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FRIDAY, May 15, 2020 l Published Weekly From Houston Vol. 34 • No. 20 • 16 Pages • 50 cents • 713-774-5140 • www.voiceofasia.news • E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

COVID-19 - India House provides lunch at hospitals

BAPS priest recites Vedic prayer on National Day of Prayer at the White House

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OUSTON - India House was privileged to have served lunch to the Healthcare Professionals & Staff on May 4th at Houston Methodist Hospital’s Dialysis Unit of Medical Center, and on May 6th at HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake Hospital. We thank Ravi Roongta for sponsoring and Aling’s Chinese Bistro for catering the food for this noble cause. This drive was initiated by the President of India House, Dr. Manish Rungta.

Harish Brahmbhatt, pujari of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha recites Hindu prayer at White House.

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n May 7, 2020, the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha was invited to participate in the National Day of Prayer in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington D.C. The National Day of Prayer is an annual event formally enacted in

1952 celebrating faith and prayer in the nation’s life. Today’s commemoration was all-the-more solemn due to the COVID-19 crisis affecting the nation. The event allowed the country to join together to offer prayers for those affected, our brave frontline workers and

healthcare workers and for the recovery of our country.

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence offered their prayers followed by prayers from religious leaders Continued on Page 5

The initiative was to express our gratefulness to the frontline workers like doctors, nurses, and support staff of various hospitals, who in spite of themselves being at high risk are still working for the safety & wellbeing of others.

During this time while COVID-19 affects our lives, India House might be temporarily closed, but have not gone away.

We are doing our best to keep the members of our community mentally and physically fit by offering various free online classes on Yoga, Zumba, Line Dance, BollyX Fitness, Hindi, Meditation and Technology.

Continued on Page 2

Doctors enjoy a meal provided by India House.

India PM announces $270bn virus economic package

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EW DELHI, India | AFP | 5/12/2020 - India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled Tuesday a $270 billion stimulus package for labourers and small businesses to boost flagging growth as the country grapples with the impact of the coronavirus and weeks-long lockdown.

down as the number of virus cases topped 70,000 with 2,200 deaths.

“This economic package is for India’s self-reliant movement. It is for the cottage, small and medium scale industries,” Modi said in a televised address.

The funding includes a $2 billion relief package announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced at the start of the lockdown in the stimulus package worth about 10 late March and stimulus efforts percent of India’s GDP. (Photo: AFP / by the central bank, Modi said.

The package -- worth about 10 percent of India’s GDP -- came as the country was set to mark its 50th day in the world’s biggest lock- Diptendu Dutta)

Continued on Page 5

India House President Dr. Manish Rungta with volunteers at the Medical center where lunch was delivered to the doctors on May 4th and 6th, 2020, catered by Alings Chinese Bistro.

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Page 2 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section A)

VOICE OF ASIA

FRIDAY, May 15, 2020

COMMUNITY Second Front Page

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

COVID -19 - India House provides lunch at hospitals...

Continued from front page

The attendees can participate via Zoom’s link (https://us02web. zoom.us/j/85357958161 ) at the specified time and day. The details and the timings of the classes are available on our website https://www.indiahouseinc.org/ programs-services India House also organized a Webinar on COVID-19 on May 5th where panelists Dr. Vikas Jogi and Dr. Sunjay Devarajan, specialist of the field, discussed “The Current Scenario and Trends in the Diagnosis & Treatment of the Virus”. The webinar was moderated by Dr.

Manish Rungta and was very well attended, wherein attendees found answers to many of their questions. The video recording of the Webinar can be viewed on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/sujPKyjX8Fk India House is also offering TeleHealth Clinic services on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm.

The services are free, and no insurance is required. Patients can take appointment by calling 713929-1900.

“As we gather around our digital hearts, we hope you will stay safe during these extra ordinary Volunteers from Alings Chinese Bistro deliver delicious and sanitary meals to the appreciative healthcare staff.

times.

“We will meet again.”

To stay up-to-date please visit our website (www.indiahouseinc.org), write to us on info@ indiahouseinc.org and like us on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/indiahouse).

www.voiceofasiaonline.com

Page 3 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section A)

FRIDAY, May 15, 2020

OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS

By Sandra Gelbard

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wo weeks ago, Los Angeles announced that it will be the first city in the country to offer coronavirus testing to all residents — regardless of whether they are in the throes of it or entirely asymptomatic. This stands in sharp contrast to the New York Department of Health order last week precluding physicians from performing viral testing on patients unless they are symptomatic or otherwise met very strict criteria. New York would do well to follow Los Angeles’ lead when it comes to universal testing, as this will give us the clearest understanding of the biology of the coronavirus and provide the data needed to safely reopen society.

As an internal medicine doctor in New York City, I have been treating coronavirus patients since the onset of the pandemic and have lost count of the number of times I have been asked “When will this end? When will we return to normalcy?” My answer has been consistent and simple: one of three things must happen before we can return to normalcy. We must develop a reliable and widely available vaccine, wait for herd immunity or develop an effective cure or treatment. None of these goals will be easy to achieve.

I think it is a tall order to expect a vaccine — that can be widely, safely, and effectively administered — in less than 12 to 18 months. If history is any guide, there is little reason for optimism: developing vaccines for similar viruses like SARS and MERS has proven to be very tricky and, to date, impossible.

The reason? A bad vaccine can be more than simply ineffective, it can trigger a dangerous reaction called immune enhancement, which may result in death.

Then there is the discussion of herd immunity.

Herd is accomplished when a sufficient number of people in a specific area have both contracted and recovered from the coronavirus, which many scientists and medical practitioners believe confers immunity. With mortality rates originally estimated at 1 percent (albeit now appearing to possibly be at significantly less

Phase four relief should include all caregivers

By Adrienne Schwee

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osalynn Carter, wife and closest adviser to former President Jimmy Carter, once said, “There are only four kinds of people in the world.

Those who have been caregivers.

Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.”

Likewise, former First Lady Nancy Reagan, wife of former President Ronald Reagan, cared for her husband almost religiously after he was struck with Alzheimer’s, until his death in 2004.

These remarkable women got it. They understood the critical importance of caregiving in families’ lives. I can say from experience, as a working mother of four children under the age of 10, that caregiving while working is not easy, to say the least! I could go on and on about all the challenges, but I think most of us know them too well already.

We also know they are worth it.

In moments of great national challenge like we face today, we should look for silver linings and for opportunities. Having a newfound appreciation for child and family caregiving should be one of them — perhaps the most

important one of all.

As businesses begin to reopen and people are called back to work, family caregiving responsibilities will be on full display and leave workers with tough choices: go to work or care for their vulnerable children and loved ones.

Many schools across the country are closed at least until the fall, summer camps are announcing cancellations and child care centers are closed or significantly limiting the number of children per room. Additionally, elder and adult care facilities are either on lockdown or closed for the foreseeable future. This severely limits the ability for some parents and caregivers to return to work without jeopardizing the health of their dependents.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), passed

by Congress and signed into law

by President Trump, included new policies to address these challenges. In addition to two weeks of emergency paid sick leave, the law offers 12 weeks of mostly paid family caregiving leave for workers with children out of school. The FFCRA also provides federal dollars to cover the cost incurred by employers

with a dollar for dollar refundable tax credit.

There is, however, a catch.

The new benefit does not extend to most workers. Companies with more than 500 employees — 48 percent of American workers — are excluded from these provisions and those who work for companies with fewer than 50 employees — 27 percent of workers — are eligible but the employer may self-exempt if the leave requirement would present a financial burden to their business. Likewise, many health care workers do not get this benefit.

As officials get serious about reopening the economy, they need to get serious about supporting Americans’ need for balance in these unprecedented times. In other words, we need to reform the packages passed

by Congress to cover more workers who have caregiving responsibilities, may they be young children out of school or dependent adults with no safe care options.

At the Bipartisan Policy Center, we understand that passing federal legislation is not easy, but this one should not be too hard. In the next coronavi-

The scientific road to recovery

Getty Images

than that) that translates into a death toll of more than 2 million people, an unfathomable price to pay to achieve herd immunity. In addition, this does not account for the speculation in certain circles that it may be possible to recontract the coronavirus and/or that recovering from the coronavirus may not confer immunity in the first place.

More practically, herd immunity is unlikely to come to pass because most of our nation’s governors opted instead for shelter in place or stay at home orders, as well as social distancing to stop the spread. Make no mistake, this was the right thing to do, and as a result we are now seeing a decrease in the number of hospitalizations and deaths, resulting in a flattening of the curve. This is giving our health care system a much needed opportunity to catch up.

To date, our assumptions about the deadliness of the coronavirus have relied upon the case fatality rate, which is the number of coronavirus deaths divided by the number of those who have tested positive. But we do not have an accurate sense of how many people really have tested positive since only those with severe symptoms were tested.

