03APR2020 | Vol 12 Issue 03

www.iwk.co.nz /indianweekender /indianweekender

Stay home. Save lives.

NZ Local Hero
Awards
13 Kiwi-Indians
make the list

COVID-19: LOCKDOWN WEEK 1

Temporary workers Complete

falling through cracks

coverage
inside

*conditions apply and Patient needs to inform about this voucher at the time of booking
 2 NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage

Govt needs to make clear

Friday, April 03, 2020 The Indian Weekender

plan for temporary workers

falling through the cracks
¡ SANDEEP SINGH Rujul says “this is not fair.” I have been

M
working for almost the entire period of my stay
ore and more temporary workers,
in New Zealand on work visas and paying my
While most of the
who have been in New Zealand
for many years on different visas
taxes.” New Zealanders
“It was just that I was out of a job for one
are being left out unsupported from either
week while waiting for the change of visa label continue to receive the
government’s wage subsidy scheme or other
welfare schemes during the Alert Level 4
from Immigration New Zealand to be able to support announced
Lockdown.  start my new job when we went into lockdown.”
While most of the New Zealanders continue “Now technically I am without any job and so generously by the
any employer to apply and get the wage subsidy
to receive the support announced so generously
for me.”
government, a vast
by the government, a vast majority of temporary
migrant workers are being left out, and more “I have got a sitting job offer but cannot majority of temporary
so - without any clear information of where to start without getting my visa label changed
seek the help that they are seeking.  from INZ,” a desperate Rujul told The Indian migrant workers are
The Indian Weekender has been in touch Weekender.  being left out, and more
with several desperate temporary workers who Rujul was working as a Class-2 level Truck
have been present in the country for many years Driver when made redundant on March 16, and so - without any clear
on different work visas and paying their taxes
but fail to neatly qualify under the eligibility
given only a week’s notice, with March 23 as
the last working day, by his employer as per his
information of where to
criteria for the government›s wage subsidy contract.  seek the help that they
scheme.  However, regardless of the redundancy,
The government’s multi-layered welfare based on his skills and demonstrable work are seeking. 
schemes are not covering temporary migrant experience, Rujul was able to find a job with
workers during these unsettling times.   another employer and had rightly applied
Rujul Ramabhai Chaudhari, 25, who first for Variance of Condition with Immigration
arrived in New Zealand in 2015 on a student New Zealand so as to change the name of the to deal with the economic fallout of the
visa and getting an open work visa in 2017 employer on his visa label.  Finance Minister Grant Robertson had Covid-19 pandemic. 
told The Indian Weekender how he was Rujul was waiting at home to get his visa- announced a wage subsidy scheme first on Sadly, Rujul does not qualify for the wage
struggling to find financial support after the label changed when the country entered into March 23 and subsequently modified further on subsidy scheme as only employers can apply
country went into a complete lockdown that complete lockdown on Wednesday, 11.59 pm March 28, cushioning workers and businesses and get this from the government, and Rujul
froze all work opportunities.  March 26. 
 The Indian Weekender
was caught-up without any job for
the only time of the last five years of
his working life.  critical times.
Expectant couple
struggles to find
financial support
Similarly, another Kiwi-Indian
couple Suhail Zaidi and Shadma
who were on Essential Skills Work
Visa and are expecting their first
child in May 2020 are running from
post to post to get financial support
during these unsettling times after
Suhail was made redundant by his
Australia-based employer.  Minister of Ethnic Communities
“I was made redundant on
March 25, and as per the contract,
the company does not have any
redundancy payout. I have been paid
my wages for March and was advised
that April 7 will be my last day.”
“Since then I have been trying to
find out ways and means to get any
financial support to help our growing
family through this lockdown
period,” Suhel said.  previous job in February when I
Another desperate
temporary migrant
working couple
seeking help
Another Kiwi-Indian couple
Harvinder Singh Mehrok and
Gurbinder Kaur Saini, who were
waiting for a change of visa labels
from Immigration New Zealand
to be able to start their new jobs
are struggling to find any financial
support or information during the
lockdown period.  Development. I heard back from
“We both came to New Zealand
on student visas about four-five years
ago and have been on work visas
since then.”
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
National List MP based
in Manukau East
1/131 Kolmar Road, Papatoetoe, Auckland
09 278 9302
bakshi.mp@parliament.govt.nz
bakshiks
bakshi.co.nz
For JP services please contact
Rahul Chopra on 09 278 9302
Funded by the Parliamentary
Service. Authorised by
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi MP,
1/131 Kolmar Road,
Papatoetoe.
Friday, April 03, 2020
“My wife works as a senior
caregiver and had applied for a
change of visa in early March this
year to able to start her new job,”
Harvinder said.  welfare support during these times of
“I became redundant from my
was away overseas on approved
holidays.”
“I came back and applied for a
new job and got it and had applied
for the same change of visa label on
March 2.”  receive any support.
“We are not sure if Immigration
New Zealand (INZ) is working or
not during this lockdown, but right
now we have become jobless with no
financial support,” Harvinder told the
Indian Weekender.  many desperate calls from people in
“Now we are almost out of our
savings as well and really worried
about what to do,” a worried
Harvinder said.  clear information for temporary
Calls to Work and
Income not getting
help  response is awaited.
NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage
While all other New Zealanders
who do not qualify for the
government’s wage subsidy scheme
are still able to get some form of
complete lockdown.  “I have since been advised to
However, unfortunately, Rujul
and Suhel do not qualify, and their
repeated, desperate phone calls to
Work and Income have been politely
refused for the lack of eligibility to
Speaking to The Indian
Weekender Suhel said “I have been
on the phone to various government
agencies since the news of the
company winding up operations was
made available to me. I have spoken
to the Covid-19 relief helpline who
put me on to the Ministry of Social
them that a case officer from Work
and Income will be assigned my case
and will look into the matter to help
me with the situation.”
“I was later contacted by a case
officer from WINZ, who advised
me that I do not qualify for the
COVID-19 wage relief as I am not a
resident.”
speak to IRD, MBIE, Immigration
NZ, but all in vain,” said a visibly
anxious Suhel.  enquiries for request directly to the
A clearly exasperated Rujul, on the
other hand, asks, “Everyone is saying
that we all are in this together.”
“How is this together? We are
being left out for no fault of ours,”
Rujul asks frustratingly.  migrant workers seeking help
The Indian Weekender has received
Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington
and beyond, who shied away from
sharing their photos or names for the
story for fear of any vendetta later by
government agencies.  the cracks and being left unsupported
However, they have the same
frustrations about the lack of
3
information on any support for
temporary workers during these
What does the
government say?
The Indian Weekender has
been following up with various
government offices and Ministries
to find any «nodal agency» that the
government might have created to
coordinate all help for temporary
workers during the Covid-19
lockdown. 
Last week, the office of the
Jenny Salesa had followed up The
Indian Weekender’s enquiry with
the Ministry of Social Development
and got a response, which cleared
that all help, if any, for the temporary
migrants was not being extended
by MSD, but rather the Ministry
of Business, Innovation and
Employment. 
The Indian Weekender has
subsequently reported, advising
the Kiwi-Indian and the wider
migrant community to direct their
office of the  MBIE  as per the last
communication received from the
MSD. 
However, The Indian
Weekender has learnt that temporary
directly from MBIE have not been
successful either. 
Since then The Indian
Weekender had sent another enquiry
to the office of the MBIE requesting
migrant workers who are caught up in
during these critical times, and a
 4 NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage Friday, April 03, 2020 The Indian Weekender

Govt allows Kiwis to buy

whitewares and other essential
goods during lockdown
¡ SANDEEP SINGH
Businesses must
operate responsibly
and only make

G
ovt makes concessions in essential
businesses, as Kiwis are allowed to buy
essential whiteware goods.  genuine essential
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and
Employment has issued the following statement
today:
The Government has decided that the sale
of essential goods such as heaters, whiteware
and computers will be allowed - in recognition
of the need for people to safely isolate, stay
connected to one another and work or study
from home. In order to protect public safety,
there are conditions around the selling of these
goods. These are outlined below.
The Government indicated at the start of the
shutdown that we were considering whether
some products could be made available online
or by phone and we have decided there are
essential non-food products that people should
be able to buy so they can safely isolate and
stop the spread of COVID-19.
Essential goods are those that will keep
people warm (heaters, blankets), replace key
household appliances, and maintain people’s
health. Examples of essential products are
blankets, fridges, heaters and computers or
tablets to work from home or do distance
learning, or simply connect with people. If
people can’t buy these, then we risk people
venturing out of their homes more often.
Businesses must operate responsibly and
only make available for sale genuine essential
goods - goods that are necessities of life while
ensuring we restrict the movement of people
and workers to combat COVID-19.
The public must order responsibly purchasing
only those items that are absolutely necessary
to facilitate life and work during the lockdown
period.
In order to be able to sell
these essential goods,
businesses must:
• Only take orders online or by phone and
keep storefronts shut.
• Take orders for only essential non-food
goods.
• Home delivers all essential goods in a
contactless way and not allow people to
visit stores to select or collect goods.
• Take all appropriate public health measures
to protect their staff and customers
(e.g. physical distancing, hygiene
basics, appropriate personal protective
equipment).
available for sale
goods - goods that
are necessities
of life
• Notify MBIE that they meet these
conditions and intend to offer essential
goods for sale and provide a list of those
products. See covid19.govt.nz
•  for more information on how to do this.
If a business cannot meet these conditions,
they should not offer to sell essential goods while
the country is at Alert Level 4. If businesses are
too generous in their interpretation of what is
“essential” or flout these rules, Government
will take further action.
MBIE also says that they recognize it
may take some time for businesses to amend
their systems in order to comply with these
conditions so we ask the public to be patient.
Information on Essential Services is being
regularly updated on covid19.govt.nz
••

“Fruits and Vege shops to close,” says Community newspapers

MBIE, after MPI allowed shops to open earlier are now deemed again as
‘Essential Services’
¡ SANDEEP SINGH Friday, March

T
28, 5 pm was the
he two government
deadline of the
departments
registration from ¡ IWK BUREAU news publications which can meet certain
continue to send

T
the businesses, criteria,” Kris Faafoi said.
out mutually contradictory and it is expected he Government is refining its The guidance has expanded to cover
messages regarding that MPI COVID-19 essential business guide news publications that:
allowing fruits and officials will to include the distribution of news serve a need for hard to reach rural
veggie shops to function start inspecting publications for communities which are communities, with reduced connectivity,
as “Essential Services” b u s i n e s s hard to reach. and/or serve non-English speaking
during Alert Level-4 premises from The Minister of Broadcasting, communities,
complete lockdown.  today to see if Communications and Digital Media, Kris and have appropriate health and safety
The latest response strict hygiene and Faafoi, said the move was in recognition measures to minimise the spread of
received by the Indian social-distancing of the importance for New Zealanders COVID-19 during production and delivery.
have been operating since they who might be harder to reach having
Weekender to its earlier enquiry rules are being adhered  “We have to maintain a balance of people
were introduced, and we have access to news publications, which
on Monday, March 30, the Notably, based on email being able to stay connected with important
been listening to feedback and confirmation received from the can share important up-to-date public
official permission around Fruits information which they can trust while
making changes as we go where office of the MPI, a few fruits health messaging during the COVID-19
and veggie shops, received also ensuring New Zealanders’ health and
necessary. We signalled from the and veggies shops, the Indian emergency.
this morning conveyed the stopping the spread of the COVID virus
beginning that what constitutes weekender had reliably learnt, Notably, media has always been deemed
Government›s latest decision remain our top priorities.
an essential service or business were able to open their shops as essential services ever since the country
to deem those businesses “The Government asks that where
may change during this period on Saturday, after their shops went into Alert Level-4 Lockdown on
as non-essential, and hence community media content can be provided
of shutdown. To get the most were earlier closed by the New Wednesday, March 26. However, in a
to remain closed during the by other means, such as online, we ask them
up to date information on what Zealand Police.  subsequent update to the list of Essential
lockdown period.  to focus on those modes of publication
is an essential service,” the The Indian Weekender Services by the Ministry of Business and
“The Government needs to put during the heightened COVID-19 Alert.
spokesperson further said.  understands that it is a fast- Employment (MBIE) they were removed
in restrictions on which business But we accept that there are remote
However, it was not clear if evolving situation and the from the essential services allowed to
can and cannot supply essential communities and non-English language
the MBIE’s latest verdict will Government is continuously operate during the lockdown period, raising
services to minimise the spread communities who may not be able to access
override permission granted to assessing and updating about many concerns across the communities.
of Covid 19. The more businesses up-to-date information by other means.
several fruits and veggie stores the eligibility of businesses to subsequently. 
we have open, the harder it will “The Government recognises that these
that the Indian Weekender has function as “essential services.” Following increased concerns from
be to contain the spread of Covid However, it is not clear, which were already difficult times for traditional
reliably learnt had been able to various communities, including the media across the sector, even before
19. Fruit and vegetable stores Ministry’s decision will have the opposition National Party, the government
seek official permission from the COVID-19 hit, and that restrictions which
are deemed as non-essential final verdict with regards to the has today again included them in the list of
office of the Ministry of Primary remain in place for other publications, such
as the products they sell can fruits and veggies shops.  Essential Services. 
Industry on Friday, March 28. as non-daily magazines, are adding to their
be bought from supermarkets. The Indian Weekender has sent “We recognise there are remote parts
The office of the MPI had financial challenges.
Supermarkets are classified as another enquiry to the office of the of New Zealand with limited digital
initiated a registration process MBIE about more clarification on “The Government remains committed
essential services,” an official connectivity, as well as non-English
from businesses in primary which government department›s to providing assistance through the wage
spokesperson of MBIE said. language communities which rely on
food and agriculture industry to verdict was full and final at the subsidy and business support packages
“The Government has been these outlets to keep informed, so we
establish if their businesses can time of publishing of this story, which have been rolled out in response to
closely monitoring how the have expanded the COVID-19 essential
remain operational under Covid and a response is awaited. this global health emergency,” Kris Faafoi
Essential Services requirements business guidance to include community
19 Alert level 4 lockdown.  said.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, April 03, 2020 NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage 5

INZ allows international students,

temporary visa-holders working
in supermarkets to work full-time Your Trusted Financial Advisers
Changes have been made to relax visa
restrictions for international students who
are workig and those on work visas Expert Advice for
¡ SANDEEP SINGH
First Home Buyers
In Business

I
n a major move to
ramp-up the shortage
of work-force in
the supermarkets, the
Immigration New Zealand
on Monday, March
30, issued a relaxation
allowing international Right advice and economical Better rates and stress free loans
students to work full-time quote for all your insurance needs Advice on best loan structures
as a response to the novel
coronavirus (COVID-19)
to supermarkets experiencing immediate labour
outbreak. 
supply issues, particularly to meet the increased
Changes have been made to immigration
demand for shelf re-stocking, and their
instructions to relax visa restrictions for two
subsequent request to relax visa restrictions
groups of current supermarket employees for
for migrant workers,” the new immigration
a period of 30 days vide Operational Manual:
instructions said. 
Amendment Circular No. 2020. 
 The instructions, along with allowing Key points
international students, who are mandated to • This decision only applies to those
work only 20 hours per week normally, to international students/work visa holders
work full-time, also removes any restrictions who are already employed and working in
on the work-visa holders already working in major supermarkets. 
the supermarkets to work at an area beyond the • The decision covers temporary workers
scope of their original visa-restrictions.  from March -25 - April 25, 2020
“Work visa holders to allow them to work in • The definition of ‘supermarket’ is tightly
roles other than specified on their visa” defined, limited to retailers selling primarily
“student visa holders to allow them to work food and groceries, who are affiliated with
more than 20 hours per week” Woolworths New Zealand or Foodstuffs
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 6 NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage Friday, April 03, 2020 The Indian Weekender

‘Unskilled workers’ now

keeping New Zealand going
¡ SANDEEP SINGH security. Immigration New Zealand “The current focus on essential
FOR RNZ have insisted that they are unskilled workers actually begs the question

I
t’s time for New Zealand to shed
its long-accumulated collective
hypocrisy of treating temporary
migrant workers with contempt and
disrespect.
That’s not to suggest that the
majority of New Zealanders
harbour some kind of racist hostility
towards ethnic minority migrant
communities. Indeed, New Zealand
has a proud reputation of being a
friendly, casual, progressive country
that believes in a spirit of kindness
and fairness towards everyone.
However, regardless of this
collective sense of ourselves, there
is a dark underbelly of treating
our ethnic migrant workers with
contempt - especially the most
visible migrant workforce in our
supermarkets, petrol stations,
aged care sector, security and food
distribution.
Often, this underbelly gets exposed
when anti-immigrant emotions flare-
up - occasionally at a political level
and more so when we head towards
an election.
This collective disdain is
crystallized in Immigration New
Zealand’s categorisation of these
seemingly menial jobs as ‘unskilled’
which propels those vulnerable
workers towards an unending cycle
of migrant exploitation by some
unscrupulous employers.
These ‘unskilled’ workers are first
lured onshore with a bogus, and often
non-existing, promise of residency
pathways.
Depending on the political urgency
to win elections, the contempt and
disrespect towards these lowly-paid
temporary migrant workers further
escalates into full-blown attacks and
accusations of being responsible for
every infrastructure-deficit facing
our towns and cities.
The Covid-19 pandemic lockdown
has suddenly catapulted those
previously ‘less-essential’, and
hence less desirable workers, to the
position of being frontline workers in
the essential services needed to keep
everyday New Zealanders’ daily
lives going during these unsettling
times.
Recognising the critical role that
these workers play in the smooth
operation of our supermarkets and
supply chains during complete
lockdown, the Government has
quietly on Monday 30 March, relaxed
the visa restrictions on international
students and work visa holders, so
that our supermarkets do not face any
major disruption.
Temporary workers have
had to endure institutionalised
contempt which is ingrained in the
immigration system, where jobs
such as departmental managers
in supermarkets are deemed as
unskilled and hence not worthy for
permanent migration.
For many years now migrant
workers on temporary visas have
struggled to obtain residency working
in jobs such as supermarkets, supply
chains, truck driving, healthcare and
and have told them that after three
years they must leave, insisting that
Kiwis should be doing their jobs.
However, the current Covid-19
pandemic has shown us that they are
not less essential workers.
Is it not a quiet
admission of the
government’s own
hypocrisy?
For many ethnic migrant workers
and their genuine, compassionate
and progressive Kiwi friends, who
have for years noted this selective
prejudice, this might be an admission
of the Government’s hypocrisy
towards our shelf-stackers and other
frontline workers.
Governments have for years
determined the desirability of new
migrants by skill level, or by salary
level, but in a crisis, we can now see
who the real workers are providing
value and essential skills to the
country. What will their reward be for
keeping us all fed and healthy? Will
they be told that they are unskilled
and stealing other people’s jobs or
will this crisis now show their value
and benefit to the country that has not
yet been previously recognised?
Immigration lawyer Alastair
McClymont of McClymont
Associates concurs:
‘who is skilled?’ and ‘what type of
worker in NZ is in fact essential?’
and ‘how do we then encourage and
reward those essential workers?’
“Government should give them a
real pathway to residency. Reward
them for their essential work,
lay down conditions of what we
expect of good citizens. Lay down
requirements in terms of character
and a contribution to society,” Mr
McClymont said.
It is time for the government to
change Immigration New Zealand’s
attitude towards temporary workers
working in sectors such as aged-
care, supermarkets, distribution and
security, who are repeatedly told that
they are not essential, and so have to
leave the country once they are done
with the jobs of caring for our most
vulnerable.
If a call to reward these temporary
workers with a blanket residency
might be an overstretch, then at
least the Government needs to
change the immigration system to
regard these, now proven, essential
jobs as essential for the purposes of
immigration.
This opinion was first published
on Radio New Zealand and is
re-published on The Indian
Weekender with permission. 

