of the ban was quite contrary to that of their government. Trade volume on the peer-topeer marketplace in January was over $3 million, while the number of transactions came in at over 23,500, representing an 11% month-over-month increase. The Indian people also highly favor bank transfers as a payment method, with over 76% of trades having occurred that way. A sizable amount of trades also took place with other methods based on the Unified Payments Interface system.

Coronavirus outbreak crushing Bangladesh’s garment export More than $2.6 billion worth of orders in Bangladesh’s garment sector have been withdrawn and new cancellations are coming up, according to the country’s commerce minister. Garments are a major source of export for the South Asian country as retail brands abroad source for apparel from Bangladeshi factories. But the coronavirus pandemic has led to many of those brands shutting down their stores, forcing them to cancel orders or delay shipments.

“More than $2.6 billion (worth of) orders have been canceled, and new cancellations are coming up,” Tipu Munshi, Bangladesh’s commerce minister, told CNBC’s “Street Signs” on Friday. “We are waiting to see how it improves; the moment things improve, we hope that the buyers will not cancel the orders or they will take the deliveries, maybe a little later, and they will pay the money to the factories,” Munshi said.

NRI NRI arrested for violating orders amid COVID-19 Police arrested an NRI from New Zealand for marrying as he did not complete the quarantine period of 14 days. He had landed in India on March 10. The NRI is a native of the district’s Bimbri village, is absconding.

Ramandeep Singh, SHO, Bhawanigarh police

station, said: “We had asked the NRI to stay in quarantine for 14 days as per the directions of the state government. We had asked him to get married at his house in Bimbri village after he expressed unwillingness to change the date of his wedding.”

NRIs businesses reeling from COVID-19 impact across USA As COVID-19 virus spreads across the globe, US cities and states are taking increasingly drastic measures to curb the severity of the pandemic. Over the past two weeks, local government officials from Washington state to New York and Louisiana have shuttered bars and restaurants, imposed curfews, and prohibited large gatherings in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus, which has infected people in all 50 states and killed hundreds of Americans. Recent spikes in infections also have led officials to

issue “shelter in place” orders, one of the more stringent measures available to authorities— save a full quarantine or lockdown—to compel residents to stay in their homes and limit movement.

In Bay Area an NRI businessman is reeling from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Even before Govt issued a statewide “shelterin-place” order, effectively shutting down most businesses temporarily by ordering people to stay inside their homes.

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