New York City, like Los Angeles, needs to know how many asymptomatic people are out there in order to understand the true prevalence of the coronavirus and calculate an accurate mortality rate to contain the spread.

This will allow us to determine the infection fatality rate, which is the number of coronavirus deaths divided by the total number of symptomatic and asymptomatic people who have contracted the disease.

While New York State has concluded from recent antibody testing that about 12 percent of the population had the coronavirus in the past, this limited antibody testing only offers us a picture of the prevalence of the coronavirus from a month ago and not the incidence of new cases that currently exist. Without this information, we have no way of knowing who is currently infected and therefore cannot determine properly how to prevent further spread once we reopen society.

If we want a more accurate picture, we must perform both viral testing and antibody testing on a systematic basis. This is not just an academic exercise. It is critical to safely reopening society. Reopening without having

a handle on the infection fatality rate will lead to a disorganized and potentially devastating, and deadly outcome. But if we execute broad testing on both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals and find for example that 30 percent or more of the population are asymptomatic carriers, it would mean that the infection fatality rate is not as lethal as we originally thought and would provide scientific reassurance that we can safely reenter society in the near future.

Just as New York gave a glimpse for the rest of the country to see how overwhelming and deadly this disease could be in a large metropolitan setting, we now can lead the way and show other states, and even other countries, how to safely reopen society if we perform both coronavirus testing and antibody testing.

Sandra Gelbard is a board certified internal medicine doctor and clinical instructor at Langone Medical Center and Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

She is a member of the American Medical Association and American College of Physicians and has been featured in numerous news programs.

- The Hill

rus relief or recovery package, Congress should eliminate the exemption for businesses with more than 500 employees and offset at least some of the cost with tax credits to companies of all sizes.

Working families across America need to stay connected to their employer during this time of caregiving. It is better for the

employer and employee. Paid family leave has proven to reduce attrition, increase productivity and promote female labor force participation. Moreover, paid family leave has proven to protect a family’s healthcare and retirement savings, improve infant and child outcomes and reduce a mother’s reliance on welfare programs.

Strengthening families will strengthen America – especially right now. We know it’s the right thing to do, so Congress, let’s do it.

Adrienne Schweer is a fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center and she leads the organization’s Paid Family Leave Project.

- The Hill

Page 4 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section A)

FRIDAY, May 15, 2020

Family Health

Section 1

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Single-use masks can be disinfected, reused according to latest UTMB research Key Points • Researchers at UTMB have found a way to disinfect single-use surgical masks and N95 filtering facepiece respirators, allowing health care workers to reuse these lifesaving pieces of equipment.

• Even after the third cleaning, the masks were still found to be 99 percent as effective against viruses and bacteria as new, unused masks.

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ALVESTON, Texas – Personal protective equipment, and in particular masks, have been a topic of much concern for front-line health care workers and first responders dealing with spread of the new coronavirus. The global spread of the disease has strained supplies and disrupted supply chain, making the needed masks harder to come by.

“The lack of masks and other protective equipment can place health care workers, first responders, and researchers at great risk,” Grimaldo said. “Hopefully, with this information, hospitals and other institutions will be able to disinfect and reuse some of their masks and make their supplies last a little longer as we all continue to fight this disease.”

by Lucie Aubourg

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ASHINGTON | AFP | 5/9/2020 - One week after Sally realized she was pregnant, her home state Texas temporarily banned abortions, deeming them unnecessary elective procedures that were suspended because of the coronavirus crisis.

Medicare Advantage Enrollment, Quality Continue Upward Trend

Kaiser Family Foundation’s analysis drew from CMS Medicare Advantage data to piece together the status of Medicare Advantage currently and what the potential impacts of coronavirus as 2020 progresses.

Medicare Advantage Enrollment, Penetration Is Higher Than Ever As of April 22, 2020, 36 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are in a Medicare Advantage plan. This comes after a 9 percent increase between 2019 and 2020.

This enrollment is distributed unevenly across the country, with nine states holding over 40

Sudhir Mathuria HEALTHLIFE 360 713-771-2900

70 percent will have access to hearing aids benefits and 61 perHowever, the field is seeing cent will have access to over the some significant shifts as Huma- counter medication? benefits. na’s plans begin to catch up with UnitedHealthcare’s and CVS Perhaps most relevant given Health’s 2018 purchase of Aetna the status of coronavirus, 77 spurred major growth extending percent will have a telehealth into 2019 and 2020, as expected. benefit. With many states imposing shelter-in-place orders In 2020, Medicare Advantage and authorities enjoining resienrollees will have more benefits dents to stay at home to prevent than traditional Medicare enroll- the spread of coronavirus, health ees. CMS expanded Medicare plans have been relying heavily Advantage benefits to include on telehealth to connect patients more supplemental benefits. to care. Source: Kaiser Foundation Nearly three-quarters of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries, To enroll in Medicare Advanfor example, will have a dental tage Plan, Medicare Supplement benefit and the same percentage Plan or Medicare Prescriphave a fitness benefit, according tion Drug Plan contact Sudhir to the KFF researchers. Over Mathuria 713-771-2900

US says Chinese hacking vaccine research: reports

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So, the 34-year-old, whose name has been changed for this story to protect her privacy, took matters into her own hands -- something she never would have considered in the past.

Having split with her boyfriend, she decided to buy pills on the inter- A person looks at an Abortion Pill (RU-486) for unintended pregnancy from net, and perform her own abortion at Mifepristone displayed on a smartphone on May 8, 2020, in Arlington, Virginia. home.

It’s illegal, and certainly stressful, but more and more women -- faced US Supreme Court decision in Roe with difficult decisions during a v Wade. time of national crisis -- are going Even in normal times, that right that route. has come under threat in some con“It came in a little Manila enve- servative-leaning US states. But lope. And it was just a five-pack of several states sought to capitalize pills. No instructions -- nothing,” on the virus crisis to advance their Sally told AFP from her home in campaigns.

Dallas.

There are also natural impediGetting the pills was not easy. The ments to getting an abortion in a time first two sites she consulted were of national crisis: the fear of getting out of stock. After sending $250 infected at a clinic, the inability to to a third site and enduring several leave home to get the procedure, or long days of waiting, the envelope even financial distress due to sudden arrived. unemployment.

By then, it had been 10 weeks To help women buy their own pills since her last period -- the absolute online, the Plan C site lists eight limit in the United States for a med- online vendors, and ranks them in ical abortion. terms of price and speed of shipment.

“I was so terrified,” she said.

Plan C co-founder Elisa Wells said that while 900,000 abortions are performed each year in the United States, 40 percent of them medically, at least 10,000 are done “outside of the conventional medical establishment” -- either via pills bought online or in Mexico.

ASHINGTON | AFP | 5/11/2020 - The US Federal Bureau of Investigation and cybersecurity experts believe Chinese hackers are trying to steal research on developing a vaccine against coronavirus, two newspapers reported Monday.

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are planning to release a warning about the Chinese tline received twice as many calls as hacking as governments and private usual. firms race to develop a vaccine for Five US states -- Arizona, Dela- COVID-19, the Wall Street Journal ware, Idaho, Oklahoma and South and New York Times reported.

Carolina -- have laws that specifiThe hackers are also targeting cally ban self-managed abortion. information and intellectual prop- China with rumors and slanders in But women in other states are not erty on treatments and testing for the absence of any evidence,” Zhao said. really better protected: some local COVID-19. prosecutors use other laws to conThe warning would add to a seUS officials alleged that the hackvict them, such as those forbidding ers are linked to the Chinese govern- ries of alerts and reports accusing the practice of medicine without a ment, the reports say. government-backed hackers in Iran, license.

North Korea, Russia and China of The official warning could come malicious activity related to the panSome even charge women with within days. demic, from pumping out false news child abuse, or drug-related offensto targeting workers and scientists.

In Beijing Foreign Affairs minises. try spokesman Zhao Lijian rejected The New York Times said it could In late March, 21 states asked for the allegation, saying China firmly be a prelude to officially-sanctioned the lifting of federal restrictions on opposes all cyber attacks. counterattacks by US agencies insending mifepristone through the “We are leading the world in volved in cyber warfare, including mail, saying it limits a woman’s use of telemedicine and forces women COVID-19 treatment and vaccine the Pentagon’s Cyber Command and to “travel unnecessarily” despite research. It is immoral to target the National Security Agency. stay-at-home orders.

The pills sold by those vendors She returned online to figure out have been tested and declared relihow to use the pills for what is able in 2018. called a “self-managed” abortion.

To get around some of the US red One online retailer who asked not tape, the websites offering abortion She took the first pill -- mifepristone, commonly known in the US to be identified told AFP that sales in pills are operated from abroad. as RU-486, which is used to stop the the US “increased by 150 percent in Aid Access, which offers the least April compared to March.” development of the pregnancy. expensive abortion pills at $90 a Visits to the Plan C website had dose, is the only one that has a medThe four other pills were misoprostol, which triggers the actual doubled by late April as compared ical supervisor, Dutch physician and activist Rebecca Gomperts. abortion. And then Sally took pain- with a month before.