Temporary workers in distress

asked to contact MBIE for help
¡ SANDEEP SINGH

F
ollowing an earlier inquiry with the office
of the Minister for Ethnic Communities
Jenny Salesa, about a distressed Kiwi-
Indian Chef sleeping rough in Auckland streets
during the Covid-19 emergency lockdown,
the Indian Weekender has received a response
advising that for now the Ministry of Business,
Innovation and Enterprise will be acting as the
key nodal agency. 
The Indian Weekender on Saturday
March 28 reported that a Migrant chef was
rendered homeless when he was transitioning
between two jobs and had sent his passport to
Immigration New Zealand for the mandatory
change of visa label when the country entered
“The current advice
into complete lockdown.  from the Ministry of
A request was sent to the office of Minister
Salesa with an inquiry if there was any Social Development for
designated nodal agency that the government people on temporary
has set-up to provide more targeted help to some
temporary workers who were falling under the visas is to contact The
cracks and missing out on the support that the “The current advice from the Ministry of entered into the Level-4 lockdown has finally
Social Development for people on temporary been able to get accommodation following Ministry of Business
government has been providing to everyone. 
Minister Salesa had then responded visas is to contact The Ministry of Business an intervention from the office of the Hon Innovation and
immediately, assuring to find the accurate Innovation and Employment on 0508 754163,” Consul of India, on behalf of the Indian High
information and made further contacts within response from the office of the Minister of Commission.  Employment on
Social development Caramel Sepuloni said.  The Indian Weekender will continue
the appropriate government offices. 
The office of the Minister for Ethnic Affairs
0508 754163
The Indian Weekender has received a reporting on the matters related to the Kiwi-
response from the office of the Ministry of has also assured that they will be making further Indian community and the wider migrant
Social Development that the government has follow-ups to ensure the right help reaches out community and get accurate information. 
set the Ministry of Business, Innovation and to migrant workers in distress.  For now, migrant temporary workers in
Enterprise (MBIE) as the nodal agency and the Meanwhile, The Kiwi-Indian Chef who was distress are encouraged to call MBIE on 0508 come into place during these unprecedented
first point of contact.  rendered homeless ever since the country had 754163, while possibly further support systems times.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, April 03, 2020 NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage 7

Indian High Commission extends food

supplies for Indians hit by the lockdown
¡  RIZWAN MOHAMMAD All registered members of the

T
he Indian High Commission
has come forward to help
those individuals who are
stranded in New Zealand without a
job or access to basic amenities.  Selected
The initiative was taken when
stranded members of the Indian
community reached out to the High
Commission on social media asking
for help as they have been rendered
out of a job, or without a proper visa
to continue or start work during this
lockdown that started on Thursday,
March 26.  and at the same time maintaining
Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust,
a community organisation, working
for the senior citizens of the Indian
community in Auckland has taken
the lead in coordinating with different
Indian grocery stores to arrange for
food and other basic supplies for the
Indians in need in Auckland.  flour, juice cans, sugar, lentils, tea, 5
High Commission of India
published a poster on its social media
asking eligible Indian community
members facing difficulties
with necessary food supplies to
register themselves with www.
COVIDsupport.co.nz and email their
details to hoc.wellington.gov.in  so
that things can be arranged for them
to pick up or be delivered if needed.
Coordinating with the High
Commission of India in Wellington,
Jeet Suchdev from Bhartiya Samaj
reached out to several Indian grocery
stores in Auckland collecting basic
and raw food supplied.  and unable to pay for their food
The food packets included
cooking oil, salt, 10 kgs rice and
kg onion and potato bags, some non-
perishable vegetables and different
varieties of beans.  can survive for at least three weeks
 Mr Jeet Suchdev on Tuesday,
March 31, assembled with his team
at 12 Puhinui Road in Papatoetoe,
Auckland, with over 15 packets of
food supply packets.  Covid support website created by
Mr Suchdev and his team of
volunteers maintaining the social
distancing rule stood with the
supplies when they were greeted
by two individuals from different
households who were affected by the
lockdown with no means of income
supplies. 
“We were able to get Indo Spice in
Papatoetoe to arrange the groceries
picked and packed so that the needy
individuals or families for that matter
to a month,” Jeet Suchdev told The
Indian Weekender.  onion and potato
People who were in need were
asked to register themselves on the
High Commission of India which
were then analysed by the team for
being eligible for this help.  Mr Suchdev added.
community were asked to provide
their passport details, contact
information, physical address and
visa status so that their eligibility can
be verified. 
individuals were
contacted to pick up the food
supplies, or if they were unable to
pick up the goods, volunteers from
Bhartiya Samaj dropped the good
personally to their homes. 
“Since Tuesday, my team and
I have delivered at least 30 food
packets to individuals located in
different parts of Auckland city
The food packets our social distancing protocol,” Mr
Suchdev added. 
distributed by Speaking about the support, Mr
Bhartiya Samaj in Suchdev commended the efforts
of the Indian High Commission to
association with
reach out for its citizens and help
the Indian High them in this hour of their need that
Commissioner, has brought the whole country on a
included cooking standby. 
“It is these times that Indian
oil, salt, 10 kgs rice citizens stranded here will remember
and flour, tea, 5 kg that the Kiwi-Indian community did
not forget them and did whatever
in their capacity to help them, at a
bags, among other place away from their homeland, and
I personally take this opportunity as
grocery items
a privilege to serve my community
members just as we serve our senior
citizens through Bhartiya Samaj,”
 

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 8 NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage Friday, April 03, 2020 The Indian Weekender

Outgoing police commissioner

Stay at home to save lives
Priyanca Radhakrishnan
List MP based in Maungakiekie,
Parliamentary Private Secretary for the
Minister of Ethnic Cocmmunications
now, even though it is difficult. I applaud – and
thank - everyone who is taking this seriously
Mike Bush reflects on 42 years
in the service
and staying home.
Of course, there’ll always be some people
who don’t obey the rules. I was pleased to hear
Police Commissioner Mike Bush say that the ¡ RADIO NEW ZEALAND

N
ew Zealand is now at alert level 4 of
the COVID-19 alert system and the
Prime Minister has indicated that this
will last for at least four weeks.
police would be very visible in our communities
from the start of the lockdown. They’ll be
Outgoing
assisting across the entire country, but if any Police
specific areas or regions were found to have Commissioner

Most New increased activity, then police would deploy Mike Bush

Zealanders additional
are doing teams there.
their part to They will
break the initially take
chain and stop an approach of
the spread of encouraging
COVID-19. people to
Sadly, the first obey the rules New Police Commissioner Andrew Coster

P
COVID-19 and educating
them about olice commissioner Mike Bush will Asked about changes in the wake of those
related death this evening hang up his cap for the
what those events, and if he could see the police routinely
in New final time.
rules are, arming themselves, he said he did not like the
Zealand was Bush is retiring from the police after 42
bearing in idea.
reported on years in the service.
mind that “A lot of people inside the organisation
Sunday. Left He will continue to lead the response to the are split on that, but as a leadership team we
unchecked, we are in an
nationwide lockdown caused by the global don’t believe there is any evidence to suggest
we run the risk unparalleled Covid-19 pandemic, but from now on he says
situation. that arming the police will keep them or the
of taking the he will be fronting media without the “bling” community any safer.
lives of many For almost of his police issue suit.
everybody “So what we’ve got to do is look at the right
more people. Earlier, RNZ’s police reporter Ben Strang deployment model.”
I know who’s not asked him what he was most proud of from his He said that was why police were piloting
that the vast complying, time in the police.
the Armed Response Teams, which he said
majority of that will be “We’ve modernised and transformed
everything,” Bush said. would end at the end of the month, pending
us are taking enough.
“That takes a lot of work by the leadership of review.
alert level 4 But if
people still the organisation. I’d say that’s what I’m most The new commissioner
seriously and staying local and maintaining proud of.
a two metre distance from others when we don’t comply and the police become aware of Andrew Coster will replace Bush as
“How we’ve moved an organisation, shaped
have to go out – thank you. However, physical persistent breaches, those in breach may face commissioner from tomorrow, with the
the culture, shaped and driven a new way of
distancing doesn’t mean social distancing. arrest and/or prosecution. This is the right leading, how we’ve used technology to enable incumbent saying the force is in good hands.
Please check in on older relatives or those who approach because public health and public everything we need to do, and to provide a “I’ve worked with Andy since 2008, he was
are more vulnerable over the phone – or online safety must come first. really modern service for people.” on my leadership team in Counties Manukau.
– even if it’s just for a chat! Once we get into the swing of this level 4 Bush has led the police through a massive “He’s one of the smartest people you
As I write this, on Tuesday morning, the signs lockdown, I’m confident that deliberate flouting culture change in the past six years, but has will ever meet, his integrity is of the highest
are that the large majority of New Zealanders of the rules will be very rare and that other also led a move to embrace technology. standard, and he’ll just take the organisation to
are respecting the seriousness of the situation New Zealanders who care about the health While the force has not been without the next level.”
we’re in and obeying the Level 4 rules. They’re of their loved ones and our wider community controversy in his time as commissioner, Bush Does he want to give him any advice?
staying home so they can help save lives. won’t hesitate to alert police. If you need to said he had no regrets. “Look, he probably doesn’t need any
They’re keeping their distance. They’re only alert the police to a possible breach, call the “I will be leaving tonight, extremely proud [advice], but what I’d say to all leaders is when
police non-emergency number on 105. And as of the organisation, but also proud of what you’ve got a plan, you’ve got a vision, yes,
venturing out for an essential service or for a
always, check www.covid19.govt.nz for useful, we’ve been able to achieve. absolutely, listen to those around you and ask
little exercise and they’re generally doing it on
regularly updated information. “I don’t have any regrets. I had a plan when
their own. They’re keeping inside their home’s the right questions, but never blink.”
We’re all in this together, we need to stay home I became commissioner, and I believe we’ve
isolation bubble so we can break the chain of Bush said he would miss putting on the blue
to save lives. Thank you for working together to achieved everything we set out to do.”
transmission of COVID-19. uniform each day.
collectively unite against COVID-19. Bush said the past year has been the toughest
That’s the right thing for us all do to right he has experienced in policing. “I’m going to miss the people inside it, I’ll
He said the Christchurch mosque attacks, miss the challenges.
the Whakaari / White Island eruption, and “But... probably my wife and I will have a
break, and have a holiday.”
Trust Saffron Finance for now the Covid-19 pandemic had changed the
••
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 The Indian Weekender Friday, April 03, 2020 NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage 9

Shanti Niwas ramps up its

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

S
hanti Niwas Charitable Trust, a
community organisation for the seniors
of the Kiwi Indian and the Asian
community, has ramped up all its services to
a digital platform encouraging the seniors to
participate in combating the blues of the Alert
Level 4 lockdown in the country.
In an announcement made by the government
last week, services for older people were
deemed into the list of essential services,
and Shanti Niwas falls under that category
providing services to the senior citizens of the
Asian community in Auckland.
On any typical week of the year, senior
citizens of the Indian community divided into
different groups at Shanti Niwas’ five different
centres in Auckland perform and participate
in various activities to engage themselves and
Call: Jyoti Parashar +64212082915 +64212028406 or Verona on +64212592114. 
spend the leisure time of their retirement with
or Priya Ramrakhiani +64211131066, Shanti Niwas Elder Abuse Response Service
one another.
Email  shantiniwas@xtra.co.nz & is an MSD accredited Essential Service
Due to the lockdown in effect from Thursday,
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/snct. Provider. 
March 26, and several announcements
newzealand.  Shanti Niwas charitable trust has been in the
regarding the danger of the Covid-19 pandemic
The team created individual forefront serving seniors of South Asain origin
in New Zealand, especially on the elderlies of Elder Abuse is Not Okay. for the past 25 years. As an organisation, we
the community, Shanti Niwas suspended all the WhatsApp groups to cater If you know of any senior who is being strive to look after the holistic wellbeing of our
activities of the senior citizens. to each group- encouraging neglected or is in a state of abuse or need any seniors. During these physical distancing times,
“We were aware of the dangers that Covid-19 social support services, please call our social
poses for our senior citizens at least a week or them to do activities so that we will reach out to you to provide support and
workers for free and confidential support.  assistance.
two before the number started spiking in New they do not get bored and Get in touch with us by phone call, text, Lockdown Is About Physical
Zealand and so were kept all our community keep themselves occupied WhatsApp, or email to discuss your needs
activities at our different centres in Auckland and issues. We will try our best to help, Distancing, Not Social Isolation.
and working.
on a hold. support and guide you. Call Nilima Venkat on Let’s Beat This Together. 
“Knowing the gravity of this pandemic,
we announced to our senior citizens that all
“We asked our seniors to inform their doctors
activities are suspended until further notice and
to fax their prescriptions to two pharmacies
asked them to keep themselves safe at home and
who would arrange their medicines and deliver
practice hygiene at all times,” Nilima Venkat,
them at their doorstep for free, so they don’t run McCLYMONT AND ASSOCIATES
General Manager of Shanti Niwas Charitable
Trust told The Indian Weekender.  
out of their daily medication.
“We also asked seniors unable to get their
Immigration Law Specialists
With this new regime of staying at home,
food supplies to send them the list of essential
the lockdown, a new challenge came up for the We provide legal advice and
groceries they need and volunteers from Shanti
Shanti Niwas team to make sure establish or
Niwas will get it for them at their doorstep,” Ms representation to clients needing
conduct activities online and on social media
Venkat added.
so that seniors do not get lost in the lockdown
Shanti Niwas also stressed on the rise of
help with all New Zealand Immigration
blues.   and Citizenship Issues including:
elder abuse and domestic violence during this
Shanti Niwas created a database of all the
lockdown as predicted by police. Ms Venkat • Resident Visas
seniors enrolled with the organisation- divided
added on the number of reports of elder abuse
them into centres, day-activities (Monday- • Work Visas
and domestic abuse in the last one week,
Tuesday), senior who live with their families • Student Visas
and the group has experts and experienced
and the ones living alone or away from family. Alastair McClymont
professionals who are catering to their needs • Appeals
The team created individual WhatsApp
as well. • Hearings and Complaints
groups to cater to each group- encouraging them
“Shanti Niwas Elder Abuse Response Service
to do activities so that they do not get bored and
is a Ministry of Social Development accredited
keep themselves occupied and working.
“We asked the senior to use the social media
Essential Service Provider, and we want to call Experience.
out to our senior citizens or members of our
space [WhatsApp] to share jokes, play a quiz
on WhatsApp video calls, upload dancing
community to let us know, report if they know Advice.
anyone subjected to elder abuse and neglect.
and singing videos, play games, share their
experiences etc., just make sure it’s positive
“If you know of any senior who is being Results.
neglected or is in a state of abuse or need any
and helps one another,” Jyoti Parashar, a
social support services, please call our social
spokesperson from Shanti Niwas said. Call us for free consultation
workers for free and confidential support. 
Ms Venkat further adds that such online
Get in touch with us by phone call, text,
activities were necessary so that they do not feel
WhatsApp, or email to discuss your needs and
on 09 6233344 or
lonely during this lockdown, and depression Aakanksha McClymont
doesn’t seep into their lives.
issues. We will try our best to help, support and
guide you,” Ms Venkat said.
021 994033
The team also approached seniors who were
Shanti Niwas team has now invited members
living alone to be in touch with their friends and
of other communities, not just Asian or Indian
do participate in activities as well.
to join them and participate in their WhatsApp
“Staying alone or at home is inevitable, so
and Facebook activities so that they can remain
we made sure social isolation does not become
socially connected too during this lockdown.
depression for them. Our team made sure to
call upon each of those vulnerable seniors and Message from Shanti Niwas
check upon them about their wellbeing,” Ms
Venkat added.
Team for COVID-19 Support: 
Shanti Niwas asked the seniors living alone Please contact Shanti Niwas if you have
or the ones unable to arrange for their weekly any questions and/or assistance during this Physical address : Level 1, 2 Owens Road, Epsom, Auckland 1023
groceries and medicines to inform them of their lockdown period. We acknowledge that these Phone :09 623 3344 | Email : amcclymont@amlaw.co.nz
needs and volunteers will cater to their essential are daunting times, but together we can get http://www.amlaw.co.nz/
needs. through this too.
 10 NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage
Week 1 of Covid-19 lock down:
What happens when hit with
nature’s pause button?
¡ RIZWAN MOHAMMAD
Lives of most of New Zealanders
have been hit with a “pause
button,” if they are not working
in essential businesses, or
working remotely online from
their chosen places of residence
to hunker down the four week
Alert Level 4 Lock down. For
that matter, even if they are
working in essential businesses,
they are indeed facing some
kind of major disruption in the
manner they previously carried
out their day to day lives.
W
e are certainly going through strange,
and unsettling times and everyone is
coping with this uncertainty with
their own unique ways.
Some with typical Zen-like calm and
mindfulness staying at the moment, while
others camouflaging their anxieties about how
the immediate future will look like, in their
usual display of exuberance and exhilaration.
The Indian Weekender reached out to some
members of the Kiwi-Indian community, who
graciously shared some of the glimpses of their
life under the lock down.
In these times, people are asked to stay
home, work from home, or simply observe
the ‘stay home holiday’ for four weeks until
the government can reassess the state of the
country and get the back to work.
Observing this lockdown, some of the Kiwi
Indians are making the most of their time at
home, mostly to spend quality time with their
families, while others are picking up new
hobbies and some are doing those activities,
they have been postponing for years due to
work commitments.
Couple Naveen and Shubhra
Jain:
Naveen Jain and his wife Shubhra Jain have
been for the most of their years been busy their
respective business and work commitments and
have led a very routine and disciplined work
life.
63-year-old Naveen Jain runs his business
President Taxi that conducts airport transfers
for international passengers from Auckland; he
also looks after a travel and tourism enterprise
that takes holidaymakers to sightseeing around
North Island.
Hit by the travel ban and the lock down
Naveen saw the travel bookings dwindle from
around 90 in a season to zero, and now both
his firms are closed, at least until the travel
restrictions are lifted.
Ms Jain managing an Early Childhood
Centre in Auckland was also closed down for
the lockdown period rendering her to take leave
until the Centre opened.
The couple had a property in Rotorua that
needed renovations and was recently vacated
by renters to get refurbished.
Observing this lockdown,
some of the Kiwi Indians
are making the most
of their time at home,
mostly to spend quality
time with their families,
while others are picking
up new hobbies and
some are doing those
activities, they have been
postponing for years due
to work commitments.
The couple had taken estimations from
a local builder/renovator in Rotorua earlier
last month; and were about to
offer the contract to them when
suddenly Covid-19 related lock
down became an imminent
reality that compelled the couple
to re-asses their plans.
The couple had already
purchased all the essentials for
the renovation, and as a means
of cost-cutting plus finding a
purpose for themselves for the
imminent 4-week lockdown
period, the husband decided to
dig-deep-in his long forgotten
builder-experience and do the
DIY himself - a far-stretched imagination by
couple’s own admission - in their pre-lockdown
busy lives.
This was indeed a completely unplanned
turn to their busy lives - hopefully for the good
- where they end up using their new found
freedom in a constructive endeavour.
So the couple, instead of being hassled
about the prospective uncertainty during the
lockdown period decided to quickly put up a
plan for the next four weeks and transported
all their house and kitchen essentials from
Auckland, and started to work hard and enjoy
the leisure at their property in Rotorua.
A week since the lockdown, Naveen and
Shubhra Jain have been having a solitary, gala
and work-holiday at their Rotorua home.
Friday, April 03, 2020
“We get up late, like 8:30 in the morning,
go for a brief walk, make a good breakfast
together, and start the renovation work at home.
We take an hour’s break in the
afternoon for lunch, and then
start again till daylights end,”
Naveen Jain told The Indian
Weekender.
The couple has just finished
renovating a big corner of the
house and painting the first
floor of the house.
“I have my wife as my
helper and assistant, and we
just completed painting the
first floor.” Mr Jain added.
Mr Jain did suffer a
significant amount during the
closure but said he has been able to spend some
quality time with his wife, away from the city,
and daily duties and work assignments. Mr Jain
says he is enjoying working and repairing his
property, and proper use of leisure time and
doing something constructive for himself and
his family.
Arshiya Arora: Year 9
Student
Year-9 student Arshiya Arora is studying
from home online, attending online classes
conducted by her school in Central Auckland.
Arshiya, although, not being able to go to
school physically, attends the online tool by her
schools like the rest of her classmates observing
proper school breaks and subject periods
every day.
Despite being away from school, she
continues to attend her extracurricular activities
The Indian Weekender
that include online or video Karate class
sessions twice a week.
Arshiya’s parents stay at home working
remotely, her mother Swati Arora, a lecturer at
ICL and father an Immigration advisor.
“We are all in this together, and, we are trying
our best to make the best use of our time by
working from home, remotely, and having
an early and longer family time together,”
Arshiya’s mother Swati Arora says.
Arshiya adds that besides attending online
school classes, she partakes in family’s new
cooking routine, watching a series together,
playing games, having discussions about
different topics of interest and help her parents
in house chores including cooking.
“Even though we are not able to explore out
like normal days, but this lockdown as given
us the opportunity to spend more time with
the family, talk to each other, learn new skills,
and start new interests and hobbies,” Arshiya
told The Indian Weekender.
Chetna Guleria:
Real Estate agent Chetna Guleria’s office
has been closed since the lockdown, which
encouraged her to pursue to take new hobbies
for herself and spend time with her daughter at
home.
Chetna has for long been looking for an
opportunity to spend more time with her
daughter and dedicate some hours for her own
personal growth and mental wellbeing.
She has started putting at least two hours in
her lawn gardening and learning new tricks
from YouTube and applying the same in sowing
and beautifying her garden. One part of her day
goes sitting with her daughter studying, reading
books with her, watching documentaries
and films, teaching her
cooking, all of these come
out of the hours kept aside
from her daughter’s daily
studying timetable.
“I spend a good amount
of time with my daughter,
especially doing exercise
together, take her help
organising the house,
cleaning, playing new
games with her, and most
importantly reading with
her,” Chetna says.
One thing that keeps
Chetna glued and occupied a good part of the
day is to try new DIY beauty therapies using
fruits and vegetables for her skin.
“I see a lot of DIY beauty videos and try
them at home, organise my wardrobe, kitchen
cupboards and the rest of the house- this takes a
good amount of time of my day learning a new
hobby and making my house more beautiful,”
Chetna adds.
••
 The Indian Weekender Friday, April 03, 2020
Report price gouging during Covid-19
to pricewatch@mbie.govt.nz
¡ RADIO NEW ZEALAND
P the COVID-19 outbreak
rime Minister Jacinda Ardern says while
she has found no evidence of price
gouging during the Covid-19 outbreak,
the public will be able to report any they see.
The Prime Minister has given the latest
updates on the government’s fight against the
impact of Covid-19 at her weekly post-Cabinet
media conference.
Ardern said a special email had been set up
that was dedicated to potential price gouging:
(pricewatch@mbie.govt.nz)
She asked people to send photos and receipts
to the email so reports of price gouging could
be investigated.
“No-one wants to see anyone take unfair
financial advantage from this extraordinary
period.
“To be clear, it is not illegal for businesses to
increase their prices - but the Fair Trading Act
prohibits misleading and deceptive content and
false representation.”
She said if a business gave a reason for an
increase, it had to be true, or it risked breaching
the Act.Price
Some online anecdotes about price gouging
were already being followed up, Ardern said.
Greengrocers would not be opened, in order
to limit contact between people, said Ardern.
She said the country could maintain isolation
practices with a limited amount of stores open.
“It also means we have fewer workers at risk.
We are all in this together,
and we will get through this
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi
National List MP based
in Mankau East
W
e are in unprecedented times right
now. It seems as though that line is
said at least once every hour now,
and repeated regularly, but, unfortunately, it’s
true.
Covid-19 has affected the whole world and
devastated economies. .
I have never experienced something like this
in my lifetime, and a lot of you will be the same.
Responses around the world have varied.
Some nations have been more effective than
others. New Zealand has not been immune,
we’ve seen the case numbers surge as the virus
spreads and more tests are carried out.
New Zealanders naturally have a ‘she’ll be
right’ attitude to things. We can be a bit blasé.
But the health officials have laid out what we
all have to do to help combat coronavirus, and
we have to do it.
We have to stay at home, not just for
ourselves but for our parents, our grandparents,
our immune-comprised friends and family
members.
It will be tough but generations of Kiwis
have, throughout history, made great sacrifices
to safeguard our way of life. This is our turn.
This is an incredibly important time for our
nation, and will come at a cost.
The National Party supports the Government
as it takes action against this virus. We’ve talked
to experts, we’ve listened to them every day and
we’ve seen the international experience. The
spread of Covid-19 is relentless internationally.
So we stand alongside the Government,
supporting and assisting the orderly shutdown
of New Zealand.
Because this is about lives and livelihoods
and for the good of our country, not politics.
National will continue to take a constructive
For every greengrocer, for every bakery, for
every retail store that is open, that’s a workforce
that is also put at risk and we need to minimise
that as much as possible.”
Ardern also said the government was liaising
with businesses on Easter trading hours, and a
final decision was expected tomorrow.
The government was looking at the issue
now because it was important for supermarkets
to restock, and this was factored into the Easter
trading decisions. The PM pointed out that
dairies would continue to be open during this
period anyway.
Earlier today, Director-General of Health
Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the total number of
Covid-19 cases in the country now stands at
589.
Sixty-three people have now recovered and
12 people are currently in hospitals around the
country - two are in ICU.
and principled approach to scrutinising the
Government’s response to Covid-19 through
the Epidemic Response Committee.
It’s important there is strong scrutiny of our
nation’s response to this pandemic as it will
affect future generations, both in terms of lives
but also in terms of the billions of dollars being
spent by the Government.
National will be asking the questions that
New Zealanders want answered.
What we know right now, is that if we didn’t
go into lockdown, if we continued as we were
before, thousands of lives could be lost. I don’t
want to see that and I know New Zealand
doesn’t want to see that either.
It is better to look back and say, ‘this
lockdown was an overreaction’, than allow
people to die needlessly.
The next few weeks will be tough but we can
do it.
The Government will continue to have our
support as long as it is moving expeditiously to
protect those lives and livelihoods.
We want to protect workers and their jobs as
much as possible, we want to see businesses
reopen once this period of isolation is over.
While we are all stuck at home, it’s important
you still check on your loved ones across the
country, and on your neighbours. While that
check may have to be a phone call, you cannot
underestimate how important that will be,
especially for our elderly.
I want to thank our supermarket workers, our
petrol station attendants, our IT professionals,
our essential infrastructure and health workers
all over this nation, our police and defence and
other first responders, plus many, many more
keeping New Zealand going. You are heroes.
I am confident we can show our best nature
as Kiwis, following the rules and showing
small acts of kindness during this tough time.
We are all in this together without exception,
united against Covid-19.
We will get through this, together.
••
NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage 11
Importance of retaining
your insurances during
¡ SUPPLIED
CONTENT
D
ue to the
Lockdown that
has been imposed
for a minimum
of 4 weeks by
the government
of New Zealand,
many may of lost
their jobs, or are
working from
home, or are on
the WINZ wage subsidy or are out of business immediately get themselves insured, especially
(self-employed). for Life Insurance and Trauma Covers which
are very important under the present scenario.
In such circumstances, the first thing that
Insurance companies are still working and
people due is to stop paying their insurance
offering covers without any exclusions to
premiums and lapse their policies, this could
Covid-19 conditions, so before they change
be very detrimental, as unluckily one suffers
their stance and things take a turn for the worse,
from Covid-19 or any other major illnesses like
one should avail insurance immediately.
a cancer, heart attack, stroke etc, they could be
We are still operating remotely to help people
in more financial mess, as they are also now
who would like to avail their Insurances or
unemployable.
increase their covers etc.
There is no need to PANIC, but contact your
Kindly contact Fali Mistry on 021 426 858 or
insurance adviser, who can assist you and help fali@insuresecure.co.nz
you to retain your insurance policies, as many
insurance companies, have put up different
offers to help retain your insurance policies
during this crisis.
People who have not insured, should
Govt opens applications
for business loans under
Business Finance Guarantee
Scheme
¡ IWK BUREAU
B
usinesses can now start applying to
their banks for loans under the Business
Finance Guarantee Scheme set up to
support the New Zealand economy during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re moving quickly to protect New
Zealand businesses, jobs and the economy
during this unprecedented global economic
shock,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said.
“The Business Finance Guarantee will
help businesses with cash flow and operating
expenses, and comes in alongside the $8-12 be followed by the banks, which will make
lending decisions. Further details can be found
billion wage subsidy scheme keeping people
in jobs, and workers and employers connected on the banks’ websites.
The Business Finance Guarantee scheme is
during the lockdown.
“For most businesses their most important part of the more than $25 billion of economic
support announced to date. Other initiatives
relationship is with their bank. The Government
is using its balance sheet to give businesses and include:
• The $8-12 billion wage subsidy scheme
their banks space to work together through this
crisis. to protect jobs, and keep workers and
businesses connected during the lockdown.
“We’re supporting businesses through the
lockdown so their workers can stay home, break • The $500 million increase to public health
funding for the immediate response.
the chain and save lives, while also putting
in place longer-term solutions to kickstart the • A six-month deferred mortgage scheme
for home-owners affected by the virus,
economy out the other side.”
Under the scheme, businesses with annual so people don’t lose their homes due to
COVID-19.
revenue between $250,000 and $80 million can
apply to their banks for loans up to $500,000, • A doubling of the Winter Energy Payment
so older New Zealanders can stay warm
for up to three years. The scheme will offer a
total of $6.25 billion in loans to New Zealand during winter.
• Main benefit increases, and
businesses.
The Government is guaranteeing 80% of • Rent freezes and a ban on terminations
of tenancies/evictions other than in
the risk, while the banks are covering the
remaining 20%. A normal lending process will exceptional circumstances. 
 12 NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage Friday, April 03, 2020 The Indian Weekender

