The Asian Star April 4 2020

www.theasianstar.com

Vol 19 - Issue 10

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Canadians stuck in India told to pay $2,900 each for special flight home Canadians stuck in India have been given the option of a special flight back home — but they’ll have to foot the $2,900 bill themselves, according to the federal government. The government recently sent an email to all Canadians registered in India informing them of the availability of these special flights intended to bring them back to Canada. The letter “strongly” encourages Canadians to take advantage of the flights, which come at an estimated cost of $2,900 per passenger. A return flight from India currently costs less than $2,000, making the $2,900 price tag seem far more expensive. “I’m happy that we’re getting the flights, I’m happy that we’re getting home, however the cost which they’re expecting us to pay - it’s outstanding,” Melissa Chadha, a Canadian stuck in India with her

Continued on page 9

Tel:604-591-5423

NRIs in the eye of COVID storm Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), who normally become centre of attraction, have come in the eye of storm in the wake of coronavirus (Covid19) scare across the country. Residents claimed that they have been maintaining distance from their NRI friends and relatives, especially the ones who have come back in February and March. Sandhya Maudgil, an NRI from Norway, said she was disappointed as she had to reschedule her programmes keeping in mind apprehensions of her friends and relatives. “I arrived in India a month ago. I cannot complete all my assignments due to Covid-19 scare,” said Maudgil. “I am trying to follow advisory of the government and of authorities in Norway,” added she said. NRIs Darshan Singh Dhaliwal and his wife Harpal Kaur Dhaliwal Continued on page 6

Canada’s 75% wage subsidy is coming, but not for several weeks: finance minister Businesses hoping to apply for Canada’s 75 per cent wage will have to wait several weeks to get that money, according to Finance Minister Bill Morneau. Morneau unveiled more details about the wage subsidy that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced, and then updated, in recent days. The wage subsidy will provide 75 per cent of each employee’s salary for business – of any size – that has lost at least 30 per cent of its gross revenue since this time last year due to COVID-19. Companies will have to reapply every month and Morneau said there will be

“severe” consequences for anyone who tries to take advantage of the system. The subsidy will apply to the first $58,700 of each employee’s salary and provide up to $847 a week per employee for up to 12 weeks, with a possible extension if the crisis continues. The money is available to companies of all sizes, as well as charities and non-profits, and will be retroactive to March 15. “Funds will be available in approximately

six weeks,” the finance minister said Wednesday. Businesses will be able to apply through a Canada Revenue Agency portal “soon,” Morneau said, and money is supposed to begin flowing in six weeks. For businesses that cannot show revenue from the previous year, the previous month’s revenue may be an option. Companies that are signed up for CRA direct deposit will receive funds faster. Companies will be required to “show what the pre-crisis income was of an employee and show that they’re Continued on page 9

India is forced to implement all three strategies of combating Coronavirus all at once

A delivery of thanks to Langley hospital workers battling COVID-19

Thomas Hobson owned a stable of about 40 horses for hire in 17thcentury Cambridge, but a customer who approached him for a horse could take either the one next to the door or nothing — this way, all horses got to be used, and not just the best animals. Hence the phrase, Hobson’s choice: there might seem to be many options, but effectively there is only one. That is what India is looking at right now. A lockdown retards the spread of the virus from those who contracted it from exposure to carriers of the infection coming from abroad.

Back in February, Langley businessman Hiten Gupta was dancing to celebrate Family Day with his daughter when his outstretched right hand made accidental contact with a sharp metal object. It was a deep gash that required a trip to the Langley Memorial Hospital ER and seven stitches to close. On Sunday, March 29th, Gupta, owner of Pizza Mantra, returned to the ER to say thank you by delivering 112 gourmet pizzas of every type, ranging from Mantra’s signature butter chicken pizza, to Hawaiian, veggie and classic pepperoni recipes. He also brought 10 special-recipe “Keto-Zaa bowl” meals for people on keto diets.

Saudi Arabia tells pilgrims wait on Hajj plans amid COVID-19 crisis Saudi Arabia has asked Muslims to wait until there is more clarity about the coronavirus pandemic before planning to attend the annual Hajj pilgrimage, the Minister for Hajj and Umrah said on state TV on Tuesday. Earlier

this month, Saudi Arabia suspended the yearround Umrah pilgrimage over fears of the new coronavirus spreading to Islam’s holiest cities, an unprecedented move that raised uncertainty over the annual Hajj. Some 2.5 million pilgrims

from around the world usually flock to Mecca and Medina cities for the week-long ritual scheduled to begin in late July. The pilgrimage is also a significant source of income for the kingdom.

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Vol 19 - Issue 10 The City of Surrey has reportedly laid off 1,900 part-time auxiliary workers and 140 full-time employees because of the pandemic. Councillor Linda Annis said Friday that city hall “hasn’t actually made an official announcement” about it. “I do know that our library and all of our recreation centres and sports arenas and so-on have been closed for a few weeks now so unfortunately I think it was inevitable that there would be some layoffs happening,” she said. “You know it’s very, very tragic but I guess it really goes to show that no one’s really immune from the effects of the COVID-19 virus, which is very, very

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Surrey councillors say halt policing transition as 2,000-plus workers laid off unfortunate. “They are temporary layoffs,” Annis added. “The plan is once things return back to a state where we can actually open some of the city facilities again that it’s my understanding that these workers will be rehired.” Councillor Jack Hundial said the bulk is auxiliary part-time staff from museums, recreation centres and swimming pools. “I think we’re going to be in for some significant belt-tightening in the city,” he said, adding that hopefully everyone will be returned to work. “We have great staff in

the city, great individuals.” Meantime, both councillors are calling for a halt to the city’s controversial $129-million plan to replace the Surrey RCMP with its own police force. “How can the mayor and council look taxpayers in the eye when people are losing their jobs and having difficulty making ends meet?” Annis said. “It’s cruel and unconscionable to be spending any time or money on anything other than the health and safety of our residents.” She said the city needs to “shelve” the policing transition “at

Tel:604-591-5423 least until Surrey and its taxpayers are back on their feet. Spending time and money we don’t have on this proposal would be outrageous in the face of what our city and our citizens are facing right now.” Annis charges there’s been a lack of transparency in the plan and claims every available dollar at city hall has been siphoned into the proposed transition. “I think it’s important that our mayor and Minister Mike Farnworth put this proposal on hold immediately, and that we focus on the current crisis and rebuilding our economy when it’s over,” Annis said.

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OPINION

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Liberals silent, as Tories, NDP say they would support MP pay freeze Federal Conservatives and New Democrats say they would support a freeze to parliamentarians’ salaries but no party is offering to take the lead and push for the legislation that would delay a hike in compensation – a question the Green Party calls a “distraction.” The COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses across the country to shutter, leading to millions of layoff notices. More than two million people have already applied for employment insurance and Ottawa is preparing for millions more to apply for its emergency support. At the same time, members of Parliament and senators are enjoying pay increases – 2.1 per cent and 2.4 per cent, respectively. Parliament’s decision to continue with the pay raise, which takes effect Wednesday, is out of step with some provincial legislatures that have postponed pay increases or continued wage freezes already in place. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said Wednesday his party would back a wage

freeze for parliamentarians, but he put the onus on the Liberals to lead the way. “If the government brings in such legislation, we would support it,” Mr. Scheer said. The NDP said it would be “open” to delaying a salary increase if the legislation is introduced. “But the priority for Parliament should be getting help to Canadians who urgently need it as quickly as possible,” spokesperson Mélanie Richer said in a statement. The Bloc Québécois did not reply to a request for comment and the Prime Minister’s Office didn’t give a direct answer as to whether the Liberals support a wage freeze. “The Prime Minister will be donating his salary increase to a number of not-for-profits and charitable organizations in his riding,” spokesperson Alex Wellstead said in response to a question about whether MPs’ salaries should be frozen. Mr. Scheer also said he would donate his salary increase to a local food bank in Regina. Asked on Monday if he or any other MPs had considered forgoing their pay hike, Prime