AFP Photo

Last week in a joint message Britain and the United States warned of a rise in cyber attacks against health professionals involved in the coronavirus response by organised criminals “often linked with other state actors.”

Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said they had detected large-scale “password spraying” tactics -- hackers trying to access accounts through commonly used passwords -- aimed at healthcare bodies and medical research organisations.

Indian trains start rolling again despite virus surge

by Bhuvan Bagga and Abhaya devastated from tea plantations to diamond-polishing and there are fears of food shortages, while a ban on flights has left hundreds of thousands of Indians stranded abroad.

Restrictions have been steadial lifting of the world’s biggest ly eased, however, particularly coronavirus lockdown gathered in rural areas, and some Indian pace even as new cases surged. trains -- on a network which The country of 1.3 billion im- normally carries over 20 million posed a strict shutdown in late passengers a day -- resumed on March, which Prime Minister Tuesday.

Narendra Modi’s government More than 54,000 tickets for has credited with keeping cases an initial 30 services sold out to a modest 70,000, with around online within three hours on 2,300 deaths.

Monday, reports said.

But the lockdown, which enTwo trains left New Delhi on ters its 50th day on Wednesday, Tuesday afternoon with 2,300 has torpedoed the economy, people on board. Others left difsnatching the livelihoods of tens ferent cities including Mumbai. of millions of people and hitting The government has not set the poor the hardest. out a programme for a timetaWhole industries have been ble beyond May 20, but Modi

For the past year, Gomperts has Srivastava been locked in a battle with the EW DELHI, India | AFP US Food and Drug Administration, | Tuesday 5/12/2020 which demanded that she stop proIndia’s enormous railviding abortion services via tele- way network tentatively ground medicine. back to life Tuesday as a gradu-

The pandemic has defeated her for the moment: she cannot get the pills - What are the risks? she needs from India, which closed Abortions using mifepristone and all of its airports. misoprostol are safe, experts say.

Another online provider, which Beyond the legal ramifications, Complications that require medical gets its supplies from Russia, told how does one find websites where AFP that it expects to be out of stock the pills are sold? How do you make intervention are rare. sure you get them quickly?

“In the year 2020, in the Unit- for several weeks.

The only service that is authorized Dozens of women like Sally are ed States, the real concerns about exchanging advice, tips and notes self-managed abortion aren’t physi- to send the pills -- in 13 US states about their experiences in the abor- cal but legal,” explains Jill Adams, -- is TelAbortion, which has been tion forum on the popular social net- the executive director of If/When/ up and running since 2016, working How, which puts women who want with about 700 women. work Reddit. to abort on their own in touch with In March and April, the number - Soaring sales attorneys. of women contacting TelAbortion A woman’s right to have an aborFrom mid-March through the end doubled, as compared with the two tion is protected by the landmark of that month, the association’s ho- previous months.

“I would have rather had medical supervision, for sure,” she says without hesitation.

Tel: 713-774-5140

Medicare Advantage enrollment has doubled in ten years and, tists tested three different kinds of in 2020,16 percent more plans score four stars or more than did N95 masks and two types of surgical in 2015. masks. To clean the masks, the team used an autoclave, a machine found Medicare Advantage plans percent of Medicare Advantage “PPE shortage can pose a serious in most hospitals and laboratories are continuing along a trend of beneficiaries. that sterilizes equipment . threat to healthcare workers, first burgeoning enrollment and risresponders, researchers and the pubThe researchers found that they Around ten percent of the ing quality, although costs for lic, so we decided to see if by us- were able to decontaminate two of Medicare population reside in certain services may be more ing tools already available in most the three N95 mask types tested expensive than traditional Medi- metropolitan counties, consishospitals and labs, masks could be and both surgical masks up to three care, according to recent analy- tent with recent trends. cleaned, decontaminated and re- times using moist steam sterilization sis from Kaiser Family Foundaused,” said Miguel Grimaldo, an as- in an autoclave without significantly There are three Medicare Adtion (KFF). sistant professor in the Department reducing their effectiveness. Masks vantage titans that are responsiof Pathology and Director of Insti- were tested for filtration function Early in the coronavirus out- ble for nearly 60 percent of all tutional Biocontainment Resources and fit. Even after the third cleaning, break, CMS zeroed in on Medi- Medicare Advantage beneficiaat UTMB. the masks were still found to be 99 care Advantage populations ries. UnitedHealthcare holds 26 Medical grade filtering facepiece percent as effective as new, unused which, along with the rest of percent of the Medicare Advanrespirators, also known as N95 masks, the team said in their paper. Medicare, promised to be among tage population, Humana has 18 masks, are an essential form of The team’s method was effective the most vulnerable populations percent, and Blue Cross Blue Shield has 15 percent of Medipersonal protective equipment that against viruses and bacteria, re- in the US. care Advantage enrollees. can help limit a doctor or nurses’ searchers said.

Buying pills online for an at-home abortion: a lockdown reality

After a night of “really bad” cramps, and bleeding that “shocked” her, everything went as expected.

Sally went back to work the following day, “relieved” that the pills worked properly.

use these lifesaving piece of equipment. The research team published their results in Applied Biosafety: Journal of ABSA International.

exposure to pathogens transmitted by droplets and aerosols. Hospitals have had to be judicious in the use of the masks as the pandemic wears on.

Previous studies have looked at how However, researchers at The Uni- to decontaminate and reuse masks, versity of Texas Medical Branch at but most of the proposed techniques Galveston have found a way to dis- are labor-intensive and require speinfect single-use surgical masks and cialized equipment.

N95 filtering facepiece respirators, Grimaldo and his team of scienallowing health care workers to re-

killers.

www.voiceofasia.news

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was due to address to the nation later Tuesday when he might announce a further relaxation of lockdown restrictions.

There were limited special train services laid on after the lockdown was imposed to ferry home some of the millions of poor migrant workers left jobless and destitute by the shutdown.

Many people, however, were forced to walk hundreds of miles (kilometres) to get home.

Some died on the way, including 14 workers crushed by a goods train in Maharashtra last week.

Passengers in face masks or handkerchiefs over their mouths queued outside New Delhi station on Tuesday, waiting to be screened for coronavirus symptoms.

Page 5 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section A)

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FRIDAY, May 15, 2020

COMMUNITY

Need to put food on table drives Sewa International to hold multiple food distribution drives

ewa International hosted its first food distribution event outside its office parking lot located at the West Oaks Mall in West Houston on Saturday, May 9th. The food distribution event was organized to help the most vulnerable families that are experiencing food insecurity in feeding their families during the COVID-19 crisis.

It was a drive thru event scheduled to start at 11:00 a.m. for an hour. However, people begun lining up their cars 90 minutes prior meandering and stretching more than a mile in the mall parking lot. The heartbreaking long line indicated some Houstonians’ dire need of food and their struggle of putting food on table for their families.

Gitesh Desai, Sewa International Houston Chapter president, said “today’s food distribution event was planned to ease pain experienced by those who are economically stressed due to unprecedented crisis created

by COVID-19. Sewa volunteers are dedicated to serve humanity in distressed and assist people in Volunteers and (right) food packages uncertain times.”

Sewa volunteers were preparing for the event for the past couple of weeks. Over forty volunteers put in more than 160 hours of work to plan and execute the event. They were well organized and loaded car trunks with food packages as soon as vehicles pulled up in front of one of the three loading stations. Drivers

Drive-by deliveries were necessary and much appreciated by the car occupants.

Houston chapter organized a very successful drive and hope that many denizens living close by would benefit from these efforts. We are committed to help all segments of society in this pandemic.”

generous donors and Organization partners has planned similar food distribution events at different locations throughout greater Houston for the next six weeks. The next drive thru will be on Saturday, May 16th at Sewa office’s parking lot at More than 275 cars were giv- the West Oaks Mall. For more en out food packages within an information, visit https://www. hour’s time. Everyone who lined facebook.com/sewahouston/ up for food received food packages. The event partners includ“In prevailing times, when ed Umang & Dakshina Mehta many people are worried where of Deep Foods, Sri Govindaji their next meal will come from Gaudiya Matha, Gayatri Tem- it was gratifying and humbling ple and Hindus for America, and moment to be a part of Sewa volunteers from other partnering International’s effort to help the organizations. people. We are grateful to all our partners who joined hands Sewa with support from its to start this food drive” said

were asked not to come out of their cars.

Sewa’s National Director for Disaster Relief Achalesh Amar said: “As part of neighborhood Sewa, nationwide efforts have been put in by the volunteers to help families in their neighborhood get food on the table” and he added, I am happy to see

BAPS priest recites Vedic prayer on National Day of Prayer at the White House

Rashmi Singh, a Case Manager and Project Manager with Sewa International.