Five new Covid-19 testing centres

now running in Auckland
¡ IWK BUREAU • Oneroa Accident and Medical,
In addition to the
five urban clinics
and two rural

F
ive additional COVID-19
testing centres are now
up-and-running across
metro Auckland, ensuring even
better community-based access to
swabbing for those who meet the
clinical criteria.
In addition to the five urban clinics
and two rural clinics opened a week
ago, an additional five clinics have
started operating over the weekend
and today, increasing the network
to 12 locations. Each clinic has the
capacity to take more than 100 swabs
per day.
Waitemata DHB CEO and
Northern Region lead CEO for
emergency planning Dr Dale
Bramley said he was pleased to
see new centres opening to cater
specifically to the needs of the Maori
and Pacific populations.
“Over the last nine days, the clinics
have taken 3831 swabs across metro
Auckland. The extension of this
network with the addition of further
testing points enables better reach
into our communities,” Dr Bramley
said.
“The opening of Maori and Pacific-
focused clinics means we can ensure
a culturally appropriate approach
that will further reduce barriers to
testing and ensure that any positive
cases can be closely monitored and
managed.”
The new clinics are:
• AUT Integrated Health, Northcote
• Spectrum House, Howick
• Langimalie Health Centre,
Panmure (Pacific provider)
• Pukekohe Family Health Centre
• Whanau House, Henderson (Maori
provider)
• These are in addition to the
existing clinics:
• Henderson Specialist Centre
• White Cross, St Lukes
• Local Doctors Airport Oaks Clinic,
Mangere
• Takanini Urgent Care Clinic
• Shorecare, Northcross
Waiheke Island
• Coast to Coast Healthcare, clinics opened
Wellsford
General Manager Primary Care, a week ago, an
Matt Hannant said that from today,
testing in the community would
additional five
transition almost exclusively to clinics have
the 12 testing centres, with some
designated general practices and
started operating
urgent care centres continuing to over the weekend
support this new model.
“This will enable general practices and today,
to focus on non-COVID-19-related increasing the
care for their communities,” Mr
Hannant said. network to 12
“Although this is a busy time for locations
the health system, it is important
that people still reach out to their GP
with any health concerns, ideally via
their practice’s patient portal. Care
for normal health issues will still
be provided and practices are open, “Over recent days, we have seen a
although they have moved to phone pattern of people presenting to EDs
and video consultations wherever at a very late stage when they are
possible. seriously ill. The message we want
“It is also important that the public people to hear is that it is still okay to
understands hospital emergency access the hospital ED before health
departments still have the capacity concerns become critical.”
to help people in genuine need of ••
emergency care.

Auckland emergency management

New online dept set up to help people struggling
form for public with basic household supplies
to report Level ¡ SANDEEP SINGH

A
ucklanders facing hardships and

4 restriction
struggling to access basic household
supplies during the lockdown period
are urged to contact the newly set-up Emergency
Management Department. 

breaches to In a press release from the office of Mayor

Phil Goff, it was announced that the local
council staff are being deployed to help
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff says the
programme supports the national efforts to

police
Aucklanders experiencing hardship as a result ensure those who are experiencing hardship due
of the COVID-19 lockdown. to COVID-19 can meet their essential needs.
In line with the welfare directive announced “While most Aucklanders are continuing
by the National Emergency Management to shop normally for their essential products,
¡ IWK BUREAU
Agency (NEMA) today to help people

P
olice on Sunday, March 29, launched a
new online form which the public can
use to report COVID-19 Alert Level 4
restriction breaches.
The online form can be found at 105.police.
govt.nz
It can be used to report isolation breaches or
cases of businesses continuing to operate when
they are not part of the essential workforce.  support networks can call Auckland Emergency
The then Police Commissioner Mike Bush
urged people to use the online form instead of
calling Police.
“We know that people want to do the right
thing if they see people flouting the restrictions,
but we want to ease the load on the non-
emergency phone number.
“Police will take the information
reported online and make contact to remind
those breaching the restrictions of  their
responsibilities.
“We are continuing to take the approach
of educating and informing people of their
responsibilities in the first instance, but we will
not hesitate to take enforcement action if people
continue to ignore the restrictions.”
“Police do not want to have to arrest anyone
or visit people because they doing are the
wrong thing.
“Please stay at home, follow the guidelines
on www.covid19.govt.nz and don’t give people
a reason to report your behaviour to Police.
Online reporting
experiencing heavy traffic
People reporting suspected breaches of Alert
Level 4 restrictions via online reporting on the
Police website are asked to be patient.
The online form can be found at https://www.
police.govt.nz/105support
Since going live the website has experienced
very heavy traffic.
If you are having difficulty, please try
again later.
••
there are a small number of people facing
experiencing hardship as a result of the real hardship and who need greater support.
lockdown, the council’s Auckland Emergency Through this programme, we can ensure that
Management department has set up a system nobody in our community goes hungry, and that
for Aucklanders who may be suffering because the staple supplies they rely on are available to
of job losses or hardship and struggling to them.
access basic household supplies. “Our customer services call centre staff,
Starting from Wednesday, April 1,  who are trained to deal with a wide range of
Aucklanders who are unable to afford groceries situations, currently have capacity to take on
or are in self-isolation with no access to other extra duties due to the lockdown.
“From 7 am tomorrow, 40 Auckland Council
Management on 0800 22 22 96 between 7am call center staff will triage the calls from
and 7pm, seven days a week.
those seeking emergency support and process
Who can get help? applications according to the criteria set out by
To get help from Auckland Emergency the government.
Management department, one will have to meet Where to call for seeking
the government’s eligibility criteria for welfare. 
help? 
How will grocery/food be If you are unable to afford groceries or are
provided? in self-isolation with no access to other support
Those who are eligible will receive a  networks, you can phone Auckland Emergency
couriered welfare parcel containing items such Management on 0800 22 22 96 between 7 a.m
as dry goods including pasta and rice, tinned and 7 p.m, every day from Wednesday 1 April. 
vegetables and meats and basic toiletries. • Anyone needing urgent assistance in the
 The first courier parcels are expected to be meantime can phone Auckland Emergency
dispatched at the end of this week.  Management on 0800 22 22 00.
A distribution centre is currently being • Auckland Emergency Management on 0800
set up with staff being trained in health and 22 22 96 
safety provisions for warehousing work, under • Auckland Emergency Management (for
COVID-19 guidelines. urgent assistance) on 0800 22 22 00
 The Indian Weekender Friday, April 03, 2020 NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage 13

Desperation grips international students and temporary

workers as employers turn their back on them
¡ SANDEEP SINGH declined to assist him with the wage

M
any migrant temporary
visa holders (work visa
holders and international
students) are living in anxiety, fear
and desperation during the Covid-19
Alert Level-4 lockdown as employers
turn their backs on them and deny
helping with wage-subsidies.  remedy in sight.
The government has announced a
Covid-19 wage subsidy to support
employers and help them continue to
pay their workers over the four-week
shutdown period and beyond.  but their generosity is also not
However, migrant workers are
struggling to get the benefits as some
employers are not holding their
part of the bargain and using the
unprecedented lockdown as a pretext
to not extend their job contracts or
telling them straight that there was
no work.  New Zealand and the government
Many temporary workers are
struggling to get access to the
government’s wage subsidy scheme
announced to help workers facing
job-loss, reduction of working
hours, or redundancies due to the
unprecedented lockdown.   the employer’s identity, which has
The Indian Weekender has
been contacted by several migrant
workers, mostly on temporary work
visas but some on resident visas as
well, who are experiencing financial
distress and uncertainty during
the lockdown period after their
employers turned their back upon
them for various reasons.   to not reveal to protect the interests
Most of the temporary workers
were in between the transition from
international student visa status to
open work visas, when the threat
of coronavirus pandemic struck
announced a complete lockdown,
leaving them without any meaningful
work opportunities.  wage subsidy.  of his course and his visa status was
Many workers are, and expectedly
though while reaching out for help
are in fear of revealing their and
declined to assist them with a wage
subsidy giving a pretext that their
business will not qualify for getting
employee’s wage subsidy.  workers told the Indian Weekender,
The email response from
an employer to a desperate
migrant-employee that the Indian
Weekender has seen, and is choosing
of temporary workers who were
working in different roles for an
Auckland CBD based residential
apartment firm, which has expressed
inability to help the employee with
wage subsidy for the reason that
their business would not qualify for
government’s recently announced
“As per our discussion earlier,
due to the commitment government
imposed on employers *** ********
[Business Name] cannot meet these
requirements, thus do not qualify
for the Covid-19 wage subsidy,”
an email that one of the temporary
was from his employer, stated.  coronavirus pandemic.  there was no provision for employees
Parth Kumar Patel, who first
arrived in New Zealand on a student
visa in 2017, and after completing
Level 5 & 7 studies of Diploma in
Business Management, just got his
open work visa approved last week. 
Throughout his studies, he has
been working part-time as cleaner
and Housekeeping for an Auckland
CBD based residential apartment.  struggling to pay for food bills and
It was just when he had applied for
an open work visa after completion
changed to the interim visa that he
was rightly asked by his employer
to stop working and start again when
his open work visa was approved.  government’s wage subsidy scheme.
When he got his work visa
approved and approached his
employer, he was told by them about
the changed realities owing to the
However, what was shocking was
the response of the employer who
subsidy scheme as apparently their
business did not qualify as per the
government’s guidelines. 
Parth told  the Indian Weekender
that there were at least 15 other
workers on different temporary
visas working for the same employer
who has been left in cracks with no
“I am fortunate that my friends
are helping me with food and
accommodation during these times,
endless,” a visibly worried Parth
said. 
Harpreet Kaur, an international
student, who was also working for
the same employer just before
entering into lockdown told the
Indian Weekender, “I am really
rent. Not sure where to go.”
Deepak Sanen, who is on a
resident visa and has been working
with the same employer for one
and a half years has also been told
that he would not be able to get the
 
The wage subsidy scheme
requires an employer to contact the
government (work and income) to get
wage subsidy for the employee, and
to contact directly, in cases where the
employer was not playing fairly. 

Homeless migrant temporary-

worker finally gets accommodation 
¡ SANDEEP SINGH

T
he Kiwi-Indian Chef who was rendered
homeless ever since the country had
entered into the Level-4 lockdown
has finally been able to get an accommodation
following an intervention from the office of the
Hon Consul of India, on behalf of the Indian
High Commission. 
The Indian Weekender had earlier
reported  that Paras Gupta, a sous Chef, who
had worked in several popular and top-
level restaurants and Indian food chains was
struggling to get entry into accommodation
without an original passport, which was caught-
up with Immigration New Zealand just before
the country had entered into the complete
lockdown. 
Paras Gupta, a sous Chef, was struggling to get
Following the Indian Weekender’s reporting entry into accommodation without an original
on the issue, Auckland based Hon. Consul passport and stuck at Immigration New Zealand
of India, Bhav Dhillon, acting on behalf of just before the lockdown. 
the Indian High Commissioner, liaised with
Hon Consul of India in Auckland to provide
Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust to find
support to those who are in most desperate
appropriate accommodation. 
need. 
Speaking to the Indian Weekender High
Sharing more about the emergency
Commissioner of India Muktesh Pardeshi said,
accommodation arrangement for the stranded
“These are unprecedented times and we should
all work together to ensure that everyone is safe Indian Chef Mr Suchdev said, “We are ensuring
and well looked after.” that all strict guidelines of self-isolation are
“We are trying to find ways of how to help maintained while we help the person.”
people of Indian origin who were either visiting “The accommodation will provide a separate
or working in New Zealand on different types room and basic facilities and no face to face
of temporary visas before being caught up in contact being maintained at any stage,” Mr
the lock-down.” Suchdev said. 
“This is the time for all of us to come together “These are difficult times and amidst
and support everyone who is caught-up in everything we cannot leave our most vulnerable
Covid-19 induced distress,” Mr Pardeshi said.  unsupported,” Mr Suchdev said. 
High Commissioner of India to New Meanwhile, Paras had reached his new
Zealand, Muktesh Pardeshi temporary accommodation and shared some
Meanwhile, Jeet Suchdev of Bhartiya Samaj pics with the Indian Weekender and thanked
Charitable trust told the Indian Weekender that the members of the community who have
he was being contacted by many people in expressed their concerns and offered to help
distress situations and he and his team have during this confusing and stressful situation. 
been working in close coordination with the ••
 14 NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 Special Coverage
nib announces a member Government
support package in response
seeks infra
to the COVID-19 pandemic
N
ib Chief Executive Officer, Rob
Hennin, said the health insurer had an
important and critical role to play in
helping Kiwis through this challenging period.
“With our country in lockdown many of our
members confront profound uncertainty and the
threat or reality of unemployment particularly.
We are doing as much as we can to help them
maintain their cover and more broadly, stay safe
and healthy,” Mr Hennin said.
nib’s support package
includes:
• Ability for eligible existing members who
are experiencing financial hardship to
access special premium relief*.
• Ability for eligible existing members who
are experiencing financial hardship to
suspend* their health insurance policy and
premium payment for up to six months.
• Automatic increase of pre-approval validity
to six months meaning members do not
need to reapply for pre-approval if they
experience delays to hospital treatment.
• Ability for existing members to increase
their excess (payable upon hospital
admission) to the maximum allowable level
under their policy without needing to be
re-underwritten if they choose to reduce
their excess as their financial situation
improves**.
• Expanded coverage* for chest, lung, kidney
and bladder or other treatment related to
conditions caused by COVID-19 across
Auckland Property Market Went
Into Lockdown On Record High
T
h e
Auckland
residential
property market
was in full recovery
mode before being
stopped in its tracks
by the Covid-19
lock down.
“Confidence
in Auckland
property was high
in February and
the first weeks of
March, and new
listings, sales
numbers and prices were at their highest for
a number of years,” said Peter Thompson,
Managing Director of Barfoot & Thompson.
“New listings for March at 1763 was the
highest in 17 months.
“Sales at 1096 were above 1000 in a month
for the first time for two years.
“The average sales price at $993,528 was a
new high, and almost $25,000 higher than the
previous high set in March 2017.
“And the median price at $925,000 was also
a new high, being $25,000 above the previous
high also set in March 2017.
“March’s excellent sales figures built on the
platform established by January and February
trading and our first quarter sales were the best
since 2016.
“Without the intervention of Covid-19 we
could have anticipated the market’s momentum
to have run through to late autumn.
“A factor that affected both the average
and median sales was the exceptionally high
all levels of hospital cover (including
Basic Private Hospital Cover, Mid Private
Hospital Cover and Mid Private Hospital
Cover Plus where currently excluded) at no
additional cost.
• Cover for GP or specialist consultations
that need to be conducted via video or tele-
consultation due to COVID-19*.
• Our specialist health management and
emergency assistance team, nibAssist, will
be available 24/7 for members who require
Without the
intervention of
Covid-19 we could
have anticipated the
market’s momentum
to have run through to
late autumn.
number of properties that sold in the $1 million
plus and $2 million plus price categories.
“In March we sold 479 properties for in
excess of $1 million, which is more than we
sold at the height of the 2016 price cycle.
“Of this number, 61 were for more than $2
million, our highest number of sales in this
price category since March 2018.
Friday, April 03, 2020
immediate COVID-19 medical
and non-medical health support.
• Help for members
navigating COVID-19 by
publishing across our various
channels (including nib.co.nz)
information on their cover, how
to minimise infection risk and
related matters.
• A $1 million donation
from nib foundation and nib to
support charitable initiatives
assisting the community across
New Zealand and Australia
during the pandemic.
• Offering up to two weeks
paid special discretionary leave
for all nib Group employees
(permanent, fixed-term or
casual) who are impacted by
COVID-19.
Members are encouraged to
contact nib to discuss available assistance.
*nib support package will be available for
existing nib members (as at 31 March 2020)
to access for initially a three month period,
with this to be reviewed prior to 30 June
2020. Policy terms and conditions still apply.
Members must have GP or specialist cover
under their policy to apply for the relevant
tele or video conference benefits.
**Members must apply for the excess
reduction within six months of the end date
of the Government mandated stay at home
period.
“At the end of the month we had 3969
properties on our books, the highest number
since June last year.
“Through the use of online technology, sales
activity has continued through the Covid-19
lock down. Buyers are undertaking viewings
through listings on our web site, with our sales
people progressing negotiations through a
variety of technologies.
“While the close down is having an effect
on sales numbers and will likely to do so until
the level 4 is lifted, market activity continues
to tick over.
“Although it is not possible to predict where
the market will go in the short term, vendors
and buyers might want to look to the past and
take a medium term view of market prices.
“During the major economic downturns
that occurred in 1987, 1997 and 2007 house
prices did not decline beyond 5% at most. And
following the declines, prices recovered within
12 to 18 months.
“Activity was high in the lifestyle and rural
markets right up to the point when the lock
down was imposed, and these markets recorded
their highest sales numbers in a month for two
years.
“During the month we settled 60 sales to the
north and south of Auckland with a combined
value of a little under $100 million.
“The Coatesville market was particularly
active, and this was due in part to subdivisions
coming to market by way of the transferable
title provisions enabled under the Unitary Plan.
Small blocks around Coatesville are attracting a
lot of buyer interest.”
The Indian Weekender
projects
T
he Government has tasked a group
of industry leaders to seek out
infrastructure projects that are ready
to start as soon as the construction industry
returns to normal to reduce the economic
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,
Economic Development Minister Phil
Twyford and Infrastructure Minister Shane
Jones say.
The Infrastructure Industry Reference
Group, to be headed by Crown Infrastructure
Partners chairman Mark Binns, will put
forward to Ministers projects from the private
and public sector that are ‘shovel-ready’ or
likely to be within six months.
These new projects will be in addition
to and build on the Government’s $12
billion New Zealand Upgrade Programme
and existing Provincial Growth Fund
infrastructure investments.
The Government will then decide which
could be funded, contracted and ready to
go as soon as the construction workforce is
able to return to work. Relevant government
departments will also provide advice to
Ministers.
“We are focused on the health and wellbeing
of New Zealanders first and foremost, and we
need to get through the lockdown and out the
other side of this pandemic. However, the
Government is also planning ahead for when
that time comes,” Phil Twyford said.
“That’s why we are now developing a
pipeline of infrastructure projects from across
the country that would be ready to begin as
soon as we are able to move around freely
and go back to work.
“The types of projects the Government
would consider funding include water,
transport, clean energy and buildings. They
would also have a public or regional benefit,
create jobs and be able to get underway in
short order,” Phil Twyford said.
The group, which includes NZTA
chairman Sir Brian Roche, KiwiRail chief
executive Greg Miller and Infrastructure
Commission chairman Alan Bollard as initial
members, will work alongside the Provincial
Development Unit (PDU) which has spent
the past two-and-a-half years working with
regions and is well-equipped to identify
priority, shovel-ready projects up and down
the country.
A member of the Construction Industry
Accord will join the group and the recently
established Infrastructure Commission will
also provide advice and expertise. However,
final decisions will be made by Ministers.
“While the economic effect of COVID-19
is yet to be fully understood, we know that
we have an opportunity to move our country
into action mode and the Government does
not wish to see red tape stymie our eventual
recovery,” Shane Jones said.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, April 03, 2020
COVID-19: Lockdown for the greater Lautoka
area will remain until 5am Tuesday April 7th
Total number of confirmed cases in Fiji remains at 5 with no new cases for the past 7 days: Waqainabete
T
he total number of confirmed
COVID-19 cases in Fiji
remains at 5 and there have
been no new cases for 7 days now.
Health Minister, Doctor Ifereimi
Waqainabete says a total of 368 tests
have been conducted so far at the
Fiji Centres for Disease Control in
Tamavua. Doctor Waqainabete also
confirms that the greater Lautoka
area will remain on lockdown until
5am Tuesday April 7th as the last
COVID-19: PM announces lockdown of Suva after confirmation of 2 new
cases in Nabua
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has
announced the lockdown of Suva after the
confirmation that two people from Nabua are
the latest patients to have tested positive for
COVID-19
Two confirmed cases
The sixth case is a 21-year-old hairdresser
and the seventh case is her 33-year-old
husband who is a barber. Bainimarama says
the two individuals are a couple living together
in the Nabua Settlement in Suva. The 21-year-
old woman developed symptoms on Saturday,
the 28th of March. She informed the Ministry
of Health on the 1st of April. Bainimarama
says the teams visited her home, and tested
her that same day. Her partner, the 33-year-
old husband reported symptoms on the 31st of
March. He was tested the same day as his wife.
The Prime Minister says it is important
to note that the symptoms of these two
newest cases started with just a runny nose
when they called the Ministry of Health for
testing. Bainimarama stresses if you have any
symptoms at all, even something as minor as a
runny nose, immediately dial 158, which is the
24-hour toll-free coronavirus helpline.
He confirms that both patients have been
transported securely and hygienically in an
ambulance to the Navua Hospital Isolation
Ward where both are in stable condition.
The couple shared a home with their
daughter and she has been taken into isolation
as well.
Contacts of the couple
The contact tracing teams are now
identifying all of their close contacts and
directing them into self-quarantine.
The Prime Minister says they identified
a contact who lived at home with these two
patients after returning from India as the
likeliest transmitter of the virus. The man has
been placed into isolation in Labasa Hospital.
The test result of the man is expected to be out
soon. Voreqe Bainimarama says the two new
cases are the most serious developments to-
date. He says unlike the other case in the Suva
area who was immediately self-quarantined
and then isolated, there is a high risk these
patients have infected others, as they not only
lived in close contact with other families in
their settlement but served in very public-
facing job.
Both patients worked as hairdressers, one at
the Jade Salon at FNPF Plaza and the other at
the Super Cuts in Damodar City Suva.
Bainimarama says the Health Ministry
has been informed both individuals stopped
working from the 28th of March, but witness
accounts have thrown those accounts into
doubt. He says the government needs to
respond as if both individuals were working
while showing symptoms and take assertive
action to contain the virus.
Suva on lockdown from
tomorrow
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says
all of the greater Suva area will be going on
lockdown from 5am tomorrow for 14 days.
Bainimarama says this is a tactic that the
government is embracing because it has
proven effective in containing the spread of
COVID-19.
He says they have drawn up the borders of
a Suva confined area, and they will be closing
off entry and exit from 5am tomorrow at the
Delainavesi Bridge checkpoint on the Queen’s
Highway, the Sawani Junction checkpoint, and
the Rewa Bridge checkpoint.
The Prime Minister says within the greater
Suva confined area, the greater public will
not be allowed in or out, only those travelling
for medical purposes will be allowed through
checkpoints.
Fiji has confirmed two more cases of
#COVID19. Both are isolated safely in Navua
Hospital. All of the greater Suva area is being
locked down from tomorrow morning. Read
my full statement here: In short: Stay at home,
and follow government directives.
All non-essential businesses will
be closed.
Bainimarama says supermarkets and shops
selling food will remain open so that people
can buy food. Restaurants can remain open,
so long as they cut seating capacity below
20 people, practice safe physical distancing
between tables and at queues, and must focus
on takeaway and delivery orders. Banks and
pharmacies will remain open.
Essential business will remain
open
Just like Lautoka, that list includes air and
rescue services, air traffic control services,
civil aviation, telecommunication services,
food and sanitary manufacturing plants,
electricity services, emergency services,
fire services, health and hospital services,
lighthouse services, meteorological services,
mine pumping, ventilation and winding,
sanitary services, supply and distribution of
COVID-19 Special Coverage
confirmed case from Lautoka was
identified on March 23rd. That was
the 31-year-old woman who had
gone to a Zumba session with the
first confirmed patient.
He says they have identified all the
close contacts of the woman and they
are in self-isolation.
However, there is still a risk she
could have infected others.
Doctor Waqainabete says if they
lift the restrictions too early and they
fuel and gas, power, telecommunications,
garbage collection, transport services, water
and sewage services, FNPF and FRCS, civil
service, private security services and roading
services.
Bainimarama says if your business is not on
the list, close it down. The Prime Minister says
for civil servants, they should continue to go
to work unless their Permanent Secretary has
informed you to work from home.
Markets will remain open but they are
decentralising markets into satellite markets
to prevent dangerous overcrowding that spurs
the spread of the virus; and given some Fijians
need to seek specialised treatment at facilities
in Suva, the checkpoints will allow these
individuals who need to undergo surgery or
receive kidney dialysis treatment.
In order to ensure residents in the greater
Suva area can access life-sustaining services,
the port of Suva will remain open for
international freight shipping and inter-island
cargo shipping; any passenger travel, however,
remains forbidden.
The government will also implement
the same Agriculture Marketing Authority
arrangement they have introduced in the
Lautoka confined area to get food and produce
into the Suva confined area. At all three
checkpoints, suppliers can arrange with a
police driver to ensure the produce still comes
into Suva. The Prime Minister also says that
food and essential goods will remain on the
shelves of our shops and supermarkets.
He stresses to people not to run to the
supermarkets and buy up goods this afternoon
as doing so will crowd these stores and put
every shopper at-risk.
New curfew hours
The Prime Minister has announced that the
nationwide curfew will be from 8pm to 5am
from tomorrow night.
Voreqe Bainimarama says if you are
travelling for work or as a result of a medical
emergency, you can travel during these hours.
He stresses that otherwise, don’t add your
name to the ever-growing list of violators.
Also from tomorrow, social gatherings will
FIJI 15
have missed someone in Lautoka
who has contracted the virus, then
the rest of Viti Levu could be at risk.
He also says that there were gaps in
the information provided by the first
patient who had COVID-19 in Fiji.
This means that there is still a risk
that someone may have COVID-19
in the Lautoka area.
He adds that they also consulted
the experts when making this
decision.
be banned entirely, everywhere in Fiji.
Bainimarama says the 20 person limit now
applies only to the workplace.
He says two people, three people, it doesn’t
matter, no more social gatherings.
The Prime Minister also says do not have
visitors over to your homes.
Your interactions should be limited entirely
to those already living in your households.
If you’re missing a friend or loved one, do
the safe thing and call them on the phone.
If you need to walk around or exercise you
may do so, but keep a safe distance of two
metres from other people while outside.
He also says bus operators, drivers, and
riders must take measures to ensure physical
distancing is practiced on all of Fiji’s buses.
Changes to Lautoka lockdown
The Prime Minister has announced that
restaurants in Lautoka can now operate, so long
as they follow the safety guidelines, focusing
on safe physical distancing and takeaway
and delivery services. Voreqe Bainimarama
says the boundaries of the confined area will
be open to those who are seeking emergency
medical care or kidney dialysis. Under close
police escort, these individuals travel from the
checkpoints directly to Lautoka Hospital.
War On COVID-19
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says
we cannot afford to lose the war against this
virus.
Bainimarama says they know most Fijians
are following and respecting the rules they
have put in place but too many still aren’t.
He says if you have been sitting in Suva
feeling as if this virus is not your problem, or
that somehow your behaviour does not need to
change, get a grip.
Bainimarama says this virus is here and it
is serious. He says anyone, anywhere could be
a carrier. Bainimarama says if people follow
the government’s directives, they will lock this
virus down and win this war. If people don’t,
many people will die.
Health Ministry Leak
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama
says some of these two COVID-19 patients’
personal details were unfortunately leaked to
the public.
Bainimarama says the Ministry of Health
staff are devastated that someone is leaking
confidential information.
He says these leaks have made the ministry’s
jobs far more difficult and every time people
on Facebook share this leaked information,
they do so at the expense of the doctors, nurses
and other medical staff trying their absolute
best to inform the public in an accurate and
timely manner.
Police are currently investigating this matter
when they find whoever did the leak, they will
be taken to task.
 Thought of the week
"Look up at the stars and not down at your feet.
Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder
about what makes the universe exist. Be curious."
– Stephen Hawking