Minister Justin Trudeau said: “I haven’t heard the Parliament of Canada having those discussions.”Parliament is not sitting at the moment but it is being recalled.A statement from the Green Party’s three caucus members said all efforts should be focused on getting cash to Canadians “that are suffering. Any distraction from those efforts is counterproductive.”On Tuesday, B.C.’s MLAs postponed their planned pay raise. In Ontario, provincial politicians haven’t had a raise since 2008. Similarly there are no pay increases planned for MHAs in Newfoundland and Labrador, and in Alberta politicians voted on March 18 to cancel an automatic salary hike.As of Wednesday, the base salaries for MPs went up to $182,600 from $178,900. The law requires senators be paid $25,000 less than members of the House of Commons, so members of the Upper Chamber will now be paid $157,600, up from $153,900. Increases in pay for MPs are based on the average pay increase negotiated for major bargaining units in the private sector. The law requires that the base salaries for all parliamentarians be rounded down to the nearest $100. Wage freezes can be brought in by an act of Parliament. For example, the previous Conservative government brought one in from 2010 to 2013, as part of its Expenditure Restraint Act, according to Heather Bradley, the director of communications for House Speaker Anthony Rota. In a memo to MPs sent Wednesday evening, Mr. Rota wrote that many parliamentarians have expressed their wish to donate the amount of their wage increase to charity. “While there is currently no mechanism that allows members to make donations through payroll deductions, members may choose to make direct donations to the local or national charity of their choice,” the Speaker wrote. In the interests of public health and safety, our coronavirus news articles are free for anyone to access. However, The Globe depends on subscription revenue to support our journalism.

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NRIs in the eye of COVID storm From page 1 also find themselves in a tight situation. “We can understand the gravity of situation. As social distancing has been advised, we have asked our friends and relatives not to visit us or invite us to their homes,� said Darshan. The duo said they have confined themselves to their parental house only.

Pardeep Sethi, a social activist admitted that he has been avoiding to meeting his NRI friends. “Not just NRI friends, I have stopped socialising with relatives and friends who have no travel history,� said Sethi.

55 new cases, six deaths by COVID-19 Officials announced 55 new cases and six additional deaths. The provincial total is now 1,121 confirmed cases (480 are active cases) and 31 deaths. An outbreak had also been detected at the Okanagan Correctional Facility, after an

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Saturday, April 4, 2020

What you need to know about COVID-19 There are 149 hospitalizations, including 68 in intensive care, across B.C. Six hundred and forty-nine people have recovere A case has been

detected at the Okanagan Correctional Centre. The federal government has announced it is donating $100 million to organizations that can buy and deliver food to people in need across Canada, including in northern and Indigenous communities. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Food Banks Canada, the Breakfast Club of Canada and the Salvation Army are among those that will receive the funding. Speaking outside his Ottawa home Friday, Trudeau also announced the Canadian Armed Forces are being sent to northern Quebec to help communities there prepare to respond to COVID-19 at the province’s request. The prime minister added the federal government has reached an agreement with Amazon to use the company’s network to distribute medical supplies to meet provincial needs from coast to coast. Financial aid for students: Locally, the provincial government announced a $1.5 million boost to the Indigenous Emergency Assistance Fund, which helps Indigenous post-secondary

students facing financial hardship that affects their ability to finish their studies. Students at all 25 public post-secondary institutions in B.C., as well as Native Education College (NEC), are eligible for funding. The money does not need to be repaid and can be spent on living, medical or community expenses. Students can contact the Indigenous Student Service Centre on campus for help with the application process. The province announced a $3.5 million increase in funding for all domestic students on Thursday. Outbreak at B.C. jail: Thursday, BC confirmed its first outbreak of COVID-19 at a jail after an inmate tested positive for the novel coronavirus at the Okanagan Correctional Centre near Oliver, B.C. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced Thursday that the number of confirmed cases across the province has risen to 1,121. Thirty-one people have now died from COVID-19 in B.C. As of Thursday, there were 149 COVID-19 patients in hospital, including 68 in intensive care. “The number of cases hospitalized is growing,” Henry said. “But we are seeing the growth in a manageable way here in B.C.” Well over half of all confirmed patients — 641 in total — have fully recovered. Henry also warned Thursday against tourism and other non-essential travel within B.C. to protect small communities, which are particularly vulnerable to outbreaks because they have fewer health resources. Dr. Bonnie Henry acknowledges that some nurses are wearing the same masks for their entire workday, but says it’s “absolutely safe.” She’s also calling on faith leaders to find ways to celebrate Easter, Passover and Ramadan virtually, rather than in person. The Vancouver Convention Centre is being prepared to welcome as many as 271 non-COVID patients in order to clear space in hospitals. - Thousands of workers have been laid off as a result of the closure of municipal recreation centres, libraries and cultural facilities. More than 120,000 restaurant workers in B.C. have lost their jobs because of the crisis, Restaurants Canada estimates. Jail guards are growing anxious for their health and the health of their families after an inmate tested positive at Okanagan Correctional Centre. The provincial government is temporarily topping up monthly income and disability assistance benefits by $300.

Thousands of city staff laid off in Surrey, Delta & Vancouver Surrey has laid off 1,900 part time and auxiliary staff members, and 140 regular staff members who worked at the city’s now-closed recreation centres, libraries, ice rinks, museums, cultural centres and pools. In Delta, 500 auxiliary and part-timers are also off the job, 90 per cent of them workers at now-closed community centres. “It’s a very difficult decision, but as mayor and leading council, we have to realize that we’re in an economic situation that we’ve never been through before,” said Delta Mayor George Harvie. “We just cannot continue to have people working when there’s no work for them.” Harvie said affected staff include lifeguards, front counter staff and building service workers. Mochrie said those who have been laid off in Vancouver are getting pay protection of up to 42 days and a continuation of benefits for three months. Surrey spokesperson Oliver Lum stressed that his city’s layoffs are temporary, and said those affected will get 28 days of pay for parttime and auxiliary staff and 42 days of pay for regular staff. The City of Vancouver has laid off 1,500 staff to date, mainly workers at the community centres, libraries and theatres that have been closed in the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to deputy city manager Paul Mochrie.

Saturday, April 4, 2020 From page 1

75% wage subsidy is coming, but not for several weeks

paying that employee an amount up to $847 and then they will get that money returned to them from the Canada Revenue Agency.” Morneau urged businesses to rehire workers and to top up the extra 25 per cent not being provided by the wage subsidy. “I know in the cases they can afford to pay their workers, they will do that,” he said. “We need to get through this intact.” The point of the wage subsidy is to get employers to keep workers on the payroll, hopefully leading to a faster economic recovery, the finance minister said. It will not be available to those who receive From page 1

the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit, which is for workers who remain laid-off, or are self-employed and have no income due to COVID-19. The wage subsidy is expected to cost $71 billion. The CERB, which provides $2,000 to workers who’ve lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19, will cost an additional $24 billion. Altogether, Morneau said these direct measures will cost around $105 billion. “As a result of this… the deficit will go up,” Morneau said, noting this equals to about five per cent of the country’s GDP.

Canadians stuck in India told to pay $2,900 each

her husband and infant child, said.“We feel that we’re kind of bullied into having to pay this extra money.” A spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada explained that this was the lowest price Canada was able to obtain from the airline providing the flights, which they said was not a Canadian airline. They said the flights are more expensive right now because of the exceptional circumstances, not because of any profit for the airlines, and that the government has a $5,000 loan available to those who need it to cover the costs of their return. Canadians trapped abroad are also being assisted in other countries, including Peru, Spain, Honduras, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala. However, that $5,000 loan ultimately has to be repaid — and passengers are only able to access it once they’ve exhausted all other options. “They said that we should be asking friends and families for money,” Chadha said, adding that Canadians are also encouraged to use their credit cards to purchase the tickets. The letter Chadha and others like her received from the government confirms her assertion. It says travellers should

attempt to use their own financial means to arrange their return to Canada. They can access the emergency $5,000 loan “if [they] are able to demonstrate that this is not possible.” In addition to the cost of the flight, Canadians trapped in India will also need to foot the bill for safe passage to the airport. If they do not take advantage of this option, the government warned, the Canadians risk being denied passage and missing their flight. “It is strongly recommended to avail yourselves of this service in order to avoid difficulties in travelling to the airport, as these commercial vehicles will receive advance clearance to from authorities to travel to the airport during the lockdown,” the letter reads. As a result, Chadha and her family feel like they have to use this option — which adds another cost on the price tag. “If we decide that we want to travel on our own, there could be a possibility that the police may not even allow us to get through the borders, so we’re kind of, again, stuck with having to go the route that the government’s going to give us,” Chadha said. While her family did already have a flight back booked with Air Canada for March 27.