Sewa International is a 501(c) (3) Hindu faith-based charitable nonprofit that works in the areas of disaster recovery, education, and development. Sewa has 43 Chapters across the USA and serves regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin. The Sewa movement works with communities in need and is active in 22 countries, including the USA, Canada, The Caribbean, India, and the UK. For any assistance in our area, reach out to Sewa International at 281 909 SEWA (7392).

Stay home, reflect and be part of something bigger: Sunita Williams to Indian students stuck in US

I

ndian-American NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has advised Indian students stranded in the US due to the coronavirus-linked global travel restrictions to use the occasion to think how they could be a productive and positive addition to the society.

During a virtual interaction, she compared the Indian students’ experience to her being in space in a spacecraft “where you don’t get to go, see your family and friends and give them a real hug.”

Harish Brahmbhatt (in white at left) during the White House lawn ceremony.

Continued from front page

representing four of the major faith traditions – Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism and Islam.

BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (B.A.P.S) was invited by the White House to participate.

Harish Brahmbhatt, a pujari of B.A.P.S was recognized at the prayer meeting and he shared a Hindu prayer of peace from the Vedas. Speaking at the prayer meeting, he said, “In these troubled times of COVID-19, social distancing and the lockdown, it’s not unusual for people to feel anxious or not at peace. The Shanti Path or the peace prayer, is a prayer that does not seek worldly riches, success, fame, nor is it a prayer for any desire for heaven. It is a beautiful Hindu prayer for peace, shanti. It is a Vedic prayer derived from the Yajur Veda.”

This prayer was specially chosen due to the overarching theme that in all circumstances we should always pray for peace above all things.

In conjunction with prayers during these trying times, BAPS, and its non-denominational, humanitarian arm, BAPS Charities, have responded to the coronavirus pandemic with a spirit of selfless service.

To date, in addition to other global efforts, BAPS Charities in the US has supported hospitals and frontline workers by providing over 96,000 PPE and over 35,000 food and care pack-

ages. BAPS Charities has also provided financial support for equipment to hospitals around the country. For more details, visit https://www.bapscharities. org/covid-19/ BAPS continues to provide spiritual support through counseling, online religious services and ceremonies and, most importantly, regular prayer for those affected, our all healthcare workers, scientists and researchers, our leaders, and for all of humanity as we rise to face this challenge.

PRAYER: AUM dyauhu shantir, antariksham shantihi Prithivi shantihi, raapaha shanti, rokhadaya shanti, vanapastayah shantir

Williams drew on her 322 vishwe devaah shantihi, brah- days of orbiting in space to encourage a move from “I” to ma shantihi, sarvam shantih “We”, saying “Isolation also shantireva saama shanti red- provides a time to reflect and hi, AUM SHANTIH SHANTIH think about... how you can be SHANTIH a productive, active, positive addition to the society”.

TRANSLATION: May there be peace in the skies. Peace in space.

May there be peace on Earth.

Peace across the waters.

May peace flow from herbs, plants and trees.

May all the celestial beings bring peace.

May peace pervade all quarters of the universe.

May that peace come to all of us as well.

MAY THERE BE PEACE PEACE PEACE.

India PM announces...

Continued from front page

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman would unveil further details in the next few days, he added.

The government credits its strict shutdown of almost all activity in the country of 1.3 billion people for limiting the number of virus cases and deaths.

But the livelihoods of tens of millions of people have been badly hit, particularly the poor and migrant workers, many of

Organised by the Embassy of India Student Hub on Friday, the interaction was watched by 84,000 people on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in the first 24 hours.

whom have lost their jobs.

“Day labourers, migrant workers have suffered much in this period. It is our duty now to do something for them,” the prime minister said.

Modi said the next stage of the lockdown, which is due to be lifted on May 18 after being extended twice, “will be different in many ways”.

“It will be based on suggestions received from states,” he said, adding that an announcement would be also made in coming days.

She joined the live session virtually from her kitchen in Houston, where she is undergoing training for another human spaceflight in 2021.

During the interaction, Williams stated how everyone could achieve something significant right now.

Sunita Williams (Image:Space India)

“It was brilliant to get the perspective of an astronaut who experienced social isolation from the whole mankind!

I also realised that she is a regular person like all of us that we don’t have to become a ‘superhuman’ in one day to be a part of one of mankind’s greatest achievements,” said Arshiah Yusuf Mirza.

“A view from the stars!

Thank you Sunita Williams @ Astro_Suni for sharing your experiences from Space and inspiring our students. Excellent initiative by India Student Hub @IndianEmbassyUS,” Williams first travelled to the Indian Ambassador to the US International Space Station in Taranjit Singh Sandhu said in 2006. She took a box of samo- a tweet.

Mayor’s office of Cultural Affairs Awards first round of digital-focused arts grants

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collectives and one individual artist. These recipients will offer digital curation, live-stream events, and content re-sharing available to viewers throughout Houston and across the globe between May 1 and July 31 on the city’s Cultural Events Calendar. The awards are about half of what was projected for the first quarter budget due to “Artists and others that con- reduced revenue resulting from stitute the creative economy are the COVID-19 crisis. a vital component of our city, especially during challenging “I commend my team worktimes,” said Mayor Sylvester ing quickly with the Houston Turner. “We see art in every Arts Alliance staff and Grants aspect of our daily lives from Committee to redesign this beautiful and functional face grant program so it could concoverings for frontline workers tinue to be available to artists to inspirational performances and organizations,” said Debbie and works that provide joy and McNulty, Director of the Maysolace. We will continue our or’s Office of Cultural Affairs. over three decades of support for this sector.”

“We cannot make up for the financial crisis groups are facA total of $18,500 will support ing, so we are using the funds eight creative digital projects we have to help our creative from five organizations, two community adapt.”

OUSTON - The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) announces the first competitive grants by Let Creativity Happen!

(LCH!) Digital. The newly redesigned popular program honors the innovative work artists She said that the COVID-19 are creating during the current crisis was making them stron- COVID-19 crisis.

“Even just staying home and being responsible and not infecting others or getting infected gives you the opportunity to be a part of something much bigger than yourself,” she said.

ger as it was teaching them to “push through and finish what is important.”

The Indian students praised Williams for sharing her thoughts.

“Suni (Williams) has been my inspiration since I was in school. She gave me the impetus to follow my fascination with aircraft and spacecraft and take up Aerospace Engineering in undergrad. I was really glad to have a dialogue with a global icon!” said 2020 graduate and India Student Hub volunteer Cherie Singh.

sas, the Bhagavad Gita and an idol of Lord Ganesha to “keep her grounded” and help her “feel closer to home.”

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FRIDAY, May 15, 2020

Page 7 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section A)

Section 2

LIFESTYLE

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Face masks and slippers:

Museums preserve lockdown life

www.voiceofasia.news

tionship -- the neighbours downstairs constantly fight.”

Solicari says she has been surprised at how open people have been.

“It’s really become a collection of feelings and emotions, as well as a collection of images and testimonies,” she told AFP.

FRIDAY, May 15, 2020

Tel: 713-774-5140

Coronavirus interrupts world’s longest-running cartoon

“So it documents feelings, which can be very hard for museums to collect actually.”

- Insta-museum Curators around the world are making similar efforts to chronicle these historic times.

In Sweden, the Nordiska museet in Stockholm is currently collecting children’s reflections of how their daily lives have changed and how they see the future.

In Vienna, a photo of a birthday in confinement and a kiss through a window pane are part of 1,800 contributions already collected by the city’s museum.

“You have to keep a record of this event to explain in 100 years time what happened,” said Sarah Lessire, who is coordinating an online archive project in Belgium.

Musems are seeking to record what life was like under the coronavirus lockdown (AFP Photo/Tolga AKMEN)

by Pauline Froissart

L

ite slippers, and you’ve been wearing them every day,” she said.

ble so they could share a meal with relatives via videolink.

It might also be evidence of a Another transformed their livONDON | AFP | Monday new skill someone has picked up, ing room into a workshop to make 5/10/2020 - Would you

put your slippers on display? The global coronavirus pandemic is still raging but museums are already gathering testimony and objects to remember life under lockdown.

whether knitting or cooking or gowns for healthcare staff. making masks for healthcare workThe museum is also asking peoers. ple to record how they feel about Among the items collected so far their homes, which are now used as are a pot of homemade jam and a offices, classrooms and gyms. makeshift rattle used to accompany “What seems to be coming out the weekly “clap for carers” across time and again with some of the the country. testimonies is people’s resilience

“It’s such an extraordinary experience,” Beatrice Behlen, senior “What is interesting for us is the curator at the Museum of London, story that’s behind it, not necessaritold AFP. ly the thing itself,” Behlen said.

“When we knew there was go“It needs to mean something to ing to be a lockdown, we started straight away talking about what the people. And we asked them to we needed to collect something for tell us about the object as well.” the future.”