Editorial 03 April – 09 April 2020

The ten things Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu

that Covid-19 is On-and-off Partly Parlty Clouds and A touch o Sunshine A few

set to change
rain and sunny sunny sun dafr and pactcy morning
drizzle clouds showers

21° 23° 24° 23° 23° 24° 24°

T
hese are unprecedented times that almost nobody would have ever imagined possible even 14° 13° 16° 15° 16° 16° 17°
as recently as a few weeks ago. It’s like being in a Hollywood apocalypse flick, only with
the buildings still standing.
As New Zealand transits into the second week of its as-of-now four-week lockdown, we’ve This week in New Zealand’s history
been reading the tea leaves from endless cuppas that separate work emails from dishwashing;
Skype calls from Zoom chillouts; sombre news headlines from laugh-out-loud TikToks and virtual 5 April 1871
globetrotting from lonesome walks around the block. NZ's first overseas diplomatic post created
I
Here’s how we think things will inevitably change in our blessed corner of the world as a result t is no surprise that New Zealand’s first overseas diplomatic posting was to the United
of Covid-19 and the long, arduous and undoubtedly fraught recovery process: Kingdom. Before Isaac Featherston was appointed as agent-general in London, the colony’s
1. More power to government: The effects of Covid-19 will need long-time government affairs in the imperial capital were handled either by Cabinet ministers during brief visits or
support and it will be required to do everything it can in its power to commandeer the country and by paid agents whose interest in New Zealand was pecuniary rather than personal or political.
its economy out of this hole. It will be able to use emergency powers to legislate if necessary, with
little debate if any. All decisions it takes will be justifiable in the interests of keeping Kiwis safe and 6 April 1864
healthy – even if it continues to adversely affect the economy.
Pai Mārire ambush in Taranaki
O
2. Realpolitik in suspended animation: Despite being an election year, politicking and
n the morning of 6 April a small British force left a redoubt at Kaitake, about 15 km south-
realpolitik will take a backseat for a while. Parties will walk on eggshells for the foreseeable
west of New Plymouth. Led by Captain Thomas Lloyd, No. 1 Company (Grenadiers) of
future while critiquing Covid-19 related policy lest their pronouncements be seen at these times
the 57th Regiment and No. 9 Company, Taranaki Military Settlers were to destroy all Māori
of heightened sensitivity as politically expedient posturing. Like it or not, the Prime Minister’s
crops they found in the area.
popularity will remain high. And like it or not, the Opposition will be obliged to be seen working
closely with the government. 6 April 1919
3. Privacy challenges: The secret to Singapore’s and Taiwan’s success in controlling Covid-19
is their use of mobile technology for contact tracing. New Zealand still does it manually, which is NZ Maori (Pioneer) Battalion returns from war
extremely inefficient and time-consuming in comparison. Kiwis must expect legislation to come
through sooner rather than later for the government to be able to access location records of Kiwis T he all-Māori Pioneer Battalion was one of only three New Zealand Expeditionary Force
formations – and the only battalion – to return from the First World War as a complete unit.
This, and the opportunity for a proper welcome, saw both Pākehā and Māori communities make
to determine Covid-19 clusters and hotspots as it contemplates lifting the lockdown.
4. Social cohesion challenges: Social distancing and self-isolation will take their toll on society a special effort for their return.
and its mental makeup. Expect more unpleasant behavior in public as people perceive the extent
of their personal spaces differently; dob one another for perceived violations; face increasing
7 April 1856
inconveniences while carrying out common tasks like shopping and commuting. There will also be First state secondary school opens
increased racial tensions. The long-celebrated Kiwi bonhomie will be challenged.
5. Decline of workspaces and commuting to work: As employees and companies discover
that it is possible to keep working remotely, office spaces will lose their importance and flexible
T he first state secondary school in New Zealand, Nelson College, opened in temporary
premises in Trafalgar St with a roll of just eight boys. It eventually attracted boys from
around the country as well as the local area. It now has a roll of over 1000 and continues to take
work schedules will become more mainstream. The education sector will make a similar discovery. both boarders and day pupils.
This might well result in a sharp decline in peak traffic times easing public transport pressure but
affecting their revenues because of declining patronage. 8 April 1873
6. Irrevocable changes in the retail scape: Many retail businesses including cafes and restaurants Julius Vogel becomes premier
J
will not make it to the other side of the lockdown. Shuttered and vacant retail space on main streets, ulius Vogel was the dominant political figure of the 1870s, serving as colonial treasurer
suburbs and even malls will be common – something which had begun snowballing in the western and premier on several occasions, and launching a massive programme of immigration and
world even before Covid-19, with gigantic malls being repurposed into residential apartments public works.
especially in the US.
7. Unemployment will skyrocket: As New Zealand comes out of the lockdown unemployment Indian Weekender : Volume 12 Issue 3
is forecast to hit double digits. Tourism, hospitality and their ancillary sectors will see a large pool
Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited
of unemployed as the sectors begin the long road to recovery, which might take several years. New
Content Editor: Sandeep Singh | sandeep@indianweekender.co.nz
Zealand’s once-vibrant services sector will see the biggest rates of unemployment. The flow-on
Chief Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | rizwan@indianweekender.co.nz
effects will severely curtail discretionary spending affecting almost every sector in the economy.
Chief Technical Officer: Rohan deSouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz
8. Investment will suffer: The value of most Kiwis’ favourite investment – real estate – is
expected to fall as much as seven per cent. With job losses and unemployment, home buying Sr Graphics and Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar | mahesh@indianweekender.co.nz
rates will fall despite low interest rates and other financial stimuli. Rent freezes make investment Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | design@indianweekender.co.nz
properties unattractive. Stock markets will remain in the doldrums and private investment in Accounts and Admin.: 09-2173623 | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz
commercial activity will remain ultra-circumspect. The only big investor will be the government Media Sales Manager.: Leena Pal: 021 952 216 | leena@indianweekender.co.nz
because after every major disaster, it is the government that spends money – mainly on building Sales and Distribution: 021 952218 | sales@indianweekender.co.nz
infrastructure to create jobs and stimulate the economy. Editor at Large: Dev Nadkarni | dev@indianweekender.co.nz
9. Perception of ‘value’ will change: Highly paid corporate leaders, employees, celebrities
in almost every field will see their remunerations slashed substantially. With scarcer financial Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher
is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication
resources across the whole economy, people will spend valuable dollars on the basics of life rather
than what once was perceived as nice-to-have luxuries – the perception of value will shift from Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent
luxury to basics; from sporting and showbiz celebrities to Covid-19’s frontline workers. the views of the team at the Indian Weekender
10. New way of doing things: Progressive Kiwis and organisations will see Covid-19 as an Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland.
opportunity as the biggest disruptor to ever hit New Zealand and the world and tinker with new
ways of doing things leveraging technology, moving away from set, inertial ways routines that have Printed at Horton Media, Auckland
become embedded in our systems. The legendary No 8 wire tradition will give rise to creativity Copyright 2017. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.
and practicality which will merge to produce many new ideas, which will receive support from the
government and institutions working together.
And what may these be? Well, that’s a story for another day. Watch this space...
 The Indian Weekender
Time for an Indian cricketer
to reflect & rejuvenate
T
he deadly coronavirus
has brought a complete
lockdown to cricket around
the world as well. One has never ever
experienced such a catastrophe with
every country around the globe under
a threat of such magnitude.
The packed cricket schedule is
and will be completely disrupted.
When cricket will commence again
is unknown and uncertain.
However, for cricketers, one feels
this is a time for them to reflect on
what they did in the past and how
they plan to go ahead in the future.
International cricketers have been
bickering about playing cricket all
throughout the year and so this break
from the game could be just the tonic
they require to give themselves that
extra energy when the virus cloud
subsides.
Unfortunately, the most popular
T20 tournament, the Indian Premier
League (IPL), that millions of cricket
fans were looking forward to, looks
like being cancelled this year.
With the T20 World Cup slated to
be played in Australia at the end of
the year, the IPL was the platform
that all the cricketers were focused
on, to make their mark.
Apart from this, the IPL brings
in financial gains that many
cricketers live on to keep their home
fires burning. Unfortunately, the
professional and commercial world
of today has made 90 per cent of the
cricketers similar to daily workers.
They get paid only when they play
The big bang RBI stimulus: Behind Infra Lines
T
he slew of announcements
by the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) to lower the
repo rate, reverse repo rate, cash
reserve ratio and allowing financial
institutions the bandwidth to offer a
three month EMI moratorium are all
much needed and welcome as India
grapples with an unprecedented but
much-needed shut down due to the
global coronavirus pandemic.
The RBI stimulus has hit at the
most crucial issue at hand, i.e.
“lack of or in most cases absence of
cashflows”.
Helping individuals and businesses
tide over temporary cash flow issues
will be critical to ensure that as
and when the economy recovers
and demand picks up, businesses
can move (if not bounce) back
to normalcy.
The biggest challenge is the
stoppage in cash movement due to
the shutdown.
As businesses stop selling and the
wheels of the economic system stop
turning one gets a chain reaction
through low to no sales, thereby
impacting a firm’s capacity to invest,
pay back debt and pay employees.
As both firms and individuals are
hindered, excess liquidity in the
system due to the RBI policy changes
allows lenders to both ease the credit
constraints as well as lower the cost
Friday, April 03, 2020
or have a short-term contract per se.
There are central contracts for only
players playing for their respective
country cricket boards, but even for
them, the amount is not substantial
for their living star status. It is there
to give them a sense of financial
comfort, if and when they get injured
or indisposed.
Indian domestic cricketers were
fortunate that such a major calamity
did not come about earlier and that
it happened at the very end of their
season. This, therefore, gets one to
reflect on and realize that all present
first-class cricketers, similar to what
BCCI does for their international
players, should be on a contract with
their respective associations.
Players involved with the IPL
should also have a force majeure
clause.
of credit.
Flexibility around credit
repayments and a lower price of
credit through greater liquidity in
the financial system will boost the
economy to cope with the crisis and
eventually recover.
We may underscore that the
issues faced by borrowers are
more a liquidity issue and going
forward also an issue of lagged
demand growth.
The coronavirus driven shutdown
has led to a sudden stop in demand.
A lot of even high-quality businesses
The coronavirus definitely falls
into that category. One hopes that
the BCCI as well as the franchisees
are adequately covered for such a
tsunami.
The complete lockdown and the
mandate to remain indoors must be a
frustrating situation for all sportsmen.
A cricketer, however, should look at
this time with a positive frame of
mind.
Cricket has a lot of physical
activities but it is as much a mental
game. This is the time for a cricketer
to evaluate cricket videos of their
matches, as well as those of previous
important innings and matches. It is
a time for them to educate, learn and
prepare for the future.
A well trained and focused
mind can be developed through
professional coaches online which
may be severely constrained.
The vital aspect to note is that
those businesses which remain high-
quality are negatively impacted by an
exogenous shock that has rendered
their current cashflows insufficient to
cover their costs, debt servicing and
employee payrolls.
The RBI policy changes carefully
address this “liquidity issue” that is
at the forefront of the problems.
Additionally, the RBI policy
changes through increasing liquidity
and providing banks with the option
of offering a moratorium on EMI
OPINION/EDITORIAL
will make them stronger and surer in
achieving their goals in the future.
There are many ways of improving
one’s batting skills at home.
The great Sunil Gavaskar did it
through practising in front of his
mirror with a special focus on his leg
and bat movements. As his roommate
during India’s tour to England in
1979, he made me play my defensive
shots a hundred times every day in
front of the mirror. It did wonders for
my confidence when I went to play
out in the middle.
The greatest batsman ever, Sir
Donald Bradman, improved his foot
and eye coordination by playing
against his wall with a stump
and a golf ball. This, he said, is
what improved his batting skills
immensely.
The four walls of the house are
payments, at once, recognises that
while demand drop was a “jump
event” with a sudden drop in demand,
the recovery in demand will be more
of a “trickle incremental event” once
the shutdown ends, and the pandemic
subsides.
The increase in demand may be
more gradual vis-�-vis a sudden
drop. Policies that allow a lower
cost of credit, higher availability of
credit and flexibility around loan
structuring will assist both lenders
and borrowers better to match
their credit cashflows with the
business cashflows.
The RBI announcement on the
targeted long term repo operation
(LTRO) is one that is also vital in
high volatility and low liquidity
situation.
The RBI’s decision to offer
banks capital provided the money
is invested in investment-grade
corporate bonds will, to some extent,
help ease the pressure on the spread
widening and low liquidity seen in
the corporate bond market.
The LTRO announcement shows
that there is a realisation that all
selling in the markets isn’t necessarily
a view on the fundamental value
of the asset under consideration
but is also driven by technical
liquidity and portfolio allocation
factors, especially in times of crisis.
17
ideal for honing one’s skills in
cricket. Apart from batting, one
can improve ones’ catching and for
a bowler his wrist movement and
swing can be improved by bowling
with a plastic ball.
One is happy to read that the
Indian team’s fitness coach has an
exercise and strength building regime
structured for the present Indian
players to do so at home during this
curfew.
India’s famous fit and untiring
tennis star, Leander Paes, has had a
foreign fitness coach for over two
decades.
He interacts with his coach on a
regular basis online. GPS monitoring
sensors measure all his body
17
parameters and only thereafter, his
weekly schedule is put into place.
Paes said that this is what has kept
him fit and agile and one cannot
doubt it, as he is still playing top
level tennis at the age of 46.
This is the time for an Indian
cricketer to utilize technology and
the world of mental and physical
strengthening. A chance to reflect on
what worked for him and what did
not.
Cricket followers would never
have had such a break from following
live sporting action as what one is
encountering at present. When the
curtain is lifted, one can just imagine
the way cricket popularity will
escalate. Whereas, the cricketers who
have been smart about reflecting and
rejuvenating will be the winners
Primarily, market participants sell
since they need the cash to tide over
current issues as opposed to selling
based on asset value.
The LTRO, if used by the banks,
can, to some extent, help support the
corporate bond market.
At a broader level, the recent
policy changes of the RBI have
created a framework for releasing
liquidity into the financial system to
absorb the corona virus shocks better.
The ability of market participants
to realise that while the current
problems are grave, the need to
restructure credit agreements around
cashflows is critical for both lenders
and borrowers.
The RBI policy announcements
have provided the market with the
tools with which to manage the cash
flow mismatches to tide over current
issues to some extent.
Essentially, while specific human
behaviour patterns might change,
people will still fly on planes, eat
out at restaurants and stay at hotels.
Short-term exogenous shocks,
however large, won’t change the
fundamental nature of businesses in
the medium to long-run.
The RBI through both policy
and signalling has shown the will to
support the markets quite actively to
help move forward.
 18 INDIA COVID-19 Special Coverage Friday, April 03, 2020 The Indian Weekender