LOCAL

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LOCAL / NATIONAL

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Trudeau warns US over restricting the trade of essential goods into Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent a warning to the Trump administration to keep the Canada-U.S. border open for the trade of essential goods after medical manufacturer 3M said it is being forced to stop exporting N95 face masks. At a news conference on Friday, Mr. Trudeau said that blocking trade to Canada could backfire and “end up hurting Americans as much as it hurts anybody else.” “The level of integration between our economies goes both ways across the border. We are receiving essential supplies from the United States, but the United States also receives essential supplies and products – and indeed, healthcare professionals – from Canada every single day,” he said. “It would be a mistake to create blockages or reduce the amount of back-andforth trade in essential goods and services, including medical goods, across our border.” 3M said it would increase production and import more of the N95 face masks to the

States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. “The health and well-being of our front-line workers depend on these essential medical items and now more than ever our countries need to work together to combat COVID-19,” he said. Trump said Thursday evening on Twitter that his administration had “hit 3M

hard today after seeing what they were doing with their masks.” In a statement on Friday morning, 3M said the American government has invoked the Defense Production Act to force the company to prioritize orders for N95 respirators that come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

BC adding $300 to monthly income & disability assistance United States after President Trump invoked a law to help ease a shortage of the crucial equipment needed by medical staff. Reuters Mr. Trudeau said Canadian officials have been in direct contact with American officials to highlight the need for collaboration to obtain necessary medical supplies. He had not spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of his news conference. Ontario Premier Doug Ford added his voice on Twitter, saying he had raised the issue in a phone call with United

People who receive income assistance and disability assistance payments in B.C. and don’t qualify for federal emergency aid will receive an additional $300 for the next three months, starting with cheques being issued April 22. Social Development Minister Shane Simpson announced April 2 that the additional assistance will not require an application for people who receive the

payments and are not eligible for emergency federal support programs. The B.C. “COVID-19 crisis supplement” also applies to low-income seniors who receive the B.C. Seniors Supplement or a comfort allowance for those in special care. That payment, which has been $49 a month for about 250,000 people, will increase to $300 for April, May and June, Simpson said.

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Saturday, April 4, 2020

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Saturday, April 4, 2020

Surrey man charged with fraud after racking up $458K in alleged credit card purchases A 31-year-old Surrey man is facing numerous counts of fraud-related offences from an investigation that started in 2017. Gagandeep Dhillon was charged with 28 counts of fraud-related offences on March 26, according to a release from Surrey RCMP Wednesday (April 1). The release did not specify what the exact charges are.

The investigation started June 28, 2017 when Surrey RCMP “received a report from a local business that they believed their customers’ credit card data had been compromised.” Police said that “some of the information” showed that “multiple fraudulent credit card transactions had been made using stolen data from multiple credit cards.” As the investigation progressed, police

IHIT, coroner investigations into March 2019 deaths of South Surrey mother and sons continue One year after the shocking deaths of a South Surrey mother and her two sons were discovered following a single-vehicle crash on the 32 Avenue Diversion, officials have yet to close the homicide and coroner’s investigations. Integrated Homicide Investigation Team Sgt. Frank Jang confirmed this week that no further investigation is being done into the March 26, 2019 deaths of Anna Queena Chao and her sons Davy and Mike Hao. “All parties involved were found dead in

the crash including the suspect,” Jang said. The file may not be officially closed yet, however, as “we may be waiting on reports and other things from partners.” The deaths of Chao and her sons became the subject of an IHIT investigation after officers responding to the crash scene deemed the scenario suspicious. A second scene – a Rosemary Heights house that neighbours said the three deceased called home – was also part of the investigation. A young man identified by neighbours as one

Fraser Valley care home has two confirmed cases of COVID-19 Two residents at Mission’s Chartwell Cedarbrooke Retirement Residence on 7th Ave. have been diagnosed with COVID-19. =Fraser Health confirmed the cases, and one case at the Swedish Assisted Living Residence in Burnaby, earlier this afternoon (April 1). Communication with residents and families is underway. Dr. Martin Lavoie, chief medical health

officer, at Fraser Health spoke to media and said the residents are now self isolating in their apartments and not in a hospital, adding their symptoms are not considered serious. Now that they have identified the two residents who have COVID-19, Lavoie said they can look at other potential cases. Fraser Health will investigate who was in contact with the residents.

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Three men charged with 15 crimes - Surrey RCMP Surrey Mounties say three men face 15 separate charges including conspiracy to commit and indictable offence, possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, possession of the proceeds of crime, and possession of a firearm. They are Abd’l Malik Loubissi-Morris, Tien Roy Mai Dang, and Noah Didhra. Surrey RCMP Corporal Elenore Sturko said these latest developments stem from the investigation into a 2017 shooting in Newton which injured an innocent 62-yearold woman who’d been visiting from Ontario. Loubissi-Morris, 22, of Vancouver, was charged in December 2019 with attempted murder, using a firearm in the commission of an offence, aggravated assault and discharging a firearm with intent. Police believe the shooting, in the 7700-block of 147A Street on July 9, 2017, was

related to the “Lower Mainland Gang conflict.” The intended victims, police said at the time, took off from the scene in a black Hyundai missing a front bumper and the suspects fled in a red pick-up truck, which was later found on fire in the 9000-block of 150th Street. Sturko said a subsequent search warrant executed in Kelowna resulted in the seizure of cell phones, about $177,000, “significant” quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, ketamine and six firearms. Loubissi-Morris has been in custody since he was arrested on Dec. 11 and Dang was arrested on Jan. 30. Police are looking to arrest Didhra, described as 21, South Asian, five feet 10 inches tall, and 230 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Police ask anyone with information on his whereabouts to call the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS

Richmond man busted for selling black-market masks during COVID-19 crisis Bylaw officers confiscated a shipment of around 1,000 masks that they allegedly arranged to buy from a Richmond man in a sting operation on Tuesday. The 22-year-old student was given a $1,000 ticket for running a business without a licence. 1:38 Medical mask re-sellers still in business despite government ban Medical mask re-sellers still in business despite government ban He told Global News he ordered the masks before rules outlawing the sale of medical supplies came into effect, and that he intended to distribute the masks at cost to his Facebook friends.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth has called black market sales that capitalize on the COVID-19 crisis “absolutely unacceptable.” “It’s reprehensible at a time like this that people try to take advantage of critical supplies,” he said. The City of Richmond said,that Tuesday’s sting was the third alleged resale operation they’ve taken down. While there have been examples of British Columbians re-selling medical masks and other items, there have also been many Good Samaritans who have donated supplies to health-care workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis.