- ‘Collection of emotions’ The museum, dedicated to the history of the British capital, launched an appeal for Londoners to donate items that reflect their lives during the COVID-19 outbreak.

“It could be something that gives you comfort -- one example mentioned often is maybe your favour-

to the situation and how they’re changing and adapting,” said museum director Sonia Solicari.

In one recollection, a man known only as Amarjit describes how his Victorian house in east London has become “a palace” during lockdown, as “everything now happens Harder to curate are the emotions here”. people feel while isolated at home, By contrast Alex, who lives the feelings of loss and fear, but alone in a small flat with no outalso safety, hope and love. side space, says he feels like he is In response to an appeal by the in “solitary confinement in prison.”

Museum of Home, also in London, “However, I am grateful that I one family has recorded how they set up a screen in front of their ta- am safe and not in a difficult rela-

Sazae-san is a hugely popular and long-running cartoon in Japan, where its characters have been featured at the annual Sapporo snow festival “If we don’t act now, we risk los- (AFP Photo/Takashi Noguchi)

ing all these memories,” she told AFP.

Her site lists multiple initiatives such as mutual aid groups on Facebook or a virtual May Day party.

The lockdown has also inspired three young advertising executives in Barcelona to set up a virtual museum on Instagram.

More than 900 pieces of work have already been submitted to the Covid Art Museum from around the world.

For bricks-and-mortar institutions whose doors have closed during the lockdown, however, there is a worry that they may not be able to show their collections to real life visitors for months.

Some fear they may not survive at all, including the Florence Nightingale Museum London, which is calling urgently for donations.

Dedicated to the pioneering nurse, the museum is situated in the grounds of St Thomas’ Hospital, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson was recently treated for coronavirus.

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OKYO, Japan | AFP | 5/11/2020 - Production of the world’s longest-running cartoon and a mainstay of the Japanese weekend has been interrupted by the coronavirus, forcing the broadcast of re-runs for the first time in decades.

“We will halt broadcast of new episodes of ‘Sazae-san’ for the time being from May 17 and instead air re-runs,” it announced on Sunday.

The network said upcoming broadcasts would be episodes from two years ago, adding it would announce a date for the re“Sazae-san”, which first aired sumption of new episodes as soon in 1969, revolves around the as possible. life of Mrs Sazae, a cheerful but It is the first time the network klutzy full-time housewife who has been forced to air re-runs lives with her parents, husband, since 1975, when the economic son, brother and sister. effects of an earlier oil crisis linThe 30-minute episodes aired gered.

Sunday nights are very popular, Japan has seen a comparatively and for many in Japan have come small coronavirus outbreak with to denote the end of the weekend. nearly 15,800 infections and 621 But the cartoon, recognised as deaths. the longest-running animated TV The country is under a state of series by Guinness World Records, has been hampered by the emergency that was extended last outbreak of the virus, with anima- week until the end of May, though tion dubbing halted to keep staff the government is considering safe, broadcaster Fuji Television lifting the measures early in parts of the country.

Network said.

India’s lavish weddings go Macau bans Tiananmen online in virus lockdown exhibition for first time in 30 years: activists

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ONG KONG, China | AFP | Tuesday 5/12/2020 - Macau has refused permission for an annual photo exhibition of the Tiananmen crackdown for the first time in three decades, activists said Tuesday, accusing the government of stifling free speech.

The semi-autonomous city’s dwindling community of democracy supporters have marked the June 4 anniversary of Beijing’s bloody crackdown against protesting students since 1989 with a small vigil and an outdoor photo exhibition.

Organisers said permission was initially granted for the exhibition this year by the city’s Municipal Affairs Bureau but was later rescinded.

The Democratic Development Union described the decision

as a “sudden U-turn” with authorities citing new administrative rules governing how public spaces can be used.

“For 30 years, we’ve been the organiser of the exhibition and we have always been happy to cooperate with the bureau and follow instructions,” the union wrote in an objection letter posted on Facebook.

“Nothing unpleasant has happened before and we have not brought any annoyance to the government or residents.”

Opposition groups accused authorities of stamping down on political discussion.

“The (Bureau’s) prohibition is obviously based on political reasons,” the New Macau Association, a pro-democracy group, wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.

Groom Sushen Dang (L, dancing with a family member) took his vows online from his home in Mumbai while bride Keerti Narang joined the virtual nuptials from Bareilly in northern Uttar Pradesh state (Photo: Courtesy of Shaadi.com)

by Abhaya Srivastava

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Dang, a 26-year-old data analyst EW DELHI, India | AFP who is based in Toronto, told AFP of | Friday 5/8/2020 -Under the April 19 event.

lockdown and far apart, Sushen Dang and Keerti Narang went online to say their marriage vows -- and pulled off a spectacular Indian wedding complete with thousands of guests and raucous Bollywood dancing.

In a country famous for lavish weddings that last for days, the young couple are among a growing number modifying their marriage ceremonies under a virus lockdown that has limited public gatherings.

“A hundred guests joined in our celebration on the app. We livestreamed the ceremony on Facebook which was watched by another 16,000 people.”

The nuptials spanned the country.

Dang, decked out in a turban and traditional sherwani kurta, logged on from Mumbai on the coast of the Arabian Sea, while Narang -- in her red bridal finery -- joined from Bareilly in northern Uttar Pradesh state that borders Nepal.

Eager to go ahead with the arThe priest overseeing proceedings ranged marriage on the auspicious date selected for them by a priest, chanted hymns as he sat before a the pair turned to the internet to tie ritual fire at his home in Raipur in the central state of Chhattisgarh, the knot. with guests logging in from Delhi, “We never imagined that even our Gurgaon and the southern tech hub online wedding would be so grand,” of Bangalore.

More than 10 million weddings are held annually in the nation of 1.3 billion people, with the marriage industry estimated to be worth some $40-$50 billion, according to adviBut the energy levels remained sory firm KPMG. high and the occasion was capped The sector -- like the rest of the off with a fun Bollywood-style economy -- is reeling from the imdance performance by their cousins. pact of the virus, with planners, caThe wedding video posted on terers and decorators among those Facebook has so far garnered near- who have incurred huge losses. ly 260,000 views, making the new“We thought, ‘Why don’t we be ly-weds “feel like celebrities”. the flag-bearers and drive weddings online?’,” said Adhish Zaveri, mar- Wedding blues keting director at matrimonial webThe spread of the coronavirus and site Shaadi.com which facilitated the nationwide lockdown took place Dang and Narang’s wedding. as India’s wedding season was in “A wedding is probably the most full swing. important day of somebody’s life ...

In western Rajasthan state alone and we thought we have to make it some 23,000 weddings meant to co- as special and close to a real wedincide with the Hindu Akshaya Tri- ding as possible,” he told AFP. tiya festival on April 26 were called Online nuptials are among a string off due to the pandemic. of weddings in India that have gone There were minor hiccups -- some elderly family members were accidentally unmuted and pets photo-bombed screens.

“It is using administrative means to suppress freedom of expression and to minimize the space for the civil society.”

Local media said the head of the Municipal Affairs Bureau had denied the decision was political.

Both Macau and neighbouring Hong Kong are former colonies that were granted certain freedoms and autonomy when they returned to communist China’s rule.

They are run by local governments staffed with pro-Beijing appointees but remain the only places in China where the Tiananmen crackdown can be safely marked or discussed.

There are only a handful of democracy activists in the gambling hub where there is a less ingrained culture of protest and dissent.

ahead amid the lockdown -- with 12 more such weddings were in the some unusual variations. pipeline.

One couple in Uttar Pradesh said “I do” inside a police station after more conventional venues like banquet halls, hotels and temples were all ordered closed during the lockdown.

And in Madhya Pradesh in central India, a bride and groom, their faces covered by masks, exchanged garlands -- a key ritual in a Hindu wedding -- with the help of bamboo sticks in a no-contact ceremony.

To give the online ceremonies a professional touch, make-up artists and sari-draping experts are hired to help the bride, while a folk singer is engaged to serenade the guests.

All participants are sent logins and passwords so that strangers can’t gatecrash the event.

Kirti Agrawal -- who married her beau Avinash Singh Bagri on April 14 on the balcony of their relative’s flat as friends and family watched on - Home nuptials a videoconferencing app -- said the Zaveri said the significantly digital approach appealed to her. cheaper online ceremonies could “Their (groom’s) family had become an option for couples amid planned a guest list of 8,000 to the uncertainty about how long the 10,000,” Agrawal told AFP. pandemic is going to last.

“I didn’t say that I am not a fan of Couples are charged less than big, fat weddings. But when I heard 100,000 rupees ($1,300) for the vir- about the wedding-from-home idea, tual services, Zaveri said, adding I was very happy.”

Page 8 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section A)

Section 2

Business

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Saudi to cut oil output by another 1 mn barrels a day

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IYADH, Saudi Arabia | AFP | 5/11/2020 - Saudi Arabia said Monday it had asked oil giant Aramco to cut its output by an additional one million barrels per day from June, to support prices that have crashed during the coronavirus crisis.