INDIA UNDER LOCKDOWN

24 villages declared COVID-19 COVID-19 a reminder
of interconnected

red zones in Kashmir

world, need for global
response: PM Modi

T
he Jammu and Kashmir including Parray Mohalla Hajin,
administration has declared Chandergeer Hajin, Batagund Hajin
24 villages across Kashmir as and S.K. Bala Hajin are declared red
red zones in the wake of outbreak of zones.
COVID-19 in the valley. He said that there would be no
The villages designated as red inward and outward movement of
zones in central and south Kashmir any person from the villages declared
include Parray Mohala Hajin, as Red zone and the people would

Chandergeer Hajin, Batagund Hajin
in Bandipora district, Gudoora,
Chandgam, Pinglena, Parigam,
Abhama, Sangerwani and Khaigam
in the Pulwama district; Waskura in
Ganderbal, Sedew and Ramnagri in
Shopian district; and Chadoora in
Budgam district.
In Srinagar, Mehjoor Nagar,
Natipora, Lal Bazar, Eidgah and
Shalteng have been declared red
zones. Meanwhile, Bandipora
District Administration in north
kashmir has declared four villages
of the district as Red Zones as a
precautionary measure after several
COVID-19 positive cases were
reported from these areas on Tuesday.
Invoking prohibitory orders
under the Epidemic Diseases Act
1897, Section 144 of the CrPC and
Disaster Management Act, 2005,
Nodal Officer COVID-19 Assistant
Commissioner Revenue, Reyaz
Ahmad Beigh said four villages,
M
stay inside their homes to ensure
odi said that he looks
complete lockdown. He warned of
forward to working with
stern action against violators as per
Li to “further deepen and
provision of the relevant Acts.
strengthen our closer developmental
The order was issued in view of
partnership and take it to even greater
the COVID-19 positive case from
heights in the years to come”.
Hajin, Bandipora due to which the
The  COVID-19  pandemic  is a
entire area has become vulnerable as
“reminder to us of the interconnected
far as transmission of the COVID-19
nature of our world today and the
virus is concerned.
need therefore to adopt a truly
Till Tuesday, the total number of
global response to it”, Prime
positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir
Minister  Narendra Modi  said in
was 55.
a message to Chinese Premier Li

Migrants in anxiety, they need healing touch: Govt

Keqiang on Wednesday.
Modi said that he looks forward

T
to working with Li to “further
he Union Health Ministry Recognise specific and varied needs deepen and strengthen our closer
has issued guidelines to deal for each person/family. There is no developmental partnership and take
with the crisis of migrant generalisation. it to even greater heights in the years
labourers who are facing harsh Help them to acknowledge that this to come”. This was part of the Indian
treatment by law enforcement is an unusual situation of uncertainty leadership’s message to the Chinese
agencies in various parts of the and reassure them that the situation leadership, as both sides exchanged
country due to nationwide lockdown is transient and not going to last messages of felicitation between
to contain the spread of Covid-19. long. Normal life is going to resume the Presidents, Prime Ministers and
The ministry said that the migrant soon," said the guideline. External Affairs Ministers on the
workers, faced with the situation of The ministry said all the occasion of the 70th Anniversary
spending a few days in temporary nformation about possible sources of of the establishment of diplomatic
shelters, which may be quarantine "Treat help should be given. Inform them relations between India and China on
centres, while trying to reach to every migrant about the support being extended April 1.
their native places, are filled worker with dignity, by Central Government, State In his letter to China’s President
with "anxieties and fears", respect, empathy and Governments/NGOs/health care Xi Jinping, President Ram Nath
stemming from various compassion. Listen to systems. Kovind conveyed warm greetings,
concerns, and are in need of their concerns patiently entirely on the money and at national border areas. Emphasise on the importance felicitations and good wishes to
"psycho-social" support. and understand their sent by the migrant These are the most marginalized of their staying in their present China’s government and its people.
problems" earning members. sections of the society who are
The ministry said that location and how mass movement He observed that the two sides
they are prone to various social, During outbreak of dependent on daily wages for their could greatly and adversely affect all have made “considerable progress,
psychological and emotional trauma communicable diseases, such living, and in times of such distress efforts to contain the virus. especially in the last few years in
in such situations, emanating as COVID-19, and the restrictions need sympathy and understanding of Make them realise their importance enhancing our bilateral engagement
from fear of neglect by the local imposed on routine activities as the society. in the community and appreciate in a number of areas, including
community and concerns about part of social distancing norms to "Sometimes, they also face their contributions for the society. political, economic and people-to-
the wellbeing and safety of their prevent the spread, scores of migrant harassment and negative reactions Remind them that they have made people ties.”
families back home. workers tend to move back to their of the local community. All this calls their place with their own efforts, External Affairs Minister S
Migrants are forced to leave native places. for strong social protection," the acquired the trust of their employer, Jaishankar, in his letter to Chinese
their native places in search of During the prevailing Covid-19 ministry further said. sent remittances to their families Foreign Minister Wang Yi, said that
better opportunities and earnings, pandemic also, many migrant "Treat every migrant worker and therefor deserve all respect. due to the COVID-19 outbreak,
sometimes leaving behind their workers used all possible means to with dignity, respect, empathy and Reassure that even if their employer the two sides have been “unable to
families. reach their destinations. compassion. fails them, local administration and carry out the various activities that
In many instances, the families Many of them are however stuck "Listen to their concerns patiently charitable institutions would extend had been planned to celebrate this
in native places depend partially or at borders, including state, district and understand their problems. all possible help. historic anniversary”.

Newborn, mom test positive, suspected to have

caught virus from bed of Covid-19 patient
O
n March 27, the couple gave nasal
swabs for COVID-19 test to a private
laboratory that sent a representative to
the hospital to collect the same. The hospital
had advised them to get in touch with the lab.
(Representational Image)
A three-day-old boy on Wednesday tested
positive for  COVID-19, suspected to have
caught the virus from the bed occupied by an
infected patient before it was allotted to his
mother at Sai hospital in Mumbai. While the
mother has also tested positive, the boy is the
state’s youngest COVID-19 patient.
The newborn was delivered at the Chembur-
based hospital on March 26. On Tuesday, the
mother and son were shifted to Kurla Bhabha
hospital and later to Kasturba Hospital. The
family claimed no paediatrician had visited the
baby and the mother at Kasturba Hospital – the
nodal centre for COVID-19 cases in Mumbai –
since they had been admitted there.
The baby’s father, a restaurant manager,
told  The Indian Express  that he had specially
booked a twin-sharing room for his wife at Sai
hospital to avoid risk of contracting infection.
I was concerned about COVID-19.
So, we booked an entire room.
Two hours after delivery, the staff
asked us to vacate the room and
moved us to another bed. They
did not tell us why. The next day, a
doctor called and asked us to get
tested for the virus
“I was concerned about COVID-19. So,
we booked an entire room. Two hours after
delivery, the staff asked us to vacate the room
and moved us to another bed.
"They did not tell us why. The next day, a
doctor called and asked us to get tested for
the virus,” the 32 year old said. He added that
he had been billed extra for the delivery, as
very few doctors were available to perform a
caesarean surgery on his wife.
On March 27, the couple gave nasal swabs
for COVID-19 test to a private laboratory that
sent a representative to the hospital to collect
the same. The hospital had advised them to get
in touch with the lab. The 26-year-old mother
and the newborn tested positive. “Since March
27, no nurse or doctor visited my wife and son
at Sai hospital. They completely abandoned
us,” the father said. On March 31, BMC
asked the hospital to shut down. Ward officer
Prithviraj Chauhan said the hospital was shut to
undertake sanitisation. “We had to disinfect all
the surfaces,” he added.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, April 03, 2020 COVID-19 Special Coverage INDIA 19

Panic on rise, as 48.3% 74% people dependent on traditional

media for info on COVID-19: Survey
feel they can get COVID-19 A bout 74 per cent of people
are dependent on traditional

E
ven as the coronavirus
positive cases went past 1,000
in India and at least 29 people
lost their lives, 46 per cent people
believe that the dreaded virus would
not touch their family, while 48.3 per
cent felt there is a chance they might
get infected, a survey revealed.
The survey conducted by IANS C
Voter Corona on March 26 and 27
found panic among the people over
the virus has increased.
On March 17, 39.1 per cent people
agreed there is a panic situation but
10 days later, the percentage rose to
48.3 per cent.
Also, in the survey done 10 days
before on March 17, almost 69 per
cent thought that the corona will not
touch their families.
The level of confidence has also
reduced by around 12 per cent.
Around 48 per cent thought that the
virus can infect their families, but 10
days ago around 39 per cent thought
the same.
given by 5.2 per cent people.
However, almost 46.5 per cent
people are yet to panic but 10 days
ago, 59.5 per cent people were in a
state of panic.
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on Sunday has apologised
for taking harsh steps to fight
the poor people. I know some of you
would be angry with me also. But
these tough measures were needed to
win this battle."
The World Health Organisation's
(WHO) former Director General Gro
Harlem Brundtland has expressed
concern over the global lack of
media for any updates on
the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic, which has affected 1,071
people across the country, a survey
revealed.
The net outcome came out in
a second survey conducted by
media C-VOTER Corona Tracker
conducted on March 26 and 27.
In the poll, a question -- On what
sources are you dependent for corona
related information -- was put forth
before Indians during the last one
week. According to the survey,
a whopping 74.1 per cent people
were dependent on the traditional
media for information related to
COVID-19 while 18.5 per cent
people were dependent on social
media for the information. And only
5.2 per cent people were dependent
on community info.
The survey highlighted that 67.9
per cent people were dependent
on television for information on
COVID-19 while only 6.2 per
94% do not have symptoms of flu: Survey
cent people were dependent on
newspapers.
Following the 21-day nationwide
lockdown to stop the transmission
of COVID-19, the delivery of
newspapers has been badly hit.
The survey report also highlighted
that 5.1 per cent received updates on
COVID-19 from WhatsApp while
4 per cent received the information
regarding the pandemic from
Facebook. It said 9.4 per cent were
people were dependent on other
social media platforms.
The report also pointed out that
only 2.7 per cent people were
dependent on local administration
for the information on the pandemic
and 2.5 per cent were dependent on
friends and family members for the
updates.

During the survey, 1.2 per cent
people thought that they can't say
anything on the coronavirus situation.
After 10 days, a similar response was
COVID-19 outbreak.
He said, "I apologise for taking
these harsh steps which have caused
difficulties in your lives, especially
"preparedness" for a worldwide
pandemic despite a warning being
made in September last year, reports
said on Sunday.
A
mid the 21-day nationwide
lockdown till April 14 to
combat the spread of novel
coronavirus (Covid-19), about 94
per cent of people said that they don't
have the symptoms of the flu like
high fever, cold, dry cough, a survey
report claimed on Monday.
The net outcome came out in
a second survey conducted by
media C-VOTER Corona Tracker
conducted on March 26 and 27.
In the poll, a question -- Have
you felt/seen flu-like symptoms
like high fever, cold dry cough or
similar symptoms in any family
member (own household) or your
neighbourhood (people who you
normally meet in your day-to-day
life) -- was put forth before Indians
during the last one week.
According to the survey, a
whopping 94.3 per cent people
said that they do not have the
suymptoms of flu while 5.6 per cent
people claimed that they felt the
symptoms of flu. The survey report
also highlighted that 89.3 per cent
people said that they did not have the
symptoms of flu, while 2.9 per cent
said that the symptoms of flu was in
the neighbourhood. Only 2 per cent
people said that they witnessed the
symptoms in their household and
only 0.7 per cent people accepted
that they had the symptoms of flu.

57.5% believe coronavirus

situation will get better
over next month

A
mid the rapid increase in
the number of positive
coronavirus cases in the
country, 57.5 per cent people believe
the situation will get better over
the next month, while 17.6 per cent According to a survey conducted
believe it will get worse. by media Corona Tracker, response
Covid-19: India reports 1,834 cases, 41 deaths The total positive cases in India was sought on -- when thinking about

T
he total number of
coronavirus positive cases
in India reached 1,834
on Wednesday, including foreign
nationals, with 1,649 active cases,
the Union Health Ministry said.
The Health Ministry, in its the
evening update that 41 deaths have
been reported in India so far, with
highest nine from Maharashtra,
followed by Gujarat, where six
deaths were reported.
"A total of 143 patients have been
cured and discharged," it said.
Among the 27 states and Union
Territories having Coronavirus
patients, Maharashtra has the
highest tally of positive cases at 302,
followed by Kerala at 241
India has been under a 21-day
lockdown in a bid to prevent spread
of coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Wednesday recorded
the highest COVID-19 positive
cases in a day, 13 in Gujarat, taking
the total positive cases in the state
to 87. Jayanti Ravi, the principal
secretary, Health and family welfare
Department, Gujarat said, "Apart
from the eight positive cases
registered on Wednesday morning,
during the day, we have had five
more positive cases in the state. Two
are from Surat, two in Porbandar and
1 in Panchmahals."
With this, the total positive cases
in the state have climbed to 87 with
6 deaths. The highest positive cases
are in Ahmedabad -31, followed
by Surat -12, Gandhinagar -11,
Rajkot -10, Vadodara -9, Bhavnagar
-6, Porbandar -3 Gir-Somnath -2,
Kutch, Mahesana and Panchmahals
one each.
Seven positive cases, after
undergoing treatment have been
discharged.
Eight new positive corona
cases were recorded in Gujarat on
Wednesday morning, all of them in
Ahmedabad which has been declared
as a hotspot for the outbreak by
the ministry of health and family
welfare.
"Out of the 8, male (52) having
inter state travel history to Indore,
male (18) travel history to Indore,
female (45) interstate travel history
and a female (65) having got
infected locally have been admitted
in Ahmedabad Civil hospital. A male
(68) with inter state travel history,
male (54) with an international travel
history and a female (58) infected
locally have been admitted in Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP)AHospital.
Another male (67) who got infected
locally has been admitted in the Sola
Civil Hospital," Ravi said.
The total persons under
quarantine are 19,206. The persons
quarantined at home are 18,487
and those in government institutes
are 743 while 253 are quarantined
in private facilities. 418 FIR have
been filed against persons violating
the quarantine conditions. "We have
conducted test of 1,586 samples out
of which 1,501 have turned negative,
82 positive and the results of three
are pending," added Ravi.
have surged past 1,000, and resulted the coronavirus in India which of the
following do you think is most likely
in 29 deaths.
to happen over the next month?
Globally, the virus has claimed
People expressed their opinion
over 33,000 lives and infected over
in four categories -- don't know/
six lakh people.
can't say; the worst is yet to come;
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had
the situation will remain largely the
imposed an unprecedented 21-days
same as it is now; and we are over
lockdown on March 25 to curb the
the worst of it - things will begin to
spread of coronavirus. The decision
improve. I
was aimed at completely halting
n the middle of March, 61.2 per
the movement of people to stem the
cent believed we are over the worst
transmission of the coronavirus in
of it-things will begin to improve.
the community.
EXPLAINED: Are children less
vulnerable to novel coronavirus?
I
n research about the novel coronavirus so far, the evidence has been that
the elderly and those with underlying conditions are more vulnerable.
Does that mean children are immune? The answer is no; although
children have been less severely affected, the picture about COVID-19 is still
emerging. The World Health Organization notes: “Older people, and people
with chronic medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, appear to
be more at risk of developing severe symptoms. As this is a new virus, we are
still learning about how it affects children. We know it is possible for people of
any age to be infected with the virus, but so far there are relatively few cases
of COVID-19 reported among children.”
 20 WORLD COVID-19 Special Coverage Friday, April 03, 2020 The Indian Weekender

China and Australia target

Pacific with coronavirus aid
B
eijing has ramped up its diplomatic push
into the Pacific, pledging coronavirus
aid and medical advice, although its
efforts are being impeded as islands close
borders to stop the spread of the disease from
hotspots including China. Chinese embassies
have held cheque presentation ceremonies in
multiple Pacific islands, after Beijing pledged
to provide $1.9 million for testing kits and
protective equipment this week.
“This is a global effort by China to change
the perception of early January that China was
the source of the virus, to China is the source
of the solution,” said Richard McGregor, senior
fellow with Australian foreign policy think tank
the Lowy Institute. If their system is mobilized
to not just sending these materials to New York
and Italy but even tiny countries, it gives you
a sense of how galvanized they are to use this
moment to build China’s reputation.”
The Pacific islands have grown as a strategic
priority for China and the United States and
its allies, including Australia, who are keen to
lock in relationships with countries that control
strategic waterways between the Americas and
Asia. Australia is the region’s biggest aid donor
but Pacific islands have turned to China in
recent years for budget assistance.
A World Health Organization (WHO)
spokeswoman said New Caledonia, French
Polynesia, Fiji and Guam can test for
COVID-19, but other countries need to send
specimens to Australia, New Zealand or the
United States for testing.
China’s ambassador to Papua New Guinea
(PNG), Xue Bing, said 2,000 testing kits, face
masks and goggles were ready to be shipped
from China, although flight restrictions
prevented their delivery, PNG’s Post Courier
newspaper reported.
FACE MASKS
PNG’s health minister Jelta Wong told
Reuters: “If China sends it down we will
receive it. We have not opened our borders as
yet and we won’t open until we are sure we
have protocols in place,” Wong said.
PNG, with one confirmed case of COVID-19,
tests at a local medical institute using two
machines donated by Australia, he said.
“We only have aid coming from Australia,”
said Wong. The Solomon Islands, which
switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan
to Beijing last year, said it received $300,000
from China and was advised by the Chinese
embassy in Honiara to buy equipment from the
Beijing Genomics Institution.
The office of Solomon Islands Prime Minister
Manasseh Sogavare said it was trying to charter
a flight from French Polynesia to China to
return with medical supplies.
The Chinese embassy had also organized
for a ship from Guangdong to carry several
thousand face masks and protective suits
donated by Guangdong province.
The secretary of Kiribati’s ministry of health
and medical services, Kaaro Neeti, told Reuters
the island was unable to test for COVID-19 but
a Chinese donation “is in the pipeline”.

UN warns of
'dire' effects of Factbox: Latest on the sprea
L
ockdowns to halt the spread of the coronavirus
coronavirus, have brought silence to some of the world’s
busiest places. Transport hubs that should be
'greatest test' teeming with travellers such as New York’s Grand
Central Terminal or Istanbul’s Eminonu ferry
since WWII docks are all but deserted.

T
he United Nations warned of
potentially “dire” long-term
effects of the coronavirus
outbreak on countries and the global
economy and called for greater
international cooperation to fight
the pandemic.
“COVID-19 is the greatest test
that we have faced together since the
formation of the United Nations,”
said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres as he launched a report
this week to address responses to
the crisis. The U.N. was founded 75
years ago, after World War Two.
The U.N. report appealed to
DEATHS, INFECTIONS
developed countries to do more for
less prepared nations.
“Let us remember that we are
only as strong as the weakest health
system in our interconnected world,”
Guterres said.
The report also called for a
multilateral response amounting
to at least 10% of global gross
domestic product. Over 878,000
people worldwide have been infected
with the novel coronavirus and over
43,000 people have died, according
to Reuters data.
What you need to know
• More than 878,300 people have been infected
across the world and over 43,400 have died,
according to a Reuters tally.
• For an interactive graphic tracking the global
spread, open tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external
browser.
• U.S.-focused tracker with state-by-state and
county map, open tmsnrt.rs/2w7hX9T in an
external browser.
• EUROPE
• Italy will extend lockdown restrictions to April
13, as data from this week suggests a slowdown
of growth in total cases, though its national
health institute says official death toll could be
underestimated.
• Cases in Spain topped 100,000 on Wednesday, health official said. Pre
• Germany will extend social distancing measures • Eur

T
countries to follow the World Health and two planes with protective equipment
he US has more confirmed introduced last month to slow the spread of the an
Organization’s (WHO) guidelines arrived to restock an overloaded public health
cases than any other country coronavirus to April 19 and the government will trac
and for an immediate health system.
— more than 200,000, according re-evaluate the situation after the Easter holiday. AME
response to curb the spread of the • France became the fourth country to pass the
to a CNN count. More than 4,300 • Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking
virus, including stepping up testing, 4,000 coronavirus deaths threshold. • U.S
people have died in the US. precautions to protect himself, as Moscow
quarantine and treatment. • Britain said it would ramp up the number of wan
Between 100,000 and 240,000 tests amid widespread criticism that it was doing launched a smartphone app designed to track incl
“We are still very far from where people who have been ordered to stay home.
Americans could die in the far too few. nex
we need to be to effectively fight • Russia sent the United States medical equipment
coming weeks, according to US • Switzerland no longer faces shortages in in
the COVID-19 worldwide and to be on Wednesday to help fight the coronavirus
government modeling. coronavirus testing, its top health official dealing dea
able to tackle the negative impacts,” pandemic, a public relations coup for Putin.
The UN secretary-general says with the pandemic said on Wednesday. • The
Guterres told reporters at a virtual • Turkey will step up measures to contain the
the pandemic is the "greatest • Measures to limit the outbreak in the Netherlands har
news conference. coronavirus outbreak if it keeps spreading and
test" the world has faced since appear to have halved the rate of infection but who
Guterres said he was particularly people ignore “voluntary” quarantine rules,
the end of World War II. need to be continued to be really effective, a top Cal
concerned for Africa and urged

'Things under control': how Europe sle

B
arely a month before Europe embarked on a scramble for masks, That was only two weeks before the first victims of coronavirus in Italy, where At a meeting on Jan. 31, delegates f
ventilators and testing kits to fight coronavirus, governments told Brussels 12,428 people have now died from COVID-19, almost four times the death toll Commission they did not need help acq
their healthcare systems were ready and there was no need to order more in China were the disease first emerged. the minutes.
stocks, EU documents show. Asked whether the documents seen by Reuters showed the European response “No countries have, as of yet, re
This rosy assessment is in stark contrast to the shortages of masks and medical had been too slow, a spokesman for the EU executive said: “As from January, the countermeasures,” the minutes showed
equipment just a few weeks later, when the European Commission estimated Commission offered the possibility of support to member states.” might need protective equipment if the
needs across EU states to be 10 times higher than would usually be available. EU governments began to realise the gravity of the situation in March but rather countries were not named.
While the dearth of equipment is mostly down to ballooning global demand, than focusing on joint action many resorted to protectionist measures, raising On Feb. 28, a month after its first offe
internal and public documents seen by Reuters show European Union governments trade barriers to hinder the export of medical equipment to their neighbours. to clarify their needs in at least two mo
may have worsened their predicament by overestimating their response capacity. Italy still only has a fraction of the 90 million face masks its medical launched a joint procurement programm
“Things under control,” a European Commission official said at a closed- workers need each month, France ordered over 1 billion masks last week and gear. The tender on behalf of 25 memb
door meeting with diplomats from member states on Feb. 5, two weeks after manufacturers are adapting production lines to make ventilators. internal document seen by Reuters show
China locked down nearly 60 million people in Hubei province, or roughly the bids made under a second tender but n
‘CAPACITIES ARE IN PLACE’
population of Italy. deliveries are still weeks away, accordin
The optimistic analysis presented by the European Commission official on
“There is strong level of preparedness in member states, most have measures EU governments had assured Brussels
Feb. 5 stemmed from a series of meetings with health experts from EU member
in place” to detect and treat COVID-19, the official said, relaying comments from on how to handle COVID-19 patients, a
states.
national envoys, according to minutes of the meeting seen by Reuters. though Italy only required medical staff
 The Indian Weekender Friday, April 03, 2020 COVID-19 Special Coverage WORLD 21