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All 35 of BC speed cams are now in place, Here’s where they are A little less than a year after the province announced it was adding technology capable of issuing automated speeding tickets, all 35 B.C. intersections outlined at the time now have speed cameras. The Ministry of Public Safety announced Wednesday the equipment has been installed at all of the intersection camera program sites, and that those cameras are currently working at 34 of them. The final one, located on Island Highway at Aulds Road in Nanaimo, will go live in mid-September. The province describes this as a “grace period” to allow drivers to adjust to a recently reduced speed limit on that stretch of highway. Thousands of tickets already issued The speed cams are running 24 /7, the ministry said. B.C. first launched the program in July, when just five cameras were active. Since that time, a whopping 20,000 tickets have been issued by the new technology, the ministry says. The fastest was a driver clocked at 174 km/h in an 80 km/h zone. How does it work? The province says the cameras capture images of the fastest vehicles as they speed by. They’re installed at traffic lights, and are able to pick up whether a light is red, yellow or green. Licence plates are captured by the cameras, and those images are reviewed by officers before tickets are sent out to a vehicle’s registered owner. Anyone who is ticketed would face a fine, but no penalty points. The province noted anyone who is caught on camera speeding through a red

light at one of the intersections would face fines for running a red and for speeding. Where are the cameras? Here’s an interactive map showing all 35 locations, as provided previously by the province. The green camera icons show the initial

five locations, while the remaining 30 made active in the last seven months are in red. Safety intersection cameras, Surrey / North Delta: Nordel Way at 84th Avenue 128th Street at 88th Avenue 152nd Street at King George Boulevard 64th Avenue at 152nd Street 152nd Street at 96th Avenue 96th Avenue at 132nd Street King George Blvd at 104th Avenue King George Blvd at 80th Avenue Vancouver: East 49th Avenue & Boundary Road. Main Street & East Hastings Street. Renfrew Street & East Hastings Street. Grandview Highway & Rupert Street. Joyce Street & Kingsway. Knight Street & East 33rd Avenue. West 57th Avenue & Oak Street. West 70th Avenue & Oak Street.

Some Surrey landlords ‘kicking out’ businesses that can’t make rent Local businesses large and small are “freaking out” about not being able to make

rent today, Surrey Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman says. “Right across the board,” she said. “I’ve been speaking to our members in the past couple of days and they’re saying their landlords are kicking them out if they can’t pay rent. “It’s April 1st today, and things are going to get worse in May with the limited cash flow in the month of April. They’re freaking out.” Huberman said the board of trade will meet with B.C.’s premier and finance minister on Thursday in an effort to secure more help for Surrey’s businesses. “We’re hoping that they’re going to announce some measures related to not only for tenants and for landlords on a bigger scale but also smaller landlords, because you can’t always trust people to do the right thing.” Huberman noted some landlords are doing “great things” in terms of allowing some payment relaxation for a period of time, “but others are not.” “And for residents too, but there’s been some relaxation from the B.C. government for residential landlords with the expectation that they’ll pass on their savings or some relaxation for their tenants but that can’t always be expected.” She said the board will also be pushing for property tax relaxation. “Thosebillsforcommercialproperties are coming soon and cities are going to be compromised in terms of revenue.”

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Creator of Ebola vaccine has hope for slowing Covid-19 When late Bob Simon interviewed Gary Kobinger in 2015, Kobinger was working principally in a space suit in a special clean room behind bulletproof glass. At the time, he was a top virologist at Canada’s National Microbiology Lab, where he became a key player in the development of the early Ebola treatment ZMapp, as well as an Ebola vaccine.

Now he’s the director of the Infectious Disease Research Center at the Université Laval in Quebec City, his hometown. His lab helped with the early development of Inovio Pharmaceuticals’ Zika vaccine in 2017. Today, Kobinger is among hundreds of scientists worldwide working on potential Covid-19 vaccines; he is working with Inovio

Canada likely did not stockpile enough masks and other protective equipment - Health Minister Amid reports that some hospitals are rationing mask supplies amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Health Minister Patty Hajdu says Canada “likely did not have enough” personal protective equipment stockpiled ahead of this pandemic.“I think federal governments for decades have been underfunding things like public health preparedness and I would say that obviously governments all across the world are in the same exact situation,” Hajdu said, speaking at the daily cabinet ministers’ press conference on COVID-19 in Ottawa on

Tuesday. “Suddenly, 80 per cent of the supply for the rest of the world just disappeared,” Guillaume Laverdure, the North American president for Medicom Inc., a Montreal-based medical supplier, told CTV News on March 24. As the supply dried up, hospitals including Toronto’s Mt. Sinai Hospital were forced to ration. Staff at the Toronto hospital were being told last week to limit their use to one mask per day, and were not changing their masks between seeing different patients.

Surrey hospital staff fed by Delta restaurant with opening date delayed due to COVID-19 The restaurant isn’t open yet, but the Happy Singh Eats kitchen crew is already making meals for staff at Surrey Memorial and other local hospitals. The South Asian “fast casual dining” eatery, part of the Tandoori Flame chain, is slated to open this summer with seating for 232 on the Delta side of Scott Road, just north of Nordel Way. Modelled on popular roadside cafés in India, the restaurant will offer dine-in and take-out options with live cooking at food stations where guests can watch

street-style prepared in front of them. “It’s going to be an Indian McDonald’s in terms of the price points,” explained Shraey Gulati, managing director of Ontariobased Tandoori Flame Restaurants. The family-run company’s Delta location opened in 2018 across the parking lot from where Happy Singh Eats will open. The new restaurant was due open by Mother’s Day, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced construction to stop, pushing the opening date “by two months, maybe three, so it will be late summer now,” Gulati said.

Claiming she has COVID-19, stranger coughs in Cloverdale woman’s face Beware of walking your dog in Surrey’s Clayton Heights, warns Kimberley Wadman. Wadman posted a message to Facebook March 31 to warn people after a woman coughed in Wadman’s face following a verbal confrontation. That woman told Wadman she had COVID-19. Wadman had just crossed 196 Street from the E. Clayton Greenway to the Willoughby Greenway, just north of 68A Avenue, when a woman in a black coat came up to her. “I was just standing there for a moment,” Wadman told the Cloverdale Reporter. “And this lady walked within one foot of me.” That’s when Wadman said she reminded te woman about the current socialdistancing protocols that are in place. “I said, ‘You realize we are supposed to be six feet apart?’” That’s when Wadman backed up and stepped into a bush to create some separation between the two. Wadman said she repeated herself and the woman began to get irate. “She yelled, ‘What? Do you think you and your dog are the only ones on this grass?’ Then she walked away and put her cigarette out on the cement.” Wadman replied that she was only telling the woman this to safeguard them both. “I said, “It’s for our protection. I could be infected or you could be infected.’” Then Wadman turned away. The woman — who Wadman describes as blonde and in her late 20s — then came right up to Wadman, startling her. “She coughed right in my face,” Wadman explained. “Then she laughed and said, ‘I’ve had the coronavirus for two weeks.” Wadman said she went numb. She stood there as the other woman walked off. Wadman said she doesn’t remember walking home that night. “I was really distraught.”

When Wadman got home, she washed all her clothes and showered. She said she lingered in the shower for a long time, crying, still “in total shock.” Wadman was still shaking from the experience when she posted the incident on Facebook later that night. “Please beware of this individual. She is seriously crazy!” she wrote on the Clayton Heights Community Page.

and Medicago, another drug company. ‘‘Well, it’s on a global scale of course, so it’s more widespread than Ebola. But it’s also important to remember that this virus has a less than 5 percent fatality rate, versus 80 percent for Ebola before vaccines. [There were 28,652 Ebola cases during the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa and 11,310 deaths, according to the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are more than 775,000 Covid-19 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. It has killed more than 37,000 people.] But pandemics are so similar in the way societies respond. I went to many different countries in Africa because of Ebola outbreaks. And often we were accused of being the ones

16 Abby Pang The ICBC car accident claims process can be complicated and timeconsuming. If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident in BC, you may be debating whether to file an insurance claim, or you may have started an ICBC claim and wonder if you can cancel it. The answer depends on several factors, such as whether your car accident claim involves personal injury to yourself or others. ICBC car accident lawyers discuss cancelling claims - Automobile insurance exists to cover damage to property and losses caused by personal injury. If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident and make a claim, you may be able to cancel it in certain circumstances. For example, if your car

Canada’s three largest provinces have begun setting up temporary makeshift hospitals to expand their number of available beds in anticipation of an influx of patients with COVID-19. Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington, west of Toronto, is building a temporary pandemic unit to accommodate patients

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Can You Cancel a Car Accident Claim? accident claim is for your vehicle damage alone, you may want to cancel a claim that you opened after getting a quote for the repairs that is less than your deductible, or to avoid an increase in your insurance premiums. If your claim involves personal injury, the issue of cancelling a claim is more complex. You may be able to cancel or withdraw a personal injury claim that you opened, but before you do, it is important to understand the implications of your decision. It may be that you wish to cancel your ICBC car accident claim because you have a clear alternative for securing compensation, such as a WorkSafeBC claim (sometimes called a WCB claim). However, if you are considering cancelling your claim because you think your injuries “aren’t that bad” or because the atfault driver has tried to convince you not to proceed with a claim, you may be left with no avenue for compensation for your injuries.