The move will reduce the production of the world’s biggest crude exporter to 7.5 million bpd, the energy ministry said in a statement cited by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Neighbouring Kuwait’s Oil Minister Khaled al-Fadhel said separately that his country would cut an additional 80,000 bpd to support the Saudi initiative.

“Kuwait supports the efforts of Saudi Arabia to restore balance to the oil market,” Fadhel said in a statement on Kuwait News Agency.

Also declaring support for Saudi Arabia was its ally, the United Arab Emirates, which announced a reduction of 100,000 bpd from June.

OPEC and its allies in the OPEC+ group agreed last month to cut production by a record 9.7 million bpd while other producers pledged to reduce their output by around 3.7 million bpd.

Under the deal, Saudi Arabia’s daily production was cut to 8.5

S

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for June delivery was up 1.37 percent at $24.47 a barrel in morning trade.

Global benchmark Brent for July was trading 0.71 percent higher at $29.84 a barrel.

Both contracts settled lower Monday after big week-on-week gains Friday.

“Oil prices drew some relief overnight after Saudi Arabia announced they would cut a further 1 million barrels per day in June, bringing their daily production to just under 7.5 million barrels

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ARIS, France | AFP | Monday 5/11/2020 What will the economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis look like in different countries? Economists have taken to using letters to describe the shape of potential recoveries ... or stagnation.

Saudi Arabia has asked oil giant Aramco to make an additional voluntary output cut of one million barrels per day from June to support prices that have crashed during the coronavirus crisis (AFP Photo/Fayez Nureldine)

million bpd, the lowest in more than a decade.

Riyadh said the aim of the additional cut was to push OPEC+ members “and other producing nations to comply with committed production cuts and make additional reductions” to stabilise the global oil market, the energy ministry said.

Despite a first round of massive cuts which kicked in on May 1, oil prices remain extremely low, losing around two-thirds of their value this year due to a coronavirus-driven slump in demand.

per day,” AxiCorp global market strategist Stephen Innes.

“This reduction in production provided excellent optics encouraging other OPEC+ members to comply and even offer additional voluntary cuts, which should quicken the global oil markets’ rebalancing act,” he said, referring to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and their partners.

ANZ Bank said the move would take Saudi Arabia’s output to the lowest level since mid2002.

Top crude producers agreed last month to slash output by 10 million barrels a day from May 1 after prices crashed to below zero as lockdowns to contain the coronavirus pandemic sapped global demand and supplies swelled.

drops suffered this year.

But such a recovery will depend on the absence of a severe second wave of the epidemic that would force countries to reimpose lockdowns.

- V an unlikely version A V-shaped recovery is the best: a sharp drop followed immediately by a correspondingly sharp recovery. The government-paid leave programmes in some countries that have kept people formally employed are aimed at supporting such a recovery as workers will have income to spend.

U, V, W, and L-shaped recoveries all describe a brutal drop in economic activity since the coronavirus struck China at the beginning of the year. From there they outline different scenarios of how what the IMF has called the worst recession since the Great DepresBut the longer lockdowns and sion could play out. the crisis last, the less likely such a version becomes.

- The hoped for U-turn After the plunge provoked by the lockdown orders, economic activity slides into a trough for a period.

That is due to sectors such as tourism and entertainment being more durably hit and requiring more time to adjust. But a recovery then gradually takes hold, before accelerating sharply.

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Musk threatens removing Tesla from California over virus restrictions

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Prices were further dampened in April by a price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia during which Riyadh’s production soared to a record 12.3 million bpd, pushing stockpiles to unsustainably high levels.

The ministry said that with the latest production curb, the kingdom would have cut 4.8 million bpd from the record output levels in April.

The price of the international benchmark Brent crude is hovering around $30 a barrel.

Kuwait said it would cut an additional 80,000 barrels per day and the United Arab Emirates announced it would slash 100,000 bpd to support Saudi Arabia’s move.

Doubts, however, remain about “the ability of producers to implement and sustain the cuts,” ANZ Bank said in a note.

“Producers also seem ready to increase output as soon as prices rebound.”

At the same time, analysts said moves to gradually reopen businesses have increased the risks of a second wave of virus infections.

Innes said there remains a “high degree of trepidation around... the risk of new outbreaks of the virus arising,” citing pick ups in infections in Germany and South Korea.

U, V, W or L? The alphabet soup of economic recovery scenarios

by Antonio Rodriguez

ASHINGTON| AFP | 5/9/2020 - Tesla chief Elon Musk on Saturday threatened to pull his electric car headquarters and plant out of California after local authorities kept him from resuming production due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Oil rebounds in Asia after Saudi Arabia output cut INGAPORE, Singapore | AFP | Tuesday 5/11/2020 - Oil rebounded in Asian trade Tuesday, buoyed by Saudi Arabia’s decision to cut output more than it had pledged as the virus-hit world economy cautiously emerges from lockdown.

www.voiceofasia.news

FRIDAY, May 15, 2020

That doesn’t mean that you can’t hope: the Bank of England expects a 14 percent contraction in the economy with a 15 percent rebound next year.

The IMF sees a V-shape recovery for emerging and developing countries overall, with a 1.0 percent drop followed by 6.6 percent The IMF saw this as a possible rebound. scenario for the world’s advanced - W for (second) wave economies, which have been hit A brief recovery followed by a the worst. In its updated forecasts released last month it sees them relapse before a sustained return recovering much if not all of the to growth is not unusual. This was the experience of the eurozone

“Frankly, this is the final straw.

Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately,” Musk tweeted in a long diatribe, characteristic of past online rants which are not necessarily carried out.

Referring to the California city where the cars are produced, Musk said that “if we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all” it will depend on “how Tesla is treated in the future.”

Tesla had hoped to reopen the California factory, its only in the United States, in the beginning of May, but had been prevented by local authorities.

Musk highlighted the company’s experience in China, where production of electric cars resumed after the country’s COVID-19 epidemic was brought under control.

“Tesla knows far more about what needs to be done to be safe through our Tesla China factory experience than an (unelected) interim junior official,” he tweeted, referencing a local-level health officer.

The irascible, outspoken billionaire, who announced the

- Swoosh: Just (don’t) do it -

birth of a son with musician Grimes earlier this week, threatened to “immediately” sue Alameda County where the plant is located, accusing its authorities of being “irrational & detached from reality.”

Its health officer, he said, had acted contrary “to the Governor, the President, our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense!”

Musk made headlines just over a week ago with a different Twitter rant declaring that

Tesla’s stock was overvalued, which sent the electric carmaker’s shares tumbling more than 10 percent.

Several days prior he delivered an expletive-laden diatribe during an earnings call in which he dubbed coronavirus restrictions “fascist.”

Tesla managed to post a modest but surprise $16 million in profit during the first quarter, a 33 percent jump in car deliveries and turnover that climbed 32 percent to $5.99 billion.

Fort Bend appeals to Tesla head

Story on page 11

From pastries to hand sanitizer: one family on US virus front line

by Delphine Touitou

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AUREL , Maryland | AFP | 5/5/2020 - At the Picou family’s factory in Laurel, Maryland outside the US capital, the only workshop that is buzzing is usually reserved for making jams for baking. Now, it’s churning out hand sanitizer.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, PastryStar -- founded stateside in 1986 -- made a wide array of products for high-end baking, supplying everything from chic restaurants to cruise lines.

But since the outbreak of the deadly virus, employees have stored the sacks of sugar, canisters of caramel glaze and giant cans of almond paste in favor of isopropyl alcohol and glycerin.

Hand sanitizer is in high demand, and the Picou family is answering the call to public service.

“For us, it’s really easy to make,” says Mireille Picou, a French woman who started PastryStar with her husband.

The company got approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for its sanitizer formula in “less than two weeks,” she explained.

following the global financial crisis in 2008. A gradual recovery The biggest issue was finding the was cut short as investors began right bottles and caps. Another probto worry about the debt levels of lem was sourcing the chemicals -Greece, Italy and Spain. prices for sanitizer components rose Economists see a W-shaped re- fourfold as the crisis took hold. covery as likely if a strong secOf course, the Picou family is not ond-wave of the coronavirus changing its business model. Makforces countries to adopt strict ing sanitizer is just temporary -- a lockdown measures once again. way to keep the company afloat as - L for lethargic demand for their regular products This would be the worst possible has dried up. outcome as it describes a failure They’ve sold at least 4,500 liter to recover from the crisis. After a bottles of the sanitizer in two weeks. plunge in output an economy stag- But demand from business owners nates. In this case it would mean a could skyrocket as more and more wave of bankruptcies followed by US states move towards reopening. a long period of widespread unem- Sales in free fall ployment.

Such steps down in economic output are not unheard of -- think of Japan’s lost decade that began in the early 1990s when falling prices kept the economy from growing.