New York scolds 'selfish'

residents, California intensive care beds running out
Australia starts
putting time limits
on 'draconian'

T
he governor of New York clamped down
harder on public gatherings in the face of
the coronavirus, calling residents “selfish”
for refusing to stay home as California’s governor
warned his state may run out of intensive care beds
and ventilators next month.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told New
York City police to more aggressively enforce
rules for social distancing as deaths in the state shot
up to nearly 2,000.
“Young people must get this message, and they
still have not gotten the message, you still see too
many situations with too much density by young
people,” said Cuomo in imposing new rules to
close playgrounds, swing sets, basketball courts
and similar spaces. The Democratic governor
sounded vexed by reports of crowds gathering at
a Manhattan pier to watch the arrival of the U.S.
Navy hospital ship, the Comfort.
“How reckless and irresponsible and selfish for
people not to do it on their own,” he said.
More than 4,700 people have died across the
United States from COVID-19 as of Tuesday
afternoon, according to a Reuters tally, with more
than 212,000 cases reported.
White House medical experts have forecast that
even if Americans follow unprecedented stay-at-
home orders, some 100,000 to 240,000 people
could die from the respiratory disease.
Since 2010, the flu has killed between 12,000
and 61,000 Americans a year, according to the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The 1918-1919 flu pandemic killed 675,000 in the
United States, according to the CDC.
HOTELS AS HOSPITALS
Already 38 states and the District of Columbia
have told residents to avoid leaving the house
unless necessary, orders that now apply to roughly
260 million people, or 80 percent of the U.S.
population. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio
told a news conference the city was contracting
with hotels as part of a massive effort to add 65,000
additional hospital beds by the end of the month.
De Blasio said the city has already arranged to
add 10,000 beds at 20 hotels, which have lost most
of their guests as travel has stopped. “This is going
to be an epic process during the month of April
to build out all that capacity,” de Blasio said at a
briefing. “But this goal can be reached.”
YOUNGEST VICTIM
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced
what he called a tragic milestone as the virus
claimed its youngest known U.S. victim to date, a
six-week-old baby.
“It just is a reminder that nobody is safe from
this virus,” Lamont said at a field house at Southern
Connecticut State University in New Haven, where
more than 200 hospital beds have been set up.
virus measures
A
ustralian authorities began
putting time limits on the
use of police to enforce
restrictions on personal movement
intended to slow the spread of the
coronavirus, as standoffs continued
with cruise ships denied entry
to ports. Australian states have
instructed police to issue fines of up
to A$11,000 ($6,672) to people who
violate federal orders that ban non-
essential travel and limit groups of
people gathering outside to two.
In New South Wales, the most
populous state with nearly a third of
the country’s 25m population, police
have also threatened prison terms
of up to six months for people who
violate the rules.
“When is the turn-off period for
these orders? It is 90 days,” state
police commissioner Mick Fuller
told a televised news conference in

ad of the coronavirus around the world
esident Tayyip Erdogan said.
ropean scientists and engineers will launch
initiative to support the use of digital contact
cing applications.
ERICAS
S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she
nts to virus-proof the November election by
luding funding to boost voting by mail in the
xt pandemic response plan, as confirmed cases
the country climbed to 186,101 and while
aths rose to 3,603.
e governor of New York cracked down even
rder on public gatherings, calling residents
o disregarded stay-at-home rules “selfish” as
lifornia’s governor warned his state will run
out of hospital beds by next month.
• Canada’s death toll jumped by 35% in less than
a day and Quebec said it was running low on key
medical equipment.
• An indigenous woman in a village deep in
the Amazon rainforest has contracted the
coronavirus.
• Cuba suspended arriving international flights
and asked all foreign boats to withdraw from its
waters.
• - Nearly 30 medical workers at a hospital in
northern Mexico have been infected, as the
national tally climbed to 1,215.
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
• Mainland China reported dwindling new
infections on Wednesday and for the first time
disclosed the number of asymptomatic cases,
which could complicate how trends in the
outbreak are read.
• Singapore reported 74 new cases in its biggest
intraday jump, bringing its total to 1,000.
• Japan will ban entry to foreigners from 73
countries and ask everyone arriving from
abroad to begin quarantine.
• India scoured mosques to trace people who
attended a Muslim gathering in New Delhi that
later emerged as a hotspot.
• The rate of new infections in Malaysia appears
to be slowing amid month-long curbs on
movement, a senior health official said.
• A team of Chinese scientists has isolated several
antibodies that it says are “extremely effective”
at blocking the ability of the virus to enter cells.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
• Iran’s president said the U.S. had missed an
opportunity to lift sanctions on his country,
though he said the penalties had not hampered
Tehran’s fight against the virus, which has killed
more than 3,000 people and infected close to
48,000.
• Ugandan doctors accused the government
of endangering the lives of those in medical
emergencies by requiring that all seek permission
to secure transportation to hospitals.
• Egypt has ramped up efforts to fight the
coronavirus, ordering manufacturers to channel
medical protective equipment to public hospitals.
ECONOMIC FALLOUT
• World equity markets began the new quarter
with steep losses on Wednesday. [MKTS/GLOB]
• Factories fell quiet across much of the world in
March as the coronavirus pandemic paralyzed
economic activity, with evidence mounting that
the world is sliding into deep recession.
• China’s ports and shipping firms are bracing for
a second wave of supply chain disruptions that
may be deeper and more prolonged than during
the country’s lockdown.
• The European Commision proposed a short-
time work scheme modelled on Germany’s
Kurzarbeit programme to help people keep their
jobs.
• Italy plans to spend another $11 billion to
guarantee debt and liquidity for professionals
and companies hit by the crisis.
• Switzerland is preparing to expand an
emergency liquidity programme for businesses,
as banks have already lent out more than half
of the $20.70 billion set aside for state-backed
loans.
• U.S. restaurants asked the White House and
congressional leaders for at least $325 billion in
aid.
Sydney. People will have gotten the
message by then, hopefully. And we
won’t be talking about the powers,
we’ll be talking about what does it
look like coming out of this?”
Police in NSW and other states
have already started issuing tickets to
people suspected of breaching orders
which authorities themselves have
called “draconian”.
Officials in the second most
populous state of Victoria said
policing of social distancing rules
may last until June, without giving
specific dates.
SHUTDOWN BITES
Like countries around the world,
Australia has ordered the shutdown
of restaurants, cafes, bars, movie
theatres and instructed people to stay
inside unless they are shopping for
food or taking their daily exercise as
it tries to contain the flu-like illness.
So far, more than 5,200 people have
been infected in Australia, and 23
have died.
The restrictions have crippled the
local economy, putting hundreds
of thousands out of work and
hammering investors. The Australian
share market was down about 3% on
Thursday, following declines on Wall
Street where U.S. health officals gave
projections of hundreds of thousands
of deaths, quashing hopes of a quick
return to business as usual.
Australian health authorities have
said infection rates appear to have
slowed in recent days but it is too
early to say definitively.

eepwalked into the coronavirus crisis

from national health ministries told the
quiring medical equipment, according to
cases from Feb. 24.
Nearly 10,000 Italian health workers have been infected, or more than 9% of
the cases in Italy, according to official data.
equested support to obtain additional At an EU meeting on Feb. 4, national health experts said: “Diagnostic capacities
d, with only four states warning they are in place, and several countries have begun rolling out testing.”
situation worsened in Europe. The four Now, EU states are facing a massive shortage of testing kits and launched a
joint procurement scheme on March 18.
er to help, and after urging governments The need to jointly acquire ventilators crucial for patients with severe breathing
ore meetings, the European Commission problems only arose for the first time at a meeting of EU health experts on March
me for face masks and other protective 13, according to minutes of the meeting.
ber states initially received no offers, an A procurement scheme was launched by the European Commission on March
wed. EU member states are now assessing 17.
no contracts have yet been signed and Risks that healthcare systems might exceed their capacity were considered
ng to Commission estimates. “low to moderate” in mid-February by the EU agency for disease control, which
s their medical workers were well briefed relies on assessments by individual member states.
according to documents seen by Reuters, A month later, it updated its assessment to say no countries would have enough
to wear masks when handling suspected intensive care beds by mid-April.
 22 WORLD COVID-19 Special Coverage Friday, April 03, 2020 The Indian Weekender

Chinese scientists seeking potential

COVID-19 treatment find 'effective' antibodies
A
team of Chinese scientists has isolated
several antibodies that it says are
“extremely effective” at blocking the
ability of the new coronavirus to enter cells,
which eventually could be helpful in treating or
preventing COVID-19.
There is currently no proven effective
treatment for the disease, which originated in
China and is spreading across the world in a
pandemic that has infected more than 850,000
and killed 42,000.
Zhang Linqi at Tsinghua University in
Beijing said a drug made with antibodies like
the ones his team have found could be used
more effectively than the current approaches,
including what he called “borderline” treatment
such as plasma.
Plasma contains antibodies but is restricted
by blood type. In early January, Zhang’s team
and a group at the 3rd People’s Hospital in
Shenzhen began analysing antibodies from
blood taken from recovered COVID-19
patients, isolating 206 monoclonal antibodies
which showed what he described as a “strong”
ability to bind with the virus’ proteins.
They then conducted another test to see
if they could actually prevent the virus from
entering cells, he told Reuters in an interview.
Among the first 20 or so antibodies tested,
four were able to block viral entry and of those,
two were “exceedingly good” at doing so,
Zhang said.
The team is now focused on identifying
the most powerful antibodies and possibly
combining them to mitigate the risk of the
new coronavirus mutating. If all goes well,
interested developers could mass produce them
for testing, first on animals and eventually on
humans.
autoimmune diseases and infectious diseases.”
The antibodies are not a vaccine but  could
potentially be given to at-risk people with
the aim of preventing them from contracting
"But COVID-19.  Normally it takes around
it’s really two years for a drug even to get
exciting to find these close to approval for use on
potential treatments, and patients, but the COVID-19
then have a chance to test pandemic means things are
them out. Because if we can moving faster, he said, with
find more candidates, then steps that would previously
eventually we’ll have be taken sequentially now
better treatment" being done in parallel.
Zhang, who posted the
findings online, hopes the antibodies
can be tested on humans in six months. If they
are found to be effective in trials, actual use for
treatment would take longer.
Other experts urge caution.
“There’s a number of steps which will now
need to be followed before it could be used as
The group has partnered with a Sino-U.S. a treatment for coronavirus patients,” Hong
biotech firm, Brii Biosciences, in an effort “to Kong University infectious disease specialist
advance multiple candidates for prophylactic Ben Cowling said when the finding was
and therapeutic intervention”, according to a described to him by Reuters.
statement by Brii. “But it’s really exciting to find these potential
“The importance of antibodies has been treatments, and then have a chance to test them
proven in the world of medicine for decades out. Because if we can find more candidates,
now,” Zhang said. then eventually we’ll have better treatment,”
“They can be used to treat cancer, Cowling said.

Bolsonaro, Trump talk coronavirus help as Brazil cases rise sharply Corona cases to reach

P
residents Donald Trump and urgent medical equipment because 1mn in next few days,
Jair Bolsonaro discussed the United States sent 23 planes to toll to hit 50,000

cooperation between the
two countries in the fight against
coronavirus, as Brazil’s health
minister warned that infection rates
and lack of medical supplies were a
big concern.
The two presidents discussed
medical and logistical cooperation
on a telephone call but steered
clear of confinement and quarantine
policies, according to Brazil’s
Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo.
Both leaders have stirred controversy
for their positions on the latter.
The White House said they
discussed the importance of working
together through the Group of 20
nations, cooperating on vaccine
development and restoring global
economic growth.
Criticism has grown over
Bolsonaro’s handling of the crisis.
The right-wing populist has attacked
state governors for lockdowns that
are causing job losses, played down
the threat of what he calls “a little
flu” and contradicted his own health
minister’s position on self-isolation
and social distancing.
Brazil’s Health Minister Luiz
Henrique Mandetta said the latest
coronavirus figures were very
worrying and expressed concern
about the lack of protective
equipment, medical equipment
and ventilators.
The Health Ministry said on
Wednesday that the number of
confirmed coronavirus cases in
Brazil rose by 1,119 to 6,836 and the
death toll by 39 to 240.
A 20-year-old indigenous woman
in a village deep in the Amazon
rainforest was the first case reported
among Brazil’s more than 300 tribes.
Mandetta said monitoring indigenous
people is a challenge, and their
lifestyle could facilitate the spread of
the virus.
He told reporters that Brazil
was having difficulty importing
China to be filled up, and Brazil’s
share was slashed as a result.
Mandetta said that 200 million
personal protective equipment items
would arrive from China this month.
Meanwhile, Bolsonaro repeated
his insistence that jobs and the
economy cannot be forgotten in the
coronavirus fight and warned that
imports of food were already falling.
Figures on Wednesday showed
that Brazilian manufacturing activity
in March shrank at its fastest rate in
three years, while the real sank to a
record low of 5.27 per dollar.
The government pledged billions
more to help the poor but was
criticized for fraying ties with
congress that could delay aid
reaching those most in need.
Economy Minister Paulo Guedes
said the government will spend
about 98 billion reais ($18 billion)
to help 54 million informal workers
affected by nationwide lockdowns,
part of an overall 800 billion reais
government aid package.
I
n the next few days, the world
will see confirmed COVID-19
cases reach one million and death
tally climb to 50,000, the chief of
World Health Organization (WHO)
noted.
"As we enter the fourth month
since the start of the COVID-19
pandemic, I am deeply concerned
about the rapid escalation and
global spread of infection," WHO
Director-General Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus said.
Noting a near-exponential growth
of new COVID-19 cases over the
past five weeks around the world,
Tedros said the death toll has more
than doubled in the past week.
As of Wednesday, the pandemic
has killed 40,777 people worldwide,
as a total of 827,419 infections were
reported by over 200 countries
and regions, the WHO situation
dashboard indicated.
Outside China, the number of cases
surged to 744,781, while 37,456
patients have died as of Wednesday.

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

F
rance became the fourth
country to pass the 4,000
coronavirus deaths threshold
on Wednesday, after Italy, Spain and
the United States, as the government
scrambles to stay ahead of the curve
regarding ventilator-equipped beds
that are quickly filling up.
French health authorities reported
509 new deaths from the disease,
taking the total to 4,032. But, after
speeding up the previous two days,
the rate of increase of deaths has
decelerated in France, which is now
in its third week of lockdown to try to
slow the spread of the virus.
Speaking by videoconference
in front of a parliament committee
created to hold the government
accountable for the way it handles
the crisis, French Prime Minister
Edouard Philippe said the lockdown
would likely be unwound gradually
rather than in one go.
The government has ordered
people to stay in their homes except
for essential travel from March 17
government might start to ease or
completely lift the lockdown.
The daily government tally still
only accounts for those dying in
hospitals but authorities say they
will very soon be able to compile
data on deaths in retirement homes,
which is likely to result in a big
“We increase in registered fatalities.
are coping State health agency director
with a highly
Jerome Salomon told a
exceptional pandemic, news conference that
that has an unprecedented
the number of cases had
impact on our health
system. A deadly risen to 56,989, a rise of
9%, versus an increase of
until at least April 15. pandemic, with a very
17% Tuesday.
contagious virus"
“It is likely that we
Salomon said 6,017
are not heading towards
people were in a serious
a general de-confinement in one
condition needing life support, up
go and for everyone,” Philippe
8% compared with Tuesday. France
said without indicating when the has increased the number of beds in
intensive care units from 5,000 to
about 10,000 since the start of the
crisis and it is aiming to reach 14,500
as soon as possible.
“We are coping with a highly
exceptional pandemic, that has an
unprecedented impact on our health
system.
"A deadly pandemic, with a very
contagious virus”, Salomon said.
With 13,155 deaths to date, Italy
accounts for almost 30% of the
global death tally. Spain has 9,053
deaths and, just like France, the
United States has just passed the
4,000-mark.
The four countries now account for
about two-thirds of the total deaths -
now at more than 45,000 - from the
coronavirus around the world.
 The Indian Weekender Friday, April 03, 2020 SPORTS 23

Wimbledon cancelled for the

first time since World War Two
T
he Wimbledon
championships were
canceled for the first time
since World War Two on Wednesday
as the coronavirus pandemic struck
another blue-riband sports event off
the calendar and wiped out the entire
tennis grasscourt season.
While the decision had looked
inevitable for some time, since the
virtual shutdown of world sport
and the postponement of the Tokyo
Olympics, Wimbledon had been one
of the few events not to have been
officially canceled or postponed.
But after emergency talks between
the various stakeholders over the
last few days, the All England Lawn
Tennis Club (AELTC) announced
that it was impossible for the
grasscourt Grand Slam, scheduled
for June 29-July 12, to take place.
"It is with great regret that the
main board ... have today decided
that The Championships 2020 will
be canceled due to public health
concerns linked to the coronavirus
epidemic," the AELTC said in a
statement here
“The 134th Championships will
instead be staged from June 28 to
July 11, 2021.”
Following the cancellation of
the grasscourt major, and with the
pandemic worsening in Europe and
the U.S, the men’s ATP Tour, women’s
WTA Tour and the International
according to NHS figures.
The French Open, originally
due to be held from May 24-June 7
was postponed and controversially
rescheduled by the French tennis
federation for Sept. 20-Oct. 4, shortly
after the end of the U.S. Open.
The U.S. Open organizers said
they were continuing with their plans
to host the hardcourt Grand Slam in
New York as scheduled from Aug 31-
Sep 14.
NO VACCINE = NO TENNIS
Players across the tennis fraternity
reacted with shock and sadness at the
cancellation of Wimbledon.
Roger Federer, whose record haul
Tennis Federation extended the
of 20 Grand Slam titles includes
suspension of professional tennis for
eight Wimbledon trophies, said he
another five weeks to July 13.
was “devastated”.
“At this time, tournaments taking
“There is no gif for these things
place from July 13, 2020 onwards
that I am feeling,” he added.
are still planning to proceed as per
In a statement from the organizers
the published schedule,” said a joint
of the Halle Open, which was also
statement from the governing bodies.
canceled, Federer said: “We are
Britain’s death toll from the
going through difficult times but we
virus reached 2,352 on Wednesday,
will emerge stronger. I already look
forward to returning to Halle next
year. Stay healthy.”
Former Wimbledon champion
Amelie Mauresmo did not think
either the U.S. Open or the French
Open would go ahead this year.
“I think we’re going to have to
draw a line under the 2020 tennis
season,” Mauresmo said on Twitter
this week.
“International circuit = players of
all nationalities plus management,
spectators and people from the 4
corners of the world who bring
these events to life. No vaccine = no
tennis.”
Unlike the French Open which is
played on clay, Wimbledon’s scope
for re-arranging the start date was
extremely limited.
While Centre Court and Court
One boast a roof, playing elite level
tennis outside on grass would have
been extremely challenging in late
summer or autumn with a lack of
light and problems caused by dew
forming on the surface late in the day.

I can relate to Ibrahimovic's England's Buttler to auction World

Cup final shirt for coronavirus fight
story: Bumrah to Rohit W
icketkeeper-batsman Jos
Buttler has said he will

I
ndia pacer Jasprit Bumrah on Wednesday said he auction the shirt he wore
takes inspiration from Swedish star footballer Zlatan in England’s 2019 World Cup final
Ibrahimovic and the way he rose from the ashes to victory to raise funds for efforts to
become one of the best in the business. fight the coronavirus.
Talking on Instagram live with India opener Rohit Buttler was instrumental in
Sharma, Bumrah said: "I love Ibra. I can relate to his England’s thrilling victory over
story that people did not take him seriously and then New Zealand in the final at Lord’s
he became a star. I can relate as I think people took me last year, scoring a half-century and
then dislodging the stumps to run out
lightly initially and then I proved them wrong, I am still
Martin Guptill off the final ball of the
trying."
super over. “As we all know, hospitals,
Bumrah is the No. 1 ranked ODI bowler at present.
The 29-year-old has placed the doctors, nurses and the NHS are all
He rose through the ranks playing for Mumbai Indians shirt on the auction website eBay doing quite an incredible job at the
in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and had a forgettable and all the funds raised will go to moment,” said Buttler.
first outing . the Royal Brompton and Harefield “And in the weeks and months
On debut against Royal Challengers Bangalore, hospitals’ charity. to come they are going to need our
Bumrah was smashed to three boundaries by In a video posted on Twitter, support even more.”
Virat Kohli in his first-ever IPL over. However, Buttler confirmed the shirt would The highest bid as of 0445 GMT
what followed that was a ribbon-cutting be signed by all the players from on Wednesday was 65,700 pounds
to his glorious cricketing career. Rohit England’s World Cup squad. ($81,316.89).
and Bumrah, both teammates at Mumbai
Indians with the former leading the team Will always bleed blue & stand for humanity: Yuvraj

to their record fourth title, also spoke on
Sri Lanka T20 captain and veteran pacer
Lasith Malinga who also plays for Mumbai
Indians. Rohit asked Bumrah on his relation
with Malinga.
"The communication was difficult initially. He
taught me the mindset when he gets hit, he smiles. I used
to get annoyed at the beginning but he explained there is
no point getting angry," Bumrah said.
Bumrah also said he looked forward to bowling with
New Zealand pacer Trent Boult in the IPL but with it
now being postponed due to the coronavirus, he has to
wait. "When he was in Delhi, I asked him about slower
ball. I met him in New Zealand also and I spoke to him."
F
Rohit said Mumbai had a balance team this term and
would have done well.
"I was looking forward to this (season) we had lethal
new ball combination, we had all bases covered. IPL
would have been exciting but anyway this can't be
controlled," said India's limited overs vice-captain and
one of the best white-ball batters.
ormer India cricketer Yuvraj
Singh has reacted to the
backlash he received for
asking for help for Shahid Afridi
foundation amid the coronavirus
outbreak. He said that he didnt want
to hurt anyones feelings and all he
tried was to help people suffering
due to the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic.
"I really don't understand how a
message to help the most vulnerable
people gets blown out of proportion!
All I tried to achieve through that
message was to help people in
our own respective countries by
providing healthcare, my intention
was not to hurt anyone's feelings,"
Yuvraj said in a message posted on
his Twitter handle.
"I'm an Indian and I will always
bleed blue and will always stand for
humanity. Jai Hind," he added.
Earlier Yuvraj and Harbhajan
Singh paired up with Afridi to help
those in need during the pandemic
which has claimed thousands of lives
across the world.