It is highly recommended that you seek legal advice from an experienced ICBC car accident lawyer before cancelling a car accident claim so to ensure you understand the implications of your decision and wherever possible, preserve your rights to claim for compensation at a later date if you change your mind. ICBC car accident lawyers on limitation periods - If you have not yet started your claim, you should be aware that there are important deadlines that must be met to make an ICBC car accident claim and to file a personal injury lawsuit. For example, in BC the basic limitation period for starting a personal injury lawsuit is two years from the date of loss. If you miss a limitation period while deciding whether or not to start a claim, your claim may effectively be “cancelled” as you lose the right to bring the claim, regardless of whether you are suffering from injuries caused by the accident. The

best course of action is to contact one of our ICBC car accident lawyers as soon as possible after the collision to discuss your options and the timeframes for making decisions. Talk to an experienced ICBC car accident lawyer about your claim - If you have been injured in a car accident and have questions about your claim for compensation, contact Simpson Thomas & Associates. Call us today at 604-689-8888 to book your free initial consultation with one of our team of top ICBC car accident lawyers. We can discuss your injuries, explain the ICBC claims process, and advise you on your options for securing personal injury compensation and recovering your losses. We want to assure you that you still have access to your lawyer, and our team, as we face the challenges of COVID-19 together. Abby Pang, Associate Lawyer, Simpson, Thomas & Associates

BC, Ontario & Quebec begin building makeshift hospitals who need treatment for COVID-19. The modular structure will contain 93 beds, more than doubling the 71 it currently has set aside for treating patients with the disease. A spokeswoman said the community hospital has four patients who have tested positive

for COVID-19 and one suspected case. It’s the first hospital in Ontario to announce that it is expanding capacity to meet the heightened care needs of the community. The latest on the coronavirus: Toronto

cancels all public events through June 30; Quebec warns of equipment shortages Three provinces rolled out plans this week to transform other sites into makeshift hospitals. In British Columbia, Vancouver’s waterfront Convention Centre will be

Jump in overdose deaths in Vancouver highlights two health emergencies: city The City of Vancouver says a recent spike of overdose deaths is a reminder that there are two ongoing public health emergencies. The city says in a statement that police responded to eight suspected overdose deaths last week, the highest number since last August and in contrast to a decline in overdose deaths over the past year. The deaths come as Vancouver Coastal Health issued new guidelines on offering safer alternatives to street drugs in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The city says it’s hoped that by allowing the prescription of safe drugs it will not only reduce the risk over overdose but allow people to keep physical distance. Itsaysdrugsupplyremainstoxicwithfentanyl and other contaminants present in many local illicit drugs and overdose prevention sites in the city remain open for people to access. There have been more than 4,700 overdose deaths in B.C. since the crisis was first declared nearly four years ago.

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Ottawa orders made-in-Canada ventilators, surgical masks, COVID-19 tests in rush for supply The Government of Canada placed an order with Canadian manufacturers to produce ventilators, test kits and surgical masks to ensure a local supply of critical medical gear for frontline health care providers battling the coronavirus pandemic. Ottawa will also dedicate $2 billion to purchase personal protective equipment such as surgical masks, face shields, gowns, ventilators, test kits and swabs, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday. The first three procurement deals for made-in-Canada gear come 11 days after Ottawa unveiled a plan to help Canadian manufacturers ramp up production of medical supplies in Canada. “The entire world is trying to get its hands on the various equipment needed to fight this virus. That is why we know it will be important to have made-inCanada solutions,” Trudeau said at his daily news conference. Hospitals and first responders have expressed worries about running out of the gear that enables them to do their jobs

Convention centre to house homeless during COVID-19 Calgary’s mayor says organizers have done an extraordinary job transforming a downtown convention centre into a temporary homeless shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic, but he believes hotel rooms would have been a better option. “I’ve got to say: the convention centre has really stepped up to the plate at making this as good as it could possibly be given the model,” Naheed Nenshi said Wednesday. The shelter at the Calgary Telus Convention Centre is being funded by the Alberta government and operated by the Calgary Drop-In Centre.

US troops not heading to Canadian border amid pandemic There are reports that U.S. troops will not be mobilizing near the Canadian border, despite the possibility arising last week. The Richmond News reported last week how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government was in talks with the Trump administration to ensure the Canada-US border remained un-militarized. Trudeau said it is in the best interests of both countries for the border to remain that way. On Tuesday morning, the U.S. government is reported to have told its Canadian counterparts that it would not, after all, consider sending troops towards the border, similar to what it has done at its southern border. According to media reports, American officials inside the White House are “actively discussing” putting troops near the Canadian border, due to security concerns about irregular crossings amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

safely and treat patients in critical condition, fearing worst-case scenarios in COVID-19 hot spots like Italy where healthcare providers are running out of safety gear and falling sick. Canadian businesses are lining up to help avoid that reality closer to home. More than 3,200 companies offered to help produce medical equipment since the government put out a call less than two weeks ago. The federal government’s initial contracts are with Toronto-based Thornhill Medical for ventilators, Ottawa-based Spartan Bioscience Inc. for tests and Montreal-based Medicom Inc. for masks. Since signing letters of intent, the thee suppliers have been working around the clock to solidify their supply chains, find

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South Asian researchers say they may have found a way to safely reuse N95 masks amid COVID-19 crisis A group of Manitoba researchers say they’ve found a way to safely decontaminate and reuse some types of medical masks that are normally thrown away after each use. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused global shortages of personal protective equipment for health-care workers, including N95 respirators and masks. A team of five Manitoba researchers released a study Wednesday that tested decontamination of four types of masks, finding some success. Led by Dr. Anand Kumar, a professor of

medicine at the University of Manitoba, the study said preliminary results suggest some masks could be successfully decontaminated and reused up to 10 times using common sterilization techniques. “It became apparent in the early course of the epidemic that we were going to burn through personal protective equipment quite rapidly,” said Kumar, who also works as a critical care physician at Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre and has a background in infectious diseases. Medical masks are designed to filter out aerosol particles, with the N95 providing

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Coronavirus prompts some Canadian insurance companies to go digital When COVID-19 started spreading through Canada, the president of one of the country’s largest insurance companies was thinking about mothers who have to tote kids to a waiting room and keep them entertained for hours just to see a doctor. Sun Life Canada president Jacques Goulet knew his insurance business had a virtual care program offering online visits with medical professionals to help such people, but saw COVID-19 as an opportunity to do more. On Tuesday, Sun Life rolled out access to Lumino Health Virtual Care, a platform that allows users to connect with medical professionals digitally by giving them the ability to connect with medical professionals. Physiotherapists are turning to virtual visits — but insurance can be a pain in the neck It’s being offered free of charge until June to group benefits clients enrolled in extended health care benefits — just one sign of how Canada’s most prominent insurance companies are ramping up their virtual care offerings, which they expect to be a boon beyond COVID-19. Story continues below advertisement

Business wage subsidies to cost Ottawa around $71 billion

Finance Minister Bill Morneau says wage subsidies for large and small businesses will cost about $71 billion. The program is expected to offset the cost of emergency benefits for workers, and reduce spending on those benefits to $24 billion. The wage subsidy will be available to large and small businesses who have lost significant revenue due to COVID-19. Morneau has encouraged businesses to rehire employees they may have laid off in the wake of COVID-19, and says the wage subsidy will be available in six weeks. But Morneau says he’s open to extending the government’s wage subsidy program if the COVID-19 crisis lasts longer than expected. The benefit, which will pay 75 per cent of struggling companies’ wages up to $847, is expected to last for three months. But Morneau says the government will continue to reassess as the crisis unfolds and is open to adding new measures as necessary.