Elon Musk, Founder and Chief Engineer of SpaceX, speaks during the Satellite 2020 Conference in Washington, DC. (Photo: Getty)

The start of 2020 was good for PastryStar. By late February and even early March, just before the virus crisis exploded, the company’s sales were up 35 percent -- a record.

That boon came thanks to cruise lines -- a major client for the Picou family -- high-end supermarkets such as Whole Foods, and wholesale distributor Sysco, which was selling PastryStar products to fine restaurants across the United States.

Think of the swoosh logo of US footwear firm Nike - a drop followed a long, gradual return higher. This is a scenario many advanced countries could follow as the IMF is already forecasting that But in mid-March, everything their growth next year will fail to came to a crashing halt when strict fully compensate for the falls they anti-virus lockdown measures were suffer this year. put in place.

Mireille Picou, founder of PastryStar poses with her son Antonin Picou, Chief Executive Officer at PastryStar on May 4, 2020, in Laurel, Maryland. At the Picou family’s factory in Laurel, Maryland. ( AFP Photo) “Sales bottomed out and were nearly zero for three to four weeks,” said 27-year-old Antonin Picou, who took over the day-to-day operations of the family business about a year ago.

“We’ve been through crises before -- 9/11, (Hurricane) Katrina, the Great Recession -- but never have we seen nearly our entire business shut down from one day to the next,” said Mireille, his mother.

freshness, so that home bakers can make cakes, scones, cookies and breads.

All the customer has to do is follow the recipe devised by Giegerich.

The blonde chef, who wears a face mask at work, says the recipes have been tested in real-life conditions at home -- not just made in a high-end oven with professional-grade utensils.

The boxes may find a niche, espeThe family gathered around a ta- cially when flour has become hard to ble to discuss the future, Antonin come by in some supermarkets. recounted.

“E-commerce will be a first for “And we said that we had to either us,” says Antonin Picou, who is an resign ourselves to shutting down, engineer by training. or stay open and innovate to be able PastryStar has made 1,000 bakery to keep our employees working,” he boxes to begin with -- 100 each of said.

10 varieties.

After that meeting, the company “We’re targeting city dwellers created its “Batch and Bake” concept, which will launch in the next who have traveled, who have had two weeks -- boxes of ingredients experienced French pastry,” he that home chefs can use to make says, noting that he sees this crisis as an opportunity for his company pastries. to evolve.

The Picous hope to capitalize on “There have been demoralizing a trend that has emerged during the crisis -- cooking and baking at moments” during the crisis, he adhome as a way to educate and amuse mits. children who are no longer going to The future for his employees is school. indeed not certain, and some are worried. Several have been forced - Bakery boxes to stay home in quarantine after Christine Giegerich, a 30-year-old displaying symptoms of the novel pastry chef at PastryStar, is working coronavirus. in her lab to put the finishing touchBut the Picou family and its team es on the do-it-yourself product. remain optimistic that better days “We are trying to be a little bit are ahead. more creative to reach everyday “The good thing about food manpeople instead of just big customufacturing is -- people always need ers,” she explains. to eat,” Giegerich says with a smile.

The cardboard boxes contain “And people are always like expre-measured ingredients, shipped in a special container to maintain cited about food, no matter what’s going on.”

Page 9 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section A)

TRAVEL

Singapore Changi Airport named world’s best airport again for 2020

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ARIS | AFP | 5/12/2020 - Singapore’s Changi Airport has been named the world’s best airport for the eighth consecutive year.

Skytrax announced on Monday the winners of the World Airport Awards 2020 which, like years previous, is dominated by airports in Asia and Europe.

Though planes for the most part have been grounded by the pandemic and airports stand largely empty, Skytrax decided to release the winners of their annual awards “...to bring some cheer into the airport industry in these difficult times.”

The original awards ceremony was scheduled for April 1.

Changi Airport has long been considered the gold standard in airports thanks to features like orchid and butterfly gardens and a rooftop pool. But last year, the airport widened the gap with its competitors with the opening of Changi Jewel complex at the Changi international airport. (AFP Photo) Jewel Changi Airport, a glass complex that includes a living rainforest, indoor walking trails port 8. Central Japan International 1. Singapore Changi Airport and the world’s tallest indoor Airport 5. Munich Airport 2. Tokyo Haneda Airport waterfall, the Rain Vortex, which 9. Amsterdam Schiphol Air6. Hong Kong International stands 40 meters.

3. Hamad International Airport port Airport Here are the top 10 airports of Doha 10. Kansai International Air7. Narita International Airport 2020: 4. Incheon International Airport

Heathrow airport urges roadmap for quarantine exit

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ONDON | AFP | Monday 5/11/2020 - London’s Heathrow airport on Monday urged the British government to issue a “roadmap” for its planned coronavirus quarantine for air travellers, after revealing traffic almost evaporated in April.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced plans to quarantine people arriving in Britain by air for 14 days to prevent new COVID-19 infections from abroad, under a phased lockdown easing that seeks to avoid a second spike.

The deadly outbreak has

ravaged both the global economy and especially the aviation sector, with airlines axing most flights in response to collapsing demand for air travel amid national lockdowns.

“Aviation is the lifeblood of this country’s economy, and until we get Britain flying again, UK business will be stuck in third gear,” Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said in a statement on Monday.

“The government needs to urgently lay out a roadmap for how they will reopen borders once the disease has been beat-

Photo Credit: CC0 Public Domain

FRIDAY, May 15, 2020

‘Likely’ a US airline will go under from coronavirus: Boeing chief

Boeing.(Image Credit: Reuters)

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ASHINGTON | AFP | 5/11/2020 - 1 Boeing’s chief executive said it was “most likely” that a major US airline will go out of business due to the massive damage of the coronavirus pandemic on the aviation industry.

“It’s most likely,” Boeing CEO David Calhoun responded when an NBC journalist asked him if a major US carrier will go under.

Calhoun’s answer, released in a clip on Monday, is part of a longer interview that will be broadcast Tuesday.

“You know something will happen in September,” Calhoun said. “Traffic levels will not be back to a 100 percent, they won’t even be back to 25.”

Boeing itself is suffering as the global air transport industry is brought to its knees by travel restrictions and confinement measures aimed at stopping the

en, and to take an immediate lead in agreeing a common international standard for health in aviation that will allow passengers who don’t have the in-

Want to travel to the U.K.? Be ready for a 14-day quarantine

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ONDON - Laying bare what could be the harsh reality of travel in the age of COVID-19, the U.K. government has announced plans to impose a 14-day quarantine on most international travelers.

Airlines and travel stocks fell sharply on Monday, a day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson made reference to the new restrictions in a televised address. The government’s “recovery strategy,” released Monday, said that a handful of visitors would be exempt — those bringing supplies into the country, supporting critical infrastructure, for example, and the French.

Apart from self-isolating for 14 days upon arrival, travelers would need to supply contact and accommodation information, and be urged to download the government’s contact-tracing app. The quarantine will begin as soon as possible, the government strategy document said. Most measures will not kick in until May 13 — the start of Step 1 of the government’s strategy to get the country up and running.

Shares in budget airline EasyJet EZJ, 1.68% slid 9% on Monday after Citigroup analysts said it would have to raise up to £1 billion ($1.2 billion) due in part to an expected rush of customers seeking refunds.

While U.K. travelers weren’t mentioned, it’s assumed that anyone leaving the country and coming back in might also be required to quarantine, although Johnson said the government will make an exception for visitors to and from France.

“Ministers are effectively telling people they can no longer travel for the foreseeable future, and airlines will respond to that by grounding their operations,” Tim Alderslade, CEO of Airlines UK, the

industry association representing U.K.-registered carriers, said in a statement.

The United Nation’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has forecast that international travel could drop by 60% to 80% this year, putting millions of jobs at risk.

The U.K. isn’t the first to consider such pandemic-related measures for visitors.

Hong Kong requires a 14-day quarantine of all visitors, while Austria is offering a 190 euro coronavirus test for incoming travelers who can’t prove they are disease-free and don’t want to self-quarantine for two weeks.

Struggling with its own coronavirus outbreak, the U.S., for example, has a travel ban in place covering foreign nationals who have visited China, Iran and many European Union countries, and has advised its own citizens not to travel abroad.

“It’s easy to put in place these restrictive measures, but it’s harder to take them away,” aviation analyst Paul Charles told MarketWatch, as he criticized the U.K.’s quarantine plans. He said the industry’s big concern is that there is no real end date to the measures, and further uncertainty means many people will delay booking travel for business or leisure.

Fleets of airlines have been grounded for weeks, with job losses expected to pile up. Virgin Atlantic, founded by entrepreneur Richard Branson, and 49%-owned by U.S. airline Delta DAL, -3.12%, has warned that it may cut 30% of staff and is battling for survival, and British Airways has said 12,000 jobs may go.