Breathe in, breathe out, stay active: Ronaldo

F
ootball superstar Cristiano Ronaldo on
Wednesday posted a workout photo of
his and asked everyone to "stay active"
during the lockdown period across the world
owing to the coronavirus pandemic which is
wrecking havoc globally.
"Breathe in, breathe out. Stay active,"
Ronaldo said in a tweet with a shirless picture,
showing his enviable body and his eyes closed
as if meditating. Madeira-born Portuguese
football star Ronaldo and his manager Jorge
Mendes are going to donate five ventilators to
the Regional Health Service of Madeira, Lusa
News Agency reported last Saturday.
The latest donation will bring the total
number of the ventilators in the region to 99,
the release said.
Last Tuesday, Ronaldo and Mendes made
donations to turn a wing of the Santo Antonio
Hospital in the Northern city of Porto into
Intensive Care Units (ICU) with 15 beds fully
equipped with ventilators, monitors and other
equipment.
Portugal has so far seen 8,251 coronavirus
cases and 187 deaths.
Meanwhile, Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech
Szczesny has recently revealed that star striker
and his teammate Ronaldo had to buy iMacs for
the entire team after he was given a red card
in his first Champions League match for the
Italian club.
After spending nine years with Real Madrid,
Ronaldo had moved to Juventus in 2018 and
in September that year, he played his first
Champions League match with his new club
against Valencia.
 24 FEATURES COVID-19 Special Coverage Friday, April 03, 2020 The Indian Weekender

Tommy the robot nurse Facebook

helps keep Italy doctors
safe from coronavirus
H F
e doesn’t wear a mask but
he is helping save lives
from coronavirus just the
same. Meet Tommy, the robot nurse.
Tommy is one of six new robots
helping flesh-and-blood doctors and
nurses care for coronavirus patients
at the Circolo Hospital in Varese, a
city in the northern Lombardy region
that is the epicenter of the outbreak
in Italy.
“It’s like having another nurse
without problems related to
infection,” said Doctor Francesco
Dentali, director of intensive care at
the hospital.
The child-size robots with large
blinking eyes are wheeled into rooms
and left by a patient’s bedside so
doctors can look after others who are
in more serious conditions.
They monitor parameters from
equipment in the room, relaying
them to hospital staff. The robots
have touch-screen faces that allow
patients to record messages and send
them to doctors.
Most importantly, Tommy and
his high-tech teammates allow the
hospital to limit the amount of direct
contact doctors and nurses have with
patients, thus reducing the risk of
infection.
More than 4,000 Italian health
workers have contracted the virus
treating victims in Italy and 66
doctors have died.
The death toll in Italy, the world’s
hardest hit country in terms of deaths,
topped 13,000 on Wednesday, more
than a third of all global fatalities.
“Using my abilities, medical staff
can be in touch with the patients
without direct contact,” Tommy the
robot, who was named after a son
expands
Community
Help feature
for COVID-19
efforts
acebook has announced to
expand its Community Help
feature as part of COVID-19
efforts which will help people offer
help to those affected by the new
coronavirus pandemic, as well as
donate to nonprofit organisations.
People can access Community
Help in the COVID-19 Information
Center on Facebook.
"Community Help is a place for
people to request or offer help to
neighbours, such as volunteering
to deliver groceries or donating to
a local food pantry or fundraiser,"
what the doctor Facebook said.
ordered. The social networking giant is
“You have to starting to roll it out in the US, the
explain to the UK, France, Australia and Canada in
patient the aim the next few days.
and function "We're working to bring it to more
of the robot,” countries in the coming weeks," said
Dentali said. the company. This is the first time
“The first Facebook has launched Community
reaction is not Help on a global scale and being
positive, especially used for a health pandemic. The new
for old patients. But coronavirus cases reached over 8.5
if you explain your aim, lakh globally on Wednesday, with
the patient is happy because over 42,000 deaths. The cases in US
he or she can speak with the doctor,” emergency reached 1.8 lakh alone, according
he said. has said it will take Italy to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus
The robots also help the hospital at least two months to Resource Center.
limit the number of protective masks become self-sufficient
Zoom bug can let hackers
and gowns staff have to use. in producing protective
“These days, they are a scarce masks.
steal your Windows
resource,” said Doctor Gianni Tommy and his password

of one of the doctors, explained to a
visiting reporter on Wednesday.
It takes a while for patients to
realize that, given the enormity of the
task of combating coronavirus and
the toll it is taking on overworked
medical staff, robots may be just
Cyient to support production of Covid-19 medical equipment
Bonelli, the hospital’s director.
The shortage of masks has been
one of the biggest problems dogging
the national health system since the
contagion surfaced at the end of
February.
The national commissioner for the
S
fellow robot nurses have lammed for the lack of users
one more advantage privacy and security by
- they are not subject the US Federal Bureau of
to exhaustion. A quick Investigation (FBI) and cybersecurity
experts, video meeting app Zoom is
charge of batteries and
also prone to hacking, a new report
they are back at work in
has claimed, saying an unpatched
the ward.
bug can let hackers steal users
Windows password.
TheZoom client for Windows' is

C
yient, a global engineering and technology
solutions company, here on Tuesday,
announced that it had received clearance for
its Mysore facility to run MedTech manufacturing
lines to support production of medical equipment
that were critical in the fight against Covid-19.
According to the Hyderabad-based firm, it's
producing assemblies used in X-ray generators
from GE Healthcare and diagnosis units from
Molbio Diagnostics to enable rapid disease testing
in India.
Cyient's Mysore factory is dedicated to electronic
manufacturing processes, including printed circuit
board assemblies, cable harnesses and box-
builds, that closely align with its core competence
in electronic systems design, integration and
manufacturing services.
"We are proud to support our customers in the
healthcare industry at this critical time. We will
continue to do everything we can to help reduce the
impact of this crisis on our customers' operations
as they focus on delivering the technology needed
to fight Covid-19 at a national and global level,"
vulnerable to the 'UNC path injection'
vulnerability that could let remote
attackers steal login credentials for
victims' Windows systems, reports
TheHacckeNews.
The latest finding by cybersecurity
expert @_g0dmode, has also been
"confirmed by researcher Matthew
Hickey and Mohamed A. Baset,' the
report said late Wednesday.
The attack involves the
"SMBRelay technique" wherein
Windows automatically exposes a
user's login username and NTLM
password hashes to a remote server,
when attempting to connect and
download a file hosted on it.
"The attack is possible only
because Zoom for Windows supports
remote UNC paths, which converts
such potentially insecure URLs into
said Rajendra Velagapudi, Senior Vice-President
hyperlinks for recipients in a personal
and CEO, Cyient DLM.
or group chat," the report claimed.

RULETHE
The Indian Weekender Friday, April 03, 2020
KITCHEN
Spiced carrot & lentil soup
A
delicious, spicy blend, packed
full of iron and low fat to boot.
It's ready in under half an
hour or can be made in a slow cooker
Ingredients
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• pinch chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 600g  carrots, washed and coarsely
grated (no need to peel)
• 140g split red lentils
• 1l hot vegetable stock (from a cube is
fine)
• 125ml milk
• plain yogurt
• and naan bread, to serve
Method
• Heat a large  saucepan  and dry-fry 2
tsp cumin seeds and a pinch of chilli
flakes for 1 min, or until they start to
jump around the pan and release their
aromas.
• Scoop out about half with a spoon and
set aside. Add 2 tbsp olive  oil, 600g
Sweet Chili & Orange Chicken
Ingredients Method
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken
breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup sweet chili sauce
• 1/3 cup thawed orange juice
concentrate
• Hot cooked jasmine or other rice
• Minced fresh basil
Instant Pot Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
• 1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts,
cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce or gluten-free tamari soy
sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• Hot cooked rice
• Thinly sliced green onions, optional
Method
• Select saute or browning setting on a 6-qt.
coarsely grated carrots, 140g split
red lentils, 1l hot vegetable stock and
125ml milk to the pan and bring to the
boil. 
• Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils Ingredients
have swollen and softened.
• Whizz the soup with a stick blender or
in a  food processor  until smooth (or
leave it chunky if you prefer).
• Season to taste and finish with a dollop • 1 tablespoon chili powder
of plain yogurt and a sprinkling of the • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
reserved toasted spices.  Serve with
warmed naan breads.
• Toss chicken with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, heat butter over
medium-high heat; stir-fry chicken
until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes.
• Remove from pan; keep warm.
• Add chili sauce and juice concentrate
to skillet; cook and stir until heated
through.
• Stir in chicken.
• Serve with rice; sprinkle with basil.
electric pressure cooker.
• Adjust for medium heat; add sesame oil. When
FEATURE
25
Coconut Curry Chicken Soup
Ingredients
• 2 cans (13.66 ounces each) coconut milk
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup red curry paste
• 1 package (8.8 ounces) thin rice noodles
• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1-1/2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1-1/2 cups shredded carrots
• 3/4 cup bean sprouts
• Fresh basil and cilantro leaves
Method
• In a Dutch oven, bring coconut milk to a boil.
Cook, uncovered, 10-12 minutes or until liquid
is reduced to 3 cups. Stir in curry paste until
completely dissolved.
• Meanwhile, prepare noodles according to package
occasionally. Stir in chicken; heat through.
directions.
• Drain noodles; divide among six large soup
• Add broth, brown sugar, fish sauce and garlic
bowls. Ladle soup over noodles; top servings with
salt to curry mixture; return to a boil. Reduce
vegetables, basil and cilantro.
heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring
Tasty Lentil Tacos
• 6 tablespoons fat-free sour
• 1 teaspoon canola oil cream
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped Method
• 1 garlic clove, minced • In a large nonstick skillet, heat
• 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed oil over medium heat; saute
onion and garlic until tender.
Add lentils and seasonings;
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano cook and stir 1 minute.
• 2-1/2 cups vegetable or • Stir in broth; bring to a boil.
reduced-sodium chicken broth Reduce heat; simmer, covered,
• 1 cup salsa
• 12 taco shells
until lentils are tender, 25-30
minutes.
• 1-1/2 cups shredded lettuce • Cook, uncovered, until mixture
• 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes is thickened, 6-8 minutes, salsa and heat through.
• 1-1/2 cups shredded reduced- stirring occasionally. • Serve in taco shells.
fat cheddar cheese • Mash lentils slightly; stir in • Top with remaining ingredients.
Tomato-Melon Chicken Salad Chicken-Stuffed
Ingredients
• 4 medium tomatoes, cut into Cubanelle
wedges
• 2 cups cubed seedless
Peppers
watermelon
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic
vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper raspberries. In a small bowl,
• 9 cups torn mixed salad greens whisk the basil, oil, vinegar,
• 4 grilled chicken breasts (4 salt and pepper.
ounces each), sliced • Drizzle over tomato mixture;
toss to coat.
Method Ingredients
• Divide salad greens among
• In a large bowl, combine the • 6 Cubanelle peppers or mild
6 serving plates; top with
tomatoes, watermelon and banana peppers
tomato mixture and chicken.
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
breast
• 1 cup salsa
• 3/4 cup soft bread crumbs
oil is hot, brown chicken in batches. • 1/2 cup cooked long grain rice
• Press cancel. • 2 cups meatless pasta sauce
• Return all to pressure cooker. Directions
• In a small bowl, whisk honey, soy sauce, water, • Preheat oven to 350°. Cut and
garlic and pepper flakes; stir into pressure discard tops from peppers;
cooker. remove seeds.
•  Lock lid; close pressure-release valve. Adjust • In a large bowl, mix eggs,
to pressure-cook on high for 4 minutes.  chicken, salsa, bread crumbs and
• Quick-release pressure.  rice. Spoon into peppers.
• In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until • Spread pasta sauce onto bottom
smooth; stir into pressure cooker. of a 13x9-in. baking dish coated
• Select saute setting and adjust for low heat. with cooking spray. Top with
Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, 1-2 peppers.
minutes. • Bake, covered, 60-65 minutes
• Serve with rice.  or until peppers are tender and a
• Sprinkle with sesame seeds and, if desired, thermometer inserted in stuffing
green onions. reads at least 165°.
 26 FEATURES COVID-19 Special Coverage Friday, April 03, 2020 The Indian Weekender

Global coronavirus cases

increase to 937,567: Johns Hopkins
T
he coronavirus pandemic Programs in 15 countries have largest ever made.
was still raging across the been supported through these funds So far, according to the OCHA,
world, posing a test for and additional countries were being close to $374 million in donor funds
countries and regions, as the global identified under the global CERF have been made available for the
number of confirmed cases increased allocation of $60 million -- one of the global plan.
to 937,567, according to the latest
update by the Johns Hopkins
University's Center for Systems Scientists studying role of
Science and Engineering (CSSE).
As of Thursday morning, the mucus in spreading coronavirus
A
CSSE data showed that that global team of US researchers is in transferring coronaviruses from
death toll stood at 47,226 utilizing special aerosols person to person.
The numbers came only a day in a closed environment to "Not everyone spreads the disease
after global COVID-19 cases hit the simulate coughing to help determine equally. The quality of their mucus
800,000 mark, reports Xinhua news how different mucins carry the virus may be part of the explanation," said
agency. through the air. Kramer.
"In the next few days we will reach Mucus is a "slimy" material that "One person may sneeze and
1 million confirmed cases, and 50,000 coats many epithelial surfaces and is transmit it to another person, and
deaths," World Health Organization secreted into fluids such as saliva. It another may not, and that is not well
(WHO) Director-General Tedros is composed chiefly of mucins and understood". She has received a
Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a inorganic salts suspended in water. one-year, $200,000 Rapid Response
daily briefing on Wednesday. As the lethal COVID-19 Research (RAPID) grant from the
104,118 on Wednesday, after the US than 200,000 COVID-19 infections
"As we enter the fourth month coronavirus propagates around the National Science Foundation for the
and Italy (110,574). on Wednesday, according to a new
since the start of the COVID-19 globe, we know a sneeze, a cough or research.
In Italy, a further 727 deaths from tally from Johns Hopkins University.
pandemic, I am deeply concerned simply touching a surface with the Kramer and her team will create
COVID-19 were reported in the 24 It has recorded a total of 5,119
about the rapid escalation and global virus can spread the infection. different forms of synthetic mucins,
hours from Tuesday to Wednesday, deaths.
spread of infection," the WHO chief What researchers don't know the proteins that make up mucus,
taking the death toll to 13,155. Meanwhile, UN agencies
said.As per the CSSE data, the is exactly the role different and test them with non-hazardous
But that was the lowest daily tally continued to help countries contain
highest number of cases in the world compositions of mucus, the slimy versions of coronaviruses.
of fatalities since March 26. the virus and limit its social-
was recorded in the US at 216,515, substance on human tissue, play in She will also test the viability of
In France, 509 more COVID-19 economic impact.
while Italy accounted for the largest the transmission and infection of the virus when it lands on a surface
patients died in the past 24 hours, The UN Office for the Coordination
death toll at 13,155. coronaviruses. Nor do they know based on the mucins that carry it.
bringing the death tally to 4,032 on of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
The pandemic was showing no why some people known as "super- Her lab will also examine how
Wednesday, said General Director of said it has provided $78.8 million in
sign of abating in Europe, where the spreaders" will spread the disease mucin composition on the next
Health Jerome Salomon. responses to the pandemic.
confirmed cases were approaching more than others.University of Utah victim's mouth, eyes or lungs
The cumulative number of It includes $75 million from the
500,000 and the death toll swelled to biomedical engineering assistant
infection cases in the country rose UN's Central Emergency Response affects whether the virus makes it
30,000 on Wednesday. professor Jessica R. Kramer is now
to 57,763.cross the Atlantic, the US Fund (CERF), with the rest coming through the mucus into their cells to
Spain became the third country researching how mucus plays a part
became the first nation with more from country-based, pooled funds. replicate.
with the highest number of cases at
Manisha Koushik is a practicing astrologer, tarot card reader, numerologist, vastu and
fengshui consultant based in India with a global presence through the online channels. She is
available for consultations online as well. E-mail her at support@askmanisha.com or contact
03 April – 09 April 2020 | By Manisha Koushik at +91-11-26449898 Mobile/Whatsapp: +91-9716145644 • www.askmanisha.com
ARIES (MAR 21-APR 20) LEO (JUL21-AUG 20) SAGITTARIUS (NOV 23-DEC 21)
On the professional front, you may find things TSome good is likely to come out of your efforts Your efforts on the academic front may get mixed
turning favourable. Those facing interview are on the social front. You will happily accompany results, so time to put in more efforts. Clinching a
likely to fare well. Someone’s presence at home may friends or relations on a fun trip. Those seeking lucrative deal is likely to bring in big profits. Correct
become a source of strength for you. You will need accommodation near their place of work are likely to assessment of the present situation is important to
to keep an open mind regarding a personal issue. find what they are looking for. You enjoy excellent set your sights accurately. It is not in your interest to
Buying a vehicle or property is on the cards for some, health by keeping your diet under check. Those in a show all the cards in a professional negotiation. You
as your monetary situation improves. Health poses
relationship will find the going most satisfying. You may get motivated will have to participate wholeheartedly in a family event, lest you be
no problems. You may plan an outing with friends in this week. Lucky
to join a gym or an exercise regimen to get in shape. Lucky No.:6 / labelled family’s black sheep! Expect celebrations on the romantic front.
No.: 2 / Lucky Colour: Brown
Lucky Colour: Yellow Lucky No.: 5 / Lucky Colour: Magenta
TAURUS (APR 21-MAY 20)
VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 23) CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 21)
You are likely to turn the situation to your advantage
The bail out that some of you are hoping for on the Those playing the stocks will need to be careful.
on the academic front. You may implement some new
financial front may require some efforts. You will Some hurdles are foreseen for those trying to further
ideas on the professional front. Your confidence and
be able to give a good account of yourself on the their careers, but nothing that cannot be surmounted.
belief in yourself will thwart all opposition impeding
professional or academic front. Your performance A business trip may be required to rope in some
your progress. A chance to boost your image on the
social front may come to you. Something that needs will get noticed even without you making any efforts lucrative deals. Things may not be same that you
to be done will be completed, as you are not likely to sit on your laurels. for it. Some worries on the home front can keep you had expected in meeting someone you had not met
Your financial position remains strong. Lucky No.: 7 / Lucky Colour: in a pensive mood, but you may be overreacting. Your careful nature is in years. Rekindled love life will become a source of much enjoyment.
Red likely to save you from something unforeseen. Lucky No.: 4 / Lucky Highway driving is likely to prove most educative for some new drivers.
Colour: Olive Green Lucky No.:2 / Lucky Colour: Chocolate
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 21)
You may try to bring some improvements in whatever LIBRA (SEP 24-OCT 23) AQUARIUS (JAN 22-FEB 19)
you are involved in. A positive improvement in health You may be rather liberal in your praise for someone Good progress is likely to be made on the academic
is foreseen for those feeling under the weather. Your who really doesn’t deserve it! Enjoying togetherness front, but you will have to keep at it. Steady
hard work in your chosen field is likely to be most with family is indicated and will keep you in high progress on the academic front will give you
fruitful. Some encouraging signals may be received spirits. You are likely to be at your sociable best added confidence to do better. On the professional
on the romantic front. A journey you are not too keen and will try to revive old relationships. Someone’s front, you are likely to beat competition to grab a
on may come to you. Some of you may be engaged interest in you will keep you on your best behaviour. lucrative assignment. Much fun is in store for you
in a new construction or renovation on the home front. Lucky No.: 3 / Love is likely to capture your heart. Good health will keep you energetic on the family front. You may invite friends over for something special.
Lucky Colour: purple and in a positive frame of mind. Lucky No.: 1 / Lucky Colour: Fuchsia A budding romance is likely to give immense joy. Lucky No.: 8 / Lucky
Colour: Silver
CANCER (JUN 22-JUL 20) SCORPIO (OCT 24-NOV 22)
You will find your luck shining on both the personal You have to keep your wits about in a situation that is Pisces (Feb 20-Mar 20)
and professional fronts. Stars on the property front likely to confront you. Professional front paints a rosy An honour or praise can be expected on the social
appear the brightest. Those trying to sell property picture and finds you in a favourable situation. Those front. You will be able to score over others on the
may find a lucrative offer that they just can’t miss. pursuing academics will manage to display steady academic front. A project submitted by you promises
Academic excellence is foreseen for some. Support progress. You are likely to enjoy your friends’ circle to get you much acclaim. Financially, you do well by
from the family is assured and will help you in doing and even invite some new friends to join in. You may earning on the side. Spending on friends cannot be
better in your field. You will manage to get your act together on the be required to accompany someone to an out of town destination that ruled out. You will have to be at your tactful best in
professional front. Chance for a vacation may materialise for some. promises to be most interesting. Health remains satisfactory. Lucky handling a family member. A function that you are forced to attend is
Lucky No.:8 / Lucky Colour: Navy Blue No.: 6 / Lucky Colour: Cyan likely to bore you thoroughly. Lucky No.: 4 / Lucky Colour: Purple
 The Indian Weekender Friday, April 03, 2020 TIME OUT 27
CROSSWORD NO: 51 ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK'S QUESTIONS

SUDOKU NO: 51

HITORI NO: 51
Hitori – a logic puzzle with very simple rules and challenging solutions. Can you eliminate
numbers until there are no duplicates in any row or column? Objective / Rules. Eliminate
numbers until there are no duplicates in any row or column. Eliminate numbers
by marking them in Black. You are not allowed to have two Black squares touching
horizontally or vertically (diagonally is ok). Any White square can be reached from any
other (i.e. they are connected).
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE NO: 51
See how many differences you can find in the right or left photo.
1. In the song “Frosty the Snowman,” what made Frosty
come to life? An old silk hat
2. What Christmas decoration was originally made from
strands of silver? Tinsel
3. Who played George Bailey in the Christmas classic
“It’s a Wonderful Life?” Jimmy Stewart
4. Per a recent holiday fad, what “spy” hides around
the house, reporting back to Santa on who has been
naughty and nice? The Elf on the Shelf
5. What Christmas beverage is also known as “milk
punch?” Eggnog
6. One of Santa’s reindeer shares a name with a famous
symbol of Valentine’s Day. Which reindeer is that?
Cupid
7. What Christmas-themed ballet premiered in Saint
Petersburg, Russia in 1892? The Nutcracker
8. In 1981, Bob and Doug McKenzie released their own
version of a classic Christmas song. Which song is
that? The Twelve Days of Christmas
9. What animated 2004 film is about a train that carries
kids to the North Pole on Christmas Eve? The Polar
Express
10. What much-reviled Christmas edible is known for its
long shelf life? Fruitcake
11. In Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” what was
Mr. Scrooge’s first name? Ebenezer
12. What Bing Crosby song is the best-selling single ever?
White Christmas
13. In the early 1800s, the first gingerbread houses were
reportedly inspired by what famous fairy tale? Hansel
and Gretel
14. “Miracle on 34th Street” centers on what real-life
department store? Macy’s
15. In the song “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,”
what “incriminating” evidence was found on
Grandma’s back? Claus marks
16. How many reindeer are featured in the poem “Twas the
Night Before Christmas?” Eight (no Rudolph!)
17. What traditional Christmas decoration is actually a
parasitic plant? Mistletoe
18. In “The Muppet Christmas Carol,” who played
Scrooge? Hint: It wasn’t a muppet. Michael Caine
19. What beverage company has been using Santa Claus in
its advertising since 1931? Coca-Cola
20. According to legend, what holiday goodies were
shaped to resemble a shepherd’s staff, as a way to
remind children of the shepherds who visited baby
Jesus? Candy canes
21. In the movie “A Christmas Story,” what was the
name of the next door neighbors whose dogs ate the
Christmas turkey? The Bumpuses
22. What figure from English folklore came to be
associated with Santa Claus? Father Christmas
23. In the 1964 classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer,” what was the name of Rudolph’s faithful
elf companion? Hermey
24. According to the folklore of Austria and other
countries, what horned figure punishes naughty
children at Christmastime? Krampus
25. In the TV special “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,”
what three words best describe the Grinch? Stink,
stank, stunk
26. What well-known Christmas carol became the first
song ever broadcast from space in 1965? Jingle Bells