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Canada is printing money to spend on COVID-19 relief: economist Businesses hoping to apply for Canada’s 75% per cent wage will have to wait several weeks to get that money, according to Finance Minister Bill Morneau. Morneau unveiled more details about the wage subsidy that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced, and then updated, in recent days. The wage subsidy will provide 75 per cent of each employee’s salary for business – of any size – that has lost at least 30 per cent of its gross revenue since this time last year due to COVID-19. Companies will have to reapply every month and Morneau said there will be “severe” consequences for anyone who tries to take advantage of the system. The subsidy will apply to the first $58,700 of each employee’s salary and provide up to $847 a week per employee for up to 12 weeks, with a possible extension if the crisis continues. The money is available to companies of all sizes, as well as charities and non-profits,

and will be retroactive to March 15. “Funds will be available in approximately six weeks,” the finance minister said Wednesday. Businesses will be able to apply through a Canada Revenue Agency portal “soon,” Morneau said, and money is supposed to begin flowing in six weeks. For businesses that cannot show revenue from the previous year, the previous month’s revenue may be an option. Companies that are signed up for CRA direct deposit will receive funds faster. Companies will be required to “show what the pre-crisis income was of an employee and show that they’re paying that employee an amount up to $847 and then they will get that

money returned to them from the Canada Revenue Agency.” Morneau urged businesses to rehire workers and to top up the extra 25 per cent not being provided by the wage subsidy. “I know in the cases they can afford to pay their workers, they will do that,” he said. “We need to get through this intact.” The point of the wage subsidy is to get employers to keep workers on the payroll, hopefully leading to a faster

economic recovery, the finance minister said. It will not be available to those who receive the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit, which is for workers who remain laid-off, or are self-employed and have no income due to COVID-19. The wage subsidy is expected to cost $71 billion. The CERB, which provides $2,000 to workers who’ve lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19, will cost an additional $24 billion. Altogether, Morneau said these direct measures will cost around $105 billion. “As a result of this… the deficit will go up,” Morneau said, noting this equals to about five per cent of the country’s GDP.

Bank of Canada begins plan to buy billions in govt bonds, with more measures to come The Bank of Canada began its firstever foray into quantitative easing on Wednesday, with the purchase of $1.0 billion (US$703 million) in government bonds. The central bank bought various amounts of five different bond series in the five-year range, with maturity dates ranging from Sept. 2023 to June 2025, according to results posted on the Bank of Canada’s website. It’s a moderate start to what some analysts are predicting will be hundreds of billions of dollars in purchases of Canadian government bonds in coming months as part of the central bank’s efforts to ease strains in the financial system and keep money cheap for borrowers. The Bank of Canada hasn’t set a limit on purchases, only saying it will buy a minimum $5 billion in government bonds per week until the nation’s recovery is “well underway.” Coronavirus fallout: Policies forged in crisis tend to stick around longer than anticipated Bank of Canada ventures into uncharted

territory

to fight coronavirus fallout Bank of Canada cuts rate for third time to 0.25% in bid to shield economy from coronavirus fallout While Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz has been reluctant to define the purchases as “quantitative easing” specifically, he said last week he wouldn’t argue against characterizing the actions as such. The bond purchases are unprecedented — the central bank didn’t roll out this sort of program even during the financial crisis — highlighting the severe impact collapsing oil prices and mandated business closures are having on Canada’s economy. The operations will also keep credit flowing at a time when the government is expected to move ahead with record borrowing in coming months to finance its own stimulus package. The Canadian government on Wednesday sold $5.5 billion in five-year bonds.

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PM Trudeau says parliament needs to pass more COVID-19 benefits Prime Minister Trudeau said he is asking other federal party leaders to recall Parliament, as he seeks to pass perhaps the biggest aid package in Canada’s history. While Parliament has already approved the $2,000 wage benefit for laid-off workers, the Liberals have greatly expanded the 75 per cent wage subsidy since its approval. Last Friday (March 27), Trudeau said the wage subsidy program would provide 75 per cent of wages for small business. That was already an update from the aid package passed by Parliament, which promised just 10 per cent of wages for small businesses. On Monday (March 30), Trudeau said the

program would expand to all businesses whose revenues have dropped by at least 30 per cent. At a press conference following Trudeau’s, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said it is “right and proper” to take the expanded plan to Parliament and allow the opposition to debate it. Freeland said she hoped opposition parties would understand that “now is not the time for partisanship.” While the Liberals have delayed releasing details and costs from the plan, Finance Minister Bill Morneau is expected to announced details later on Wednesday.

COVID-19 measures expected to last until July, government document says Canadians are far from done with dealing with COVID-19, as measures to fight the spread of the virus are expected to continue until at least July, according to a government document obtained by the National Post.“Current GoC [Government Operations Centre] modelling suggests as a best case scenario that current measures continue until at least July.” That short line, written in a COVID-19 “Daily Sitrep Highlights” by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on March

30 and obtained by the National Post, is the clearest timeline we’ve seen from the federal government to date on how long Canadians will have to endure measures to fight COVID-19.Is IRCC referring to social distancing measures such as encouraging self-isolation or banning public gatherings? Or the closure of the Canadian border to most foreigners? Maybe the obligatory 14-day quarantine for those who return to the country? Possibly all or none of the above?

PM Trudeau defends flights bringing Canadians home Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canadians being flown home from abroad must subject themselves to “rigorous” and mandatory 14-day self-isolation to keep their fellow citizens safe. Trudeau says Canadians must “look out for each other,” but they have a duty not to infect others, especially health care workers. “The public health case is that if people who return properly and rigorously self-isolate, then

we are not significantly increasing the risk to everyone else,” the prime minister said during his daily briefing at his Rideau Cottage residence. Trudeau spoke as the government announced today that six planes carrying Canadians stranded in Africa and Europe are to touch down today in the effort to repatriate travellers stranded by COVID-19.

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Indian researchers develop coating that kills Covid-19 Amid all the pessimism and anxiety, there appears to be a ray of sunshine with the government today saying the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) has developed a one-step curable anti-microbial coating which, when coated on different surfaces like textile and plastic, could kill a range of virus types, including the deadly Covid-19. JNCASR is an autonomous institution under the Department of Science and Technology. According to the researchers, “till date, to the

best of our knowledge, there is no covalent coating strategy which can kill all viruses, bacteria and fungi.” The covalent coating, the research paper about which has been accepted in the journal Applied Material and Interfaces, has been found to completely kill influenza virus as well as resistant pathogenic bacteria and fungi, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and fluconazole-resistant C. albicans, as per the department.

India’s Covid-19 lockdown threatens millions with severe hardship Last week, PM Modi announced 21-day lockdown for India’s 1.3 billion people. With just four hours’ notice, the government instructed everyone to remain in their homes, banned public events, closed schools and colleges and shut commercial and industrial outlets across the country. The World Health Organisation has praised Modi’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis. The lockdown may also be crucial in preventing the spread of the virus. But the recent move to prevent community transmission is having an enormous impact on those most in need in India – the hundreds

of millions who live in poverty. Over 90% of India’s 500 million non-agricultural workers are employed in the informal economy, for example, as construction workers, food vendors, rickshaw drivers or in sales.

Over 6.75 lakh migrants in shelter homes Ministry of Home Affairs Over 6.75 lakh migrant workers have received shelter in 21,486 homes set up by states and UTs to contain their movement during the lockdown, the MHA said. Joint Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said over 25 lakh people were provided with food at relief camps. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba had told chief secretaries of states/ UTs to ensure “hassle-free” transportation of cargo and quick disbursement of benefits under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. Since the disbursement of benefits is done through banks, planning should be “meticulous” and social distancing norms be strictly adhered to, she said.

250 Indians stuck in Iran test positive Around 250 of the 850 Indian Shia pilgrims stranded in Iran have tested positive for Covid-19 and they were receiving medical treatment there, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday. During a hearing conducted via video-conferencing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a Bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud that the remaining pilgrims had already been flown back to India from Qom, Iran. The Bench said the Indian embassy in Iran should constantly monitor the situation to look into the possibility of bringing them back as and when possible. While hearing a petition filed by Mustafa MH, a resident of Drass in Kargil, Ladakh, on the issue, the court noted that the govt was taking the matter seriously even as senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, representing the petitioner.