Charles said that, rather than quarantines, major airports need to coordinate globally to screen passengers, as they have

spread of COVID-19.

“Maybe by the end of the year we approach 50 (percent), so there will definitively be adjustments that have to be made on the part of the airlines,” Calhoun added.

Boeing has been struggling due to the restrictions, which have deprived it of clients and jeopardized its order book.

Calhoun took the company’s helm at the start of the year amid already grim circumstances: Boeing had been shaken by two major crashes involving its 747 MAX model that saw the plane rounded since March 2019.

A total of 346 passengers and crew members were killed in the Lion Air crash in October 2019 and the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March the following year.

The accidents revealed major flaws with the plane’s design.

fection to travel freely.”

Heathrow airport, which is situated west of the British capital, added that the number of passengers nosedived 97 percent in April from the same month in 2019 to just 200,000.

That was the same amount of travellers that normally fly through the air hub in a normal day prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The airport only provided services in April for essential travel, particularly for repatriation flights during the health crisis.

Heathrow, which is owned by a consortium led by Spanish construction giant Ferrovial, stressed that the quarantine will effectively shut borders.

“The airport supports government’s aim of avoiding a second wave of infection, even though the 14-day quarantine plan will effectively close borders temporarily,” the company said.

“It is likely that few passenger flights will operate and even less people will travel until the quarantine is lifted.”

It added: “Demand is expected to remain weak until governments lift lockdowns.”

However, British Airways’ owner IAG last week warned that pre-crisis passenger demand would not return until 2023 at the earliest.

the space to handle it. “Medical technology is getting better so that results can come back more quickly,” he said, adding that social distancing on airplanes makes no sense because airlines won’t make enough money by flying half-filled planes.

Charles, chief executive officer of the travel-focused PR firm the PC Agency and former communications director at Virgin Atlantic, said the World Travel and Tourism Council is expected to start unveiling on Tuesday global measures and standards to help the industry get back on its feet “One thing for certain is domestic travel will do very well in many markets. People will want to stay close to home, trusting in their countries’ own medical resources and infrastructure,” he said.

Page 10 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section A)

FRIDAY, May 15, 2020

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Week of May 15, 2020 21 March to 20 April Aside from a potential but minor spat on Monday, conversations, discussions, and negotiations can all benefit from Mercury’s move into Gemini. Its lively presence here can animate interactions and encourage fast thinking, enabling you to get out of any potentially tricky situations.

21 April to 20 May Positive Jupiter turns retrograde in your travel sector on Thursday, so a planned trip may be delayed for a variety of reasons. Or you might decide to go on an inner journey and explore the landscape of your soul. A dynamic solar tie between Jupiter and Pluto over the weekend hints that you’ll be eager for new experiences.

21 May to 20 June The sun is in Taurus as you enter the month. This is the time of year when you go underground to rest, recharge, and rejuvenate before the sun enters your sign.

This May, especially, there’s a sense of a domino effect of developments unfolding (on the surface and behind the scenes), asking you to dig deep as you search your soul.

21 June to 22 July Jovial Jupiter turns retrograde in your relationship zone on Thursday and remains so until mid-September. It might turn your attention to someone’s inner worth and strength of character rather than just their good looks.

23 July to 22 August The sun continues its journey through a more prominent sector of your chart, encouraging you to showcase your abilities. However, this week, with this radiant orb linking to powerful Pluto and expansive Jupiter, it’s time to plan for the long term.

23 August to 22 Sept Charming Venus is doing a backward flip on Tuesday, in the same zone, so there could be disappointment around a business transaction. What seemed a done deal may not be, and you might need to renegotiate the terms. Yet, once Venus turns direct in around six weeks, this delay could work to your advantage.

23 September to 22 Oct There is a shift as powerful Mars moves into your lifestyle sector on Tuesday. If you’ve found it difficult to maintain discipline around exercise and eating, this focused energy can make it easier. By daily visualizing the result you seek, you could reach your goal in no time.

23 October to 21 Nov As potent Mars enters your leisure zone on Tuesday, its presence here could see you being more proactive. It’s time to highlight your skills, as well as enjoy special activities or a romantic break. Exciting opportunities seem to be in the cards, but plans may take a while to come to fruition.

22 November to 21 Dec The sun in your lifestyle sector makes bold and positive aspects that could prove lucrative if you follow through.

This can be an uplifting week if you’re willing to set new ideas in motion and wait patiently for the results. Are you happy about the feelings you have? This is the time to reflect on them.

22 December to 20 Jan Diplomatic Venus turns retrograde on Tuesday and remains so for around six weeks, there may be some frustration around broken deals or promises, and certain relationships could seem to go awry for a time.

Something good could emerge from this.

21 January to 19 Feb The sun continues in your home zone this week and makes powerful aspects to both potent Pluto and jovial Jupiter, making you aware of the potential in certain ideas. You might be fascinated by certain insights that can make a positive difference to you and your happiness.

20 February to 20 Mar The people you connect with can have a profound influence on you as the sun makes some leading aspects. This can be a time to contemplate ideas and projects and perhaps start on them even though they could take a while to come to fruition. There is also a burst of energy in your home zone.

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Page 11 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section A)

FRIDAY, May 15, 2020

Sugar Land, Katy, Stafford, Missouri City, Richmond, Rosenberg and Meadows Place Email: voiceasia@aol.com

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Judge KP George wants Elon Musk to bring his offices to local area

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ORT BEND - Fort Bend of Fort Bend to a manufactoring ty as your search for a suitable County Judge KP George facility like Tesla’s factory. location continues.” wants Tesla to make its On Saturday, Musk threatened The letter highlights several way to Texas.

In a letter written to Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted to Twitter, George said he believes Fort Bend County is the best location for Musk to bring his offices.

He twitted, “I invite Mr. @ elonmusk, CEO of @Tesla Motors, to learn about @FortBendCounty as they seek to re-locate their Headquarters & future programs.” The judge also posted a letter detailing the appeal

to pull the company’s factory and headquarters out of California in an escalating spat with local officials who have stopped the company from reopening its electric vehicle factory.

“I understand you have become frustrated with the climate in your current location as we all fight this collective invisible enemy,” wrote George.

“However, I think your company would greatly benefit from learning about Fort Bend Coun-

reasons George believes Fort Bend would be the most suitable location for his offices, as well as the number of jobs it would bring to residents in the community.

An order in the six-county San Francisco Bay Area forced Tesla to close a plant starting March 23 to help prevent the virus’ spread, and it was extended until the end of May. - KTRK TV, Channel 13

FORT BEND ISD to postpone opening of Hunters Glen Early Literacy Center for one year

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ORT BEND ISD (May 11, 2020) – Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on district operations, Fort Bend ISD has made the decision to postpone the opening of the Hunters Glen Early Literacy Center until the school year 20212022. The center was originally scheduled to open in August 2020 to serve early learners in grades Prek-1 in the Marshall High School feeder pattern.

“I am disappointed that we have had to focus all district resources on the online learning program, which has resulted in the loss of planning and staff development time required for successful opening of the ELC at Hunters Glen as scheduled. Because of the pandemic, we do not believe we can effectively open the center by August,” said FBISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Charles

Dupre. “However, we are still moving forward with the construction of the center as approved by the Board of Trustees in anticipation of opening the center in August 2021.”

While FBISD will not be opening the new center at this time, the District is continuing the planned construction this summer to prepare Hunters Glen to serve as an early When the doors to the center literacy center. The District will also opens, the Hunters Glen Early Lit- announce the selection of the new eracy Center will operate as a school instructional leader for the Hunters within a school and will be the sec- Glen Early Literacy Center in the ond early literacy center to serve coming months to assist in all planstudents in FBISD. The District ning efforts. launched its first center in August The District is likewise continuing 2018 to serve students in the Wil- the implementation of other prolowridge High School Feeder Pat- grams as scheduled to serve students tern. Within the first year alone, stu- in the Marshall area. Programs such dents at all grade levels served at the as the new Coda Strings elementaRidgemont ELC made significant ry orchestra program, elementary progress in literacy and numeracy STEM classes, the Steinway Piano skills, based on yearly assessments. Technician program, American Sign Due to the success of the Ridgemont Language, and technical theatre will ELC, FBISD received a Texas Ed- be available to students in the Marucation Agency grant to fund the shall area. FBISD is also expanding opening of a second Early Literacy the Early College High School at Center.

Marshall High School.

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Page 12 • VOICE OF ASIA (Section A)

FRIDAY, May 15, 2020

CARING TAKES TRUE COURAGE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICE.

THANK YOU TO EVERY PHYSICIAN, NURSE, FIRST RESPONDER AND HEALTHCARE WORKER IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA. Thanks to those being called away from their own families to be of service to yours. And we thank the people of the Greater Houston area for taking every step possible to safeguard your own health. Thank you for the sacrifices you’re making. And for the impact you’re having on all our lives.

Advancing health. Personalizing care.

ThankYouHouston.org