PUNJAB

Saturday, April 4, 2020 Doctors at Patiala hospital forced to go into self-isolation following ‘breach in protocol’ Resident doctors and staff nurses of Government Rajindra Hospital here were exposed to the coronavirus for no fault of theirs. Consequently, resident doctors had to undergo self-isolation for precautionary measures. In fact, 42-year-old corona suspected patient from Ludhiana, who died at the hospital later, was brought to the Emergency first before taking her to the

isolation ward — breaching the COVID-19 protocol. The staff at emergency, who were not supposed to wear protective gear, examined the patient clinically without proper kit, thereby exposed themselves to the virus. As per the ICMR guidelines, all COVID-19 suspected patients have to be taken directly to the isolation ward — a special dedicated room for the positive patients.

Search for missing NRIs in Punjab who travelled with Coronavirus Elderly Baldev Singh is no more, dollar rich Punjab’s first coronavirus casualty. But the virus that travelled with him from Germany and Italy survives and now the ‘search’ for people who came in contact with him is virtually like looking for a needle in a haystack. So far approximately 70 per cent of state’s COVID-19 positive cases have been traced to ‘super spreader’ Baldev Singh, a resident of Banga town in Nawanshahr district who died on March 18 owing to a heart attack but was diagnosed to be coronavirus positive after his death. Authorities suspect the count could go much higher as the ‘granthi’, who had the mass following in villages in the Doaba region, attended the spiritually significant Hola

Former Ragi Nirmal Singh Khalsa dead, had tested positive for Coronavirus Former Hazoori Ragi of Golden Temple, Nirmal Singh Khalsa died of cardiac arrest around 4:30 am on Thursday. According to the Amritsar Civil Surgeon, he had tested posted for coronavirus on Wednesday. It was the second positive case from the district and the “first corona death”. Earlier, a coronaviruspositive patient from Hoshiarpur had died at Amritsar Government Medical College. The 62-year-old ‘Gurbani’ exponent was awarded the Padma Shri in 2009.

NRI couple, 3 more test +ve in Chandigarh The city reported five Covid positive cases today — three direct contacts of the eighth patient and an NRI couple, who had returned from Canada — raising the tally to 13. Besides, a 65-year-old man from Nayagaon in Mohali tested positive for the virus.The Sector 33-A-based NRI couple had come from Canada on March 13. They developed symptoms on March 26 and got admitted to the GMCH-32 on March 28. The couple was not on the quarantine list and also did not follow the 14-day quarantine as per the protocol. As many as 21 persons have been put under quarantine from Sector 33-A.Two residents of Sector 29-B, both aged 23 and friends of the eighth Covid patient, have been found positive at the GMCH32 today. The 40-year-old mother of the eighth patient has also tested positive. The 22-year-old man from Sector 30-B had tested positive for the deadly virus on March 27. He reported to the GMCH after apprehending the loss of smelling sense as a Covid symptom on March 25.

Mohalla celebrations, which coincides with the Holi festival where tens of thousands of devotees converge every year in the Sikh holy town Anandpur Sahib, located some 85 km from Chandigarh, between March 8 and 10. During his stay in Anandpur Sahib, he mingled freely with the people despite advisory on landing in Delhi’s IGI Airport on March 7 for isolation at home.

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Not interested in Congress chief job - CM Amarinder Singh Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday made it clear that he was not interested in leaving Punjab for national politics and batted for Rahul Gandhi to lead the Congress party and revive its glory. Speaking at a conclave to mark the third anniversary of his government, the chief minister said the choice of the next leadership rested with the Congress Working Committee and everyone wanted the 130-year-old party to revive and regain its lost glory and ground. “Rahul Gandhi definitely has it in him to steer the party as its leader, though at the moment he seems to be insistent about not taking over the party reins,” said Amarinder. Underscoring the need for a new leadership to emerge, Singh said it was not fair to further push Sonia Gandhi, who had been keeping

unwell. “Having worked closely with Sonia for several years, I found her to be a good leader who believes in the modern concept of management and giving a person a job and backing him/her to the hilt, and continue the backing if the job is well done or else push him/her out,” said the chief minister. With 70 per cent of India’s population comprising the youth, the need for younger leadership could not be ignored and Rahul was equipped to take up the role, he said. “The victory and defeat was part of politics and Rahul should not allow one defeat (2019 LS polls) to hold him back,” he said “I lost my first two elections, but if I had gone and sat at home I would not be where I am today,â€? he said.

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INDIA COVID-19 lockdown leaves no one to harvest crops A severe shortage of labour, triggered by India’s 21-day lockdown to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, will disrupt harvesting of winter crops in the world’s second largest producer of staple food grains, such as wheat. The northern bread basket states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh rely on farm labourers from eastern India, but after the lockdown began on March 24, most of them returned home to their villages. “We’ve never seen anything like this,” said Ramandeep Singh Mann, a farmer from Punjab, whose family grows wheat, rice and cotton on more than 45 acres (18 hectares) and would employ about 10 workers if they used mechanical harvesters. “We’ve no-one at all for harvests.”

Racing to stop coronavirus, India scours mosques to trace contacts with Delhi gathering As coronavirus cases rose across denselypopulated South Asia, authorities scoured mosques in northern India on Wednesday trying to trace people who attended the gathering of a Muslim group in New Delhi that later emerged as an infection hotspot. Thousands of people from across India and some from countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, had visited the headquarters of the Sunni Muslim missionary movement, Tablighi Jamaat, in a narrow winding Delhi lane last month, participating in prayer sessions and lectures over several days. With no public transportation and all movement stopped due to a nationwide lockdown.

2 doctors at Delhi hospital test positive for COVID-19 Two resident doctors of Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi have tested positive for COVID-19, official sources said on Wednesday. Two doctors of two Delhi government-run hospitals have also tested positive for the coronavirus infection, they said. One of the Safdarjung Hospital doctors, who is part of the team treating COVID-19 patients at the hospital, is believed to have contracted the disease during the course of duty, the sources said. The other doctor, a female resident doctor who is a third-year post-graduate student of the biochemistry department, had recently travelled abroad.

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PAKISTAN

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Cabinet approves Rs 1,200 bn relief package as COVID-19 cases rise Cabinet on Tuesday approved a Rs 1,200-billion relief package to deal with the growing coronavirus crisis in the country as COVID-19 cases rose sharply, claiming the lives of 25 people and infecting nearly 1,900. The package was unveiled by Prime Minister Imran Khan last week and it was formalised on Monday by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) in its meeting,

chaired by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh. Prime Minister Khan chaired the Cabinet meeting which granted approval to the relief package on Tuesday, his Advisor on Information Firdous Ashiq Aawan told the media. “The Cabinet unanimously approved Rs 1,200-billion coronavirus relief package with the commitment that it help to defeat the virus,” said Awan.

Conviction of man who killed US journalist over turned A local court in Pakistan on Thursday overturned the death sentence and murder convictions of four men believed to be involved in the killing of US journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002.The men had all been in prison for 18 years. Three were handed life sentences. A fourth, British national Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh, was awaiting the death penalty. The high court in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh vacated Sheikh’s murder conviction and reduced his death sentence to a seven-year prison term for kidnapping. His seven-year sentence will now be counted from the time served. It’s unclear if all four will be immediately released. Pearl, who was working as the South Asia bureau chief of the Wall Street Journal, was in Karachi reporting on Pakistani extremists and “shoe bomber” Richard Reid

when he was kidnapped by militants.The high profile abduction drew international attention, amid growing concern over the threat posed by radical Islamic terrorism. Assailants later filmed his beheading and sent it to US officials. It was among the first propaganda videos targeting hostages created by extremists, and helped to inspire other terror groups to film horrific and egregious acts of violence.Alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who was arrested in Pakistan in 2003, at one point claimed to have personally killed Pearl, but the admission was made while he was being tortured and he was never charged with the crime. Federal agents backed up Mohammed’s confession by comparing photos of the veins in his hands and the vein patterns of an assailant in the video of Pearl’s killing.

Coronavirus cases cross 2,000 The number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan surpassed 2,000 on Wednesday, indicating an upward trend despite efforts by the government to contain the pandemic. The Ministry of National Health Services said that 105 new patients tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of infections to 2,039.It showed that the largest provinces of Punjab had 708 cases, Sindh 676, Khyber-

Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 253, Balochistan 158, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) 184, Islamabad 54 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 6. So far, 26 people have died due to the virus and 82 have recovered, while another 12 are in critical condition. The increase in the number of cases showed that there was little impact of the measures, including partial lockdown, taken so far to reduce the spread of the disease.

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FIJI

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Health Ministry in the process of tracking people from Fiji who who were part of a recent gathering in India

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The Health Ministry is in the process of tracking down 2 people who attended an Islamic congregation at Nizamuddin that has become a key source for the spread of COVID-19 in India. Fijivillage has received information that they have tracked down 2 people while they are in the process of tracking down another 2. One of the people already tracked down is understood to be in isolation at the Labasa Hospital. Times of India has already reported that the four people from Fiji are likely to be blacklisted by India amongst the 300 foreigners who went

to India from 16 countries, on tourist visas but attended the congregation at Nizamuddin. We are awaiting comments from the Health Minister, Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete on the whereabouts of these people from Fiji, whether they have arrived in Fiji and are in self isolation and what steps are being taken as we speak. Stay with us for developments regarding this. India’s Union Home Ministry official said that these foreigners were among around 8,000 people who attended the Tabligh-e-Jamaat at Nizamuddin Markaz facility in March, many of whom have shown symptoms of COVID-19.

Suva area lockdown for 14 days amid COVID-19 crisis Suva area starting from the Delainavesi Bridge on the Queen’s Road, the Sawani Junction, and the Nausori Bridge will be on lockdown for a period of 14 days starting from 5am tomorrow morning.

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

Loan amount has to be paid back in full by customers signing for relief package for principal and interest holiday - Minam ANZ Fiji Country Head Saud Minam has made it clear that nothing is free and the loan amount has to be paid back in full at some point in time by their customers who will be signing for a six-month relief package for principal and interest holiday. Minam says those ANZ customers who have

taken loans and are affected by COVID-19 with loss of a job or reduced hours of work and want to know what interest rate they will be paying after the six month holiday period should call or email them. He confirms ANZ is getting hundreds of applications every day and they would now have between 500 and 700 applications that are currently being processed.

48 more arrested for breaching curfew 48 more people were arrested for breaching the curfew from 10 o’clock last night to 5 o’clock this morning and many of those arrested were either returning from a social gathering or a

kava session at friends or relatives place. Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho says the rest of those arrested could not give any reason as to why they had lost track of the time and were caught out during the curfew hours.

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Saturday, April 4, 2020

NRI Top South African HIV scientist Gita Ramjee dies of COVID-19 Tributes are being paid to world-renowned South African scientist Gita Ramjee, who has died from Covid-19-related complications.“She dedicated many years of her life to finding HIV prevention solutions for women,” her colleague and friend Gavin Churchyard said. Head of UNAids Winnie Byanyima said Prof Ramjee’s death was a huge loss at a time when the world needed her most. South Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV in the world. The country has begun a three-week lockdown as part of efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus. “The passing of Prof Ramjee comes as a huge blow to the entirety of the healthcare sector and the global fight against HIV/Aids,” the country’s Deputy

President David Mabuza said in a statement. “In her, we have indeed lost a champion in the fight against the HIV epidemic, ironically at the hands of this global pandemic. In her honour, we should heed the call to flatten the curve by strengthening our responses to this global pandemic as well as continue the fight to achieve zero new HIV infections.”‘I now stand among female giants’ Prof Ramjee, who died in hospital near the coastal city of Durban on Tuesday, had been working as the chief scientific officer at the Aurum Institute, a leading authority in the fight against HIV and TB. “Gita was a vibrant person, a real fighter. If she sets her mind on something, nobody better stand in her way,” Aurum head Prof Churchyard, who knew her for many years, told the BBC’s Pumza Fihlani.

Social distancing helps save lives - Indian-American CEO Social distancing measures, a key aspect in the fight against the deadly coronavirus pandemic, helps save lives as it reduces fever, according to an Indian-American CEO and founder of a health tech startup that monitors temperatures of people in the US through its inter-connected digital thermometer. More than 250 million Americans are said to be staying indoors in view of the fast spreading coronavirus, which so far has infected more than 160,000 Americans and taken the lives of over 3,000 people.Inder Singh, CEO and founder of Kinsa Health, in multiple interviews to various news outlets, has said that the real time data of the US have revealed

that social distancing has helped reduce fever. Consistent high temperature is one of the key aspects of a patient infected by COVID-19. “When you shut down schools and businesses, you are breaking the chain of infections,” Singh told USA Today in an interview. “The data are showing it is working and the clusters of fever we were seeing are levelling off and diminishing within days,” he said. Kansa health is based out of California. According to the report, flu-related illness in California’s Santa Clara County, for example, has dropped by more than 60 per cent since a March 17 shelterin-place order.

NRI arrested for violating directions to stay in quarantine The police have booked an NRI from New Zealand for marrying on Sunday as he allegedly did not complete the quarantine period of 14 days. He had reached India on March 10. The NRI, 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.” The Station House Officer (SHO) said that on Saturday evening, the police had tried to convince his family to postpone the wedding. “But on Saturday night, he and his rlatives went to Fazilika to solemnise his marriage in violation of government directions,” the SHO said.

UK extends work visas for Indian, foreign doctors In a relief to foreign doctors, including from India, whose visas were set to expire in October this year, the UK government has extended the deadline by one year amid the country’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The UK government on Tuesday confirmed that foreign doctors, including from India, whose visas are set to expire before October this year will get an automatic

extension for one year as they battle the coronavirus pandemic for the country’s National Health Service (NHS). The extension, announced by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, will apply to around 2,800 migrant doctors, nurses and paramedics employed by the NHS whose visa is due to expire before October 1.

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Saturday, April 4, 2020

SOUTH ASIA 18 Nepali Muslims who attended Nizamuddin congregation in Delhi, quarantined in Nepal Eighteen Nepali Muslims, who recently returned from India after participating in a Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Nizamuddin area in New Delhi, have been identified and kept in a quarantine facility in southern Nepalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Saptari district, authorities said on Wednesday. Famed for the shrine of the 14th century Sufi mystic Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya, the Nizamuddin area of New Delhi has emerged as an epicentre for spread of the coronavirus in different parts of India after thousands of people took part in a Tablighi Jamaat congregation from March 1-15. Indian authorities have launched a nationwide search for participants of the huge religious gathering amid fears that thousands present there could have carried the infection to the length and breadth of the country. Various nationals, particularly from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan come for Tabligh activities in Delhi. Nepali authorities on Wednesday said that 18 local Muslims, who recently returned from the Indian capital after participating in the religious gathering, have been quarantined in Saptari district in southern Nepal. According to spokesperson of Kanchanpur municipality Raj Kumar Shah the India returnees have been quarantined at a newly constructed building of Lakshmi Naryan Secondary School. Meanwhile, around 400 Indian nationals, who gathered from different parts of Nepal to return to India, have been stranded in Birgunj area in Parsa due to the closure of the India-Nepal border. According to Parsaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Superintendent of Police (SP) Ganga Panta, the huge mass of Indian citizens heading towards India via border in Parsa have been kept in an education faculty building. They returned to Birgunj on Tuesday morning after finding that the border was closed in the Indian side. They were provided meal by Nepal Police on Wednesday morning and necessary arrangements are being made for their temporary stay. Meanwhile, two Indian men who travelled to Gaur of Rautahat district from Kathmandu riding on bicycles crossing a distance of more than 200 km during the lockdown reached Sitamarhi border only to find that the border was closed. Raj Kishore Sah and Sanjaya Sah, permanent residents of Betauna in Motihari district in Bihar of India, left Kathmandu on Sunday and reached Gaur on Wednesday, a town in Rautahat bordering Sitamarhi of Bihar. They used to work as fruit vendors in Kathmandu.

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