Send us stories, drawings, poems and other contributions by your little ones along with their
photographs for this page. E-mail us at reporter@indianweekender.co.nz
 28 ENTERTAINMENT
Divyanka Tripathi reveals her brother
is a pilot, father a pharmacist, slams
discrimination against professions
T
V actor  Divyanka Tripathi  has slammed
people who are discriminating against
doctors and airline staff amid the
coronavirus pandemic.
She called it a “dastardly act” and shared that
her brother is a pilot and her father is a pharmacist
- both are risking their lives everyday so that
essential services can continue during the current
lockdown. Sharing a screenshot of a news item
about an airline staff member and her mother who
were ostracised by their neighbours, Divyanka
wrote on Instagram, “#CoronaShaming is most
dastardly act one can indulge into. Keep distance,
be careful but don’t lose empathy that primarily
defines us as humans.
My brother is a pilot, willingly self quarantined
at home, while SHOWING NO SYMPTOMS
for 13 days. Even if he would have been affected
he would have got himself treated like any other
dutiful staff. Until recently, when officials posted a
label outside our Bhopal house which is important
but it ‘failed to mention that he’s NOT COVID
POSITIVE’, I didn’t know what trauma airline
staff was going through.
Several being made to leave their houses, many
Ayushmann Khurrana’s wife Tahira Kashyap is running out
of paint supplies during lockdown, says ‘khatam ho corona’
A
ctor Ayushmann Khurrana’s
wife and filmmaker  Tahira
Kashyap has been exploring
her artistic side and making paintings
while the nation is in a three-week
lockdown due to the coronavirus
pandemic.
Tahira made a painting that was
inspired by the recent news of deer
and other animals venturing out of
the forests and on to the streets in
Chandigarh due to reduced vehicular
activity.
She also shared that she has almost
exhausted her art supplies and hoped to the roads of my hometown,
for the coronavirus outbreak to come Chandigarh.
to an end. Got inspired from there! Ran short
“Last week heard the news about of canvas, used daughter’s art file!
Barasingha (swamp deer) taking Running out of paint supplies also.
Abhay Deol slams ‘self-absorbed’ people whose biggest
concern during lockdown is getting a perfect selfie
B
ollywood actor  Abhay
Deol has hit out at the
“privileged” people who
cannot think beyond themselves even
when the country is going through
a crisis. The rapidly spreading
coronavirus pandemic has affected
millions of lives, including daily wage
workers and medical professionals,
among others.
Abhay expressed incredulity at
how “self-absorbed” some people
could be and wrote on Instagram,
“My biggest issue currently, ‘how
do I take that perfect selfie with my
bloody hair out of shape. Why are the
salons closed!?’ Countless Indians’
issues currently, ‘how am I to get
home without transport? How am I
to earn a daily wage today?
Will I have proper gear to treat
patients today? Will I make it "Keep
through these 3 weeks? the humour
What of the unaccounted/ up but also help in
u n d o c u m e n t e d the effort to help the
poor?’ #privileged less privileged. Look for
#selfabsorbed #ignorant individuals and NGOs around with
you to collaborate with"
#apathetic.”
are being ill treated, their families are being
stigmatised...just because THEY CHOSE TO
SERVE YOU OVER THEIR LIFE!”
She further wrote, “My father risks his life
everyday to provide others medicines from his
pharmacy. My brother dared to keep flying till
last government directive so that several stranded
passengers can return home.
It’s a risk so many brothers, sisters, fathers,
mothers are taking every day providing us essential
services, while their families can only pray for
their well being.
We conveniently traveled and we are still
shopping for our medicines, grocery etc “#CoronaShaming
but when it comes to addressing these is most dastardly act
selfless workers, some of us choose to one can indulge into.
ostracise them!” Keep distance, be careful
“Least we can do is be respectful but don’t lose empathy
as neighbours and fellow citizens, let that primarily defines
them live with dignity, if not thank them us as humans."
personally. #AviationCrewDeservesRespect
#BeingQuarantinedIsNotBeingPositive
# S t o p C o r o n a S h a m i n g
#NotAllQuarantinedArePositive,” the actor
concluded.
#khatamhocorona,” she wrote.
Tahira recently started painting
again, now that the entire family
is confined to their home due to
the coronavirus crisis. She shared
caption.
In an Instagram post last week,
Abhay called social distancing a
“privilege” and said that his heart
went out to the daily wage workers
who did not have a choice to
remain indoors.
He wrote, “#socialdistancing. Stay
put in one place if you can. Thank
your lucky stars for the privilege
to be able to do so. Pray for those
who have to get out there and earn
a daily wage to make ends meet.
#weshallovercome.”
To lighten the mood of those
cooped up in their homes during the
nationwide lockdown to control the
spread of the coronavirus pandemic,
Abhay has been sharing memes on
his Instagram account. However, he
“Sorry, been wanting has also urged his fans and followers
to scream these to donate to organisations that are
words to a few working to help those in need.
people I know! “Keep the humour up but also
help in the effort to help the less
Hope all of you
privileged. Look for individuals and
are safe and
family,” NGOs around you to collaborate
he added in his with,” he wrote on Instagram.
Friday, April 03, 2020
a picture of her painting session
with Ayushmann and their children,
Vrajveer and Varushka.
“Art at home! Four of us painted
together after a long time, guess who
has made which painting! Also a
reason to post this is to plead with all
the parents to maintain safety and one
way of doing that is to understand
why schools and public places have
been shut.
Let’s not encourage group classes
where coaches and teachers come
home to teach. The purpose is being
forfeited.
Let’s please stay at home and
contribute to containing the virus
to the best of our capabilities,” she
wrote.
YAMI GAUTAM: ‘If I w
film family, I would not
Y
ami Gautam  says being an
outsider in Bollywood has given
her perspective, and she would
not change it for anything in the world.
She was a television actor before she
successfully transitioned to Bollywood in
2012 with Shoojit Sircar’s Vicky Donor.
In  an interview  with Pinkvilla, Yami
opened up about the nepotism debate in
Bollywood.
“There is no fight here. You can’t
change if someone is born in an industry;
that’s not something anyone has control
over. You can’t change where I come
from, and proudly so.
"That’s a fact na? If it is a fact, then
what is the problem in accepting it?” she
said.
“But if you are getting an opportunity,
the only thing is that you can’t take
anything for granted,” she added.
Yami further said that she would not
have been the same person that she
is today, had she been born into a film
family, and she cannot imagine being
anyone but herself. She said, “Even if I
feel, had I been from a film family, then
The Indian Weekender
PRIYANKA CHOP
defends beau
pageants, says
Miss World ‘gav
me a trampolin
my acting caree
A
ctor  Priyanka Chopra, a forme
beauty queen, has defending beauty
pageants at a time when their
relevance is being reconsidered. In an
interview to UK’s Tatler magazine, she
said appearing in pageants gave her great
confidence.
“It’s something that I’m extremely
proud of,” said the former Miss World.
“It gave me a trampoline to my acting
career. It gave me a sense of self, a sense
of confidence to be able to stand in front
of heads of state, to be able to speak in fron
media from around the world, and actually k
what I’m talking about.”
Priyanka  made her acting debut soon a
winning the Miss World crown in 2000, w
The Hero: Love Story of a Spy. She has appear
in popular Hindi films such as Krrish and D
(both 2006), Kaminey (2009), 7 Khoon Ma
(2011), Barfi! (2012), Mary Kom (2014), an
Bajirao Mastani (2015).
She moved to Hollywood and lande
a leading role in the spy series Quantic
following which she appeared in a negativ
When I went to
role in Baywatch.
She has multip
America,” she said i n t e r n a t i o n a
in an interview, projects lined u
“there wasn’t a such as a roman
precedence. I didn’t comedy with Min
have a road map Kaling, Matrix
to follow because Robert Rodrigu
there was no one Netflix superhero
who had done it Bahrani’s adapta
before. White Tiger, and a
Sheela biopic.
“When I went to America,” she said in an
wasn’t a precedence. I didn’t have a road map
was no one who had done it before.
"I had to figure it out, walk into rooms, i
am an Indian actor, my name is Priyanka C
kind of films I want to do’.
I demanded playing leading ladies, inste
were the stereotype of what a Bollywood act
Those also came to me, but I was very clear
I would have got this... No, then I would
not have got the perspective that I have
now. I would not be myself. And I want
to remain the way I am.”
The last year has been an amazing
year for Yami, professionally. Both
her releases - Aditya Dhar’s Uri: The
Surgical Strike and Amar Kaushik’s Bala
- were major box office successes and
earned more than Rs 100 crore.
Yami played an intelligence officer in
Uri: The Surgical Strike. In Bala, a light-
hearted comedy that touched upon the
subject of premature balding, she played
a TikTok sensation.
After the success of Bala, she said in
a statement, “Be it Pallavi in Uri or Pari
in Bala, it’s the victory of writers and
directors who are creating content that
pushes boundaries.
Every actor enjoys commercial
success but in this case I am happy that
a film like Bala is making it to the mark.
It’s a validation of our choice of stories,
assurance that we are doing work that’s
resonating and I am genuinely excited to
do more of such films.”
 The Indian Weekender Friday, April 03, 2020 ENTERTAINMENT 29
PRA Sunny Deol takes care of his house Kareena Kapoor
uty helps during lockdown: We’re one family,
motivates fans
amid coronavirus
s many of them are staying with us’ crisis: ‘Stay strong.
ve
“ We can and we will’
After we go through this process, we’ll value our ourselves from the fake news floating around.

ne to
B
lives and the world more and think twice before “People who are getting carried away by fake
doing something that’s not good for the planet,” information also know the evil side of social media. The y posting a

er’ says Sunny Deol on the 21-day lockdown to contain

the spread of Covid-19.
government is providing facts and figures, that’s what
they should follow without letting anyone manipulate
stunning
picture
er He adds the stay-at-home phase is taking him back the information,” Deol shares. of herself,
y to his youth when life was simpler. “It’s like going And while such situations do require people to step actor  Kare-
back in time. This is the time to pray for the well- up and help, for Deol, there’s no specific time to be a ena Kapoor
being of all those infected. And after the lockdown good samaritan. He feels this period, of a serious crisis, Khan  moti-
is over, I’m sure that we’ll be more wary about our requires all of us to come forward. vated peo-
lifestyle. We’ll also be more caring towards Mother “We should contribute in ensuring that basic ple to stay
Nature,” he says. commodities are being supplied to those in need. That’s strong during
And while the 63-year-old actor-director agrees that something the government is trying to do,” he says,
the tough times
staying at home for long may be tough, he stresses that adding, “I’ve always looked after our house helps and
that the country is
it’s “the best solution” to the pandemic. “When we have we’re one family. Many of them are staying with us
holidays, we usually go out somewhere, but this is the and they know that no matter what facing amid the coronavi-
rus crisis.

T
time when everybody is going to connect with each happens, we’re always with
nt of other. them”. he actor took to Instagram
know "The 21-day lockdown may look very harsh, and posted a high-on-style
however, if we value our life and that of our "The picture of herself clicked
after loved ones, then it’s the best thing to do 21-day from behind.
with right now,” says Deol. lockdown may look In the picture, the Jab We Met ac-
red Despite what he feels is a silver tor is seen standing in front of a van-
very harsh, however, if
Don lining, he agrees that the lockdown we value our life and that ity that has lights adding on to the
aaf will have its repercussions. With shoots
of our loved ones, then glam quotient of the picture.
nd cancelled and release dates of films
it’s the best thing to “Nothing can dim the light that
postponed, he asserts the industry is
ed do right now" shines from within... Stay strong. We
used to ups and downs and will find a way
co, to view this through a positive lens. Deol can and we will,” she captioned the
ve elaborates, “The day we resume work, we need picture in which she is seen wearing
. to start from scratch. Showbiz is like a gamble and a blue bodycon dress having puffy
ple we know how to take care of sleeves.
al ourselves and move ahead.” "The glamourous picture received
up, While work is a challenge, scores of comments from the
ntic he points out that a much celebrated actor’s fans.
ndy bigger challenge is to protect Earlier, Kareena took to Instagram,
4,

'Hera Pheri' is
where she shared a photo-collage
uez’s
of her girl gang – Karisma Kapoor,
film, Ramin
ation of the Malaika and Amrita Arora and

20 years old
a Maa Anand Malika Bhat – resting with their eyes
closed while in self-quarantine. She
interview, “there captioned the image: “Friends that

to follow because
introduce myself,
Chopra, these are
ead of having parts
tor would usually get.
about what I wanted to do.”
P
there riyadarshans iconic comedy "Hera Pheri" was
released 20 years ago on this date, and the film
say ‘I has gone on to be regarded as a cult entertainer
t h e among Bollywood buffs.
The film starred Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty and
Paresh Rawal as three goodnatured men struggling in
which
life, who get rich thanks to a freak twist of fate involving
a wrong telephone number and a sinister kidnapping
gone haywire. Tabu also played a pivotal role in the
entertainer, which set the template for new-age comedy
film. Several fans took to social media too, to share their
love for the film.
A user commented: "Omg!!! How is that 20 years
ago??? Time is moving so fast!!! I loved that movie."
Another one wrote: "I can watch this film on loop."
nap together, stay forever.”
Kareena was last seen on screen
in Angrezi Medium, which also stars
Irrfan Khan and Radhika Madan.
She will next be seen opposite Aamir
Khan in Laal Singh Chaddha.
With the entertainment industry
under shutdown, many celebrities
are self-isolating them to prevent the

was from a in Bollywood. Actor Suniel Shetty took to social media

to share a whiff of nostalgia.
The sequel to "Hera Pheri", titled "Phir Hera Pheri",
was released in 2006.
spread of Covid-19.
The number of people who have

t be myself’
"20 years and the love keeps pouring in. Memories While the three heroes returned, Bipasha Basu and tested positive for the coronavirus
that will last a lifetime," Suniel wrote on Instagram. Rimi Sen were cast as female leads, and late Neeraj Vora rose to 724 according to the Ministry
Along with the post, Suniel uploaded a still of the took over as director. of Health and Family Welfare.
d
e
The simplest thing we can do now is show kindness: Juhi Chawla
I
have brought my son back home with me to given us the duty to do the puja in the house.” She call on what to do next. We don’t know what’s
Mumbai, but my daughter is a little stubborn believes the lockdown is “grounding” everyone. going to happen but we do realise safety of people
g
(laughs). It makes me feel secure she’s staying “Whenever I stay home, I always experience a is more important than anything else. We’ve to
h with her grandparents in Uganda. fear of missing out and so, I want to keep running wait and watch and let things unfold.”
e However, I wish we could all be together now,” around. But this time, staying at home feels like
a says Juhi Chawla, with her signature warmth. Her a detox. The best thing to do is to look around
children, Jhanvi and Arjun, were at their boarding yourself and feel grateful,” says Chawla.
school in the UK at the time of the Covid-19 Emphasising how each person should help
n outbreak but she decided to fly them down. those in need, she says, “The simplest thing that
- She confides that a while ago, she was we can do right now is show kindness and
e overwhelmed by a sudden rush of nerves. “A consideration. There’s a 96-year-old woman
d few nights ago, I had a panic attack. My mind living all by herself in Mahim.
was racing ahead and I was worrying what if Her children are abroad and they aren’t
n we’re unable to battle this pandemic. I woke up able to send her money. Since there’s a
i and told myself to stop thinking,” she says. But lockdown, I can’t send food across to
d Chawla is now happy, picking up a skill not many her every other day but I’m trying to
t know about. She says, “I was learning to sing but help her as much as I can.”
gave up a few months ago as I couldn’t focus. My Chawla co-owns Kolkata Knight
l teacher messaged and I felt this is the best time to Riders, part of the Indian
t resume training since I’m grounded at home. The Premiere League.
. I’m taking lessons online.” simplest Talking about the IPL’s
, The Ishq (1997) actor adds, “Apart thing that we suspension she shares,
s from that, I’ve been reading and watching can do right now is “The lockdown is till
o films. My son and I’ve taken to watering show kindness and April 14. Then the
our garden. And my mother-in-law has consideration government will take a
 30 FEATURES COVID-19 Special Coverage
The biggest COVID-19 myths busted:
Doctor reveals the immunity-boosting 'tricks' you
should ignore – and the health advice worth following
A
doctor has debunked some of the
biggest myths about coronavirus
immunity boosting, and revealed which
advice you should be following instead.
Leading Harley Street dietitian and King's
College research fellow, Dr Megan Rossi,
said the coronavirus pandemic has sent
pseudoscience and misinformation 'through the
roof'. "Be careful who you take advice from,'
Dr Rossi posted on her  Instagram profile.  I
totally get we're all looking to help our immune
systems. Yet ultimately, there is no one super
food, diet or supplement that will make you
immune to COVID-19."   polyphenols. Like rosemary (left), basil,
Should you be taking Vitamin C supple-
ments?
While you might have read the claims that
dosing up on Vitamin C will help to protect
you against coronavirus, Dr Rossi said there is
'currently NO evidence that Vitamin C will help
to prevent or fight off the new coronavirus'.
In addition, Dr Rossi, highlighted that
the common cold and coronavirus are very
different: "It's highly misleading, not to
mention dangerous, to suggest Vitamin C can
fight coronavirus," she said.
However, that is not to say that Vitamin C
can't do you some good and it can't help many
bodily functions, including repair, absorption
of iron and your immune system.
Focus on getting your Vitamin C as much
through your diet as much as possible, she
added, and concentrate on staying healthy
through good quality rest, food and exercise.
Do you need to 'boost' your immunity?  What are the simplest ways to get more
The second myth that Dr Rossi was keen to
bust was the idea that we should be 'boosting'
our immunity as much as possible in a bid to
fight coronavirus.
"In search of immune-boosting hacks? Let
me challenge that,' Dr Rossi said.
"You see, we don't actually want to boost our
immune system (think autoimmune conditions
where the body attacks itself), just like we don't
want to suppress it either (think chemotherapy).'
Instead of a boosted immunity or a
compromised immunity, what we should be
looking for is a 'balanced immune system'.
You can do this by eating a balanced and
varied diet with a wide range of different plant-
based foods across all six food groups - fruit,
vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and
seeds - and keeping up your exercise.
Do you need to drink water every 15
minutes?
The third myth that you might have heard
recently is that you should be drinking even
more water than usual and picking up a glass to
have a drink every 15 minutes.
How can you improve your overall gut
health?
• Eat 30 different plant-based foods each
week.
• Move and exercise as much as possible
to regulate your bowel movements and
increase the diversity of your gut microbes.
• Avoid unnecessary medications and
smoking, as there is growing research to
suggest these can impact our gut microbes.
"Please don't be fooled by claims around
drinking water every 15 minutes, That doesn't
mean there aren't things you can do to support
your immune system."
She said that even though we do not have
the hard evidence yet, it makes sense that
being healthy won't prevent you from getting
coronavirus, but it will reduce your risk of
becoming severely ill if you do get it.  transform them into absorbable compounds,
Aim to get your two to three litres of water
each day, and try to get outside for a little bit of
fresh air and exercise.
"If you're staying home, there are so many
great YouTube workouts, free apps and yoga
videos available. Stay calm and don't panic -
managing stress levels is an important factor in
looking after your gut and overall health." Dr
Rossi said. 
fibre?
1. Add flavour and texture to your favourite
soup by stirring in cooked barley or legumes.
2. Sprinkle mixed seeds on you breakfast -
whether it's cereal, toast or eggs.
3. Replace a third of the mince in your lasagne
with cooked lentils for a twist your gut will
love.
4. Keep your skin on both your fruit and
vegetables.
5. A small handful of nuts, seeds and dried
fruit is a quick way to boost your fibre when
you're in a rush.
6. Make the switch from white to wholegrain
and seeded bread.
Should you try the keto diet?
The keto diet gets a lot of press for
transforming people's health. But Dr Rossi said
that the keto diet will not make you 'live longer'
or be healthier.
"With respect to the general population the
body of evidence says it's NOT the way to go
for a happier, healthier life,' she said.
Instead, you need to focus on getting as much
of the six food groups as possible, and 'flood'
your diet with healthy and balanced foods.  high in plant fibre and contains a different
"Tinned, frozen, dried, it all counts,' she said.
"You should also aim for seven to nine hours
of sleep every night as this will keep you well
rested,' she said.
Cut out and keep: Foods you need  compounds linked to colon cancer.
1. Dates: A great source of prebiotics — specific
kinds of fibres that feed beneficial bacteria
10. Pomegranates:  Their
in our gut. The potential health benefits of
prebiotics are vast, from improving blood-
sugar control and appetite regulation to
supporting bone and skin health.
11. Seaweed:  Studies show seaweed trains
2. Flaxseeds:  Like red wine, flaxseeds are
an excellent source of polyphenols, plant
chemicals mostly unabsorbed in the upper
gut, as humans cannot digest them, so they
12. Dried mango:  Perfect for sweet cravings,
end up in the lower gut, where bacteria
13. Quinoa:  Quinoa is also a great way to
linked with health benefits.
3. Pistachios: While it’s a good idea to include
Friday, April 03, 2020
How can you improve your
overall gut health?
1. Eat 30 different plant-based foods each
week.
2. Move and exercise as much as possible
to regulate your bowel movements
and increase the diversity of your gut
microbes.
3. Avoid unnecessary medications and
smoking, as there is growing research
to suggest these can impact our gut
microbes.
any kind of nuts in your diet, pistachios
contain the highest level of prebiotics, along
with cashews.
4. Damaged fruit:  We tend to avoid ugly-
looking fruit, but they may contain more
beneficial plant chemicals as plants produce
these under stress to protect themselves. So
a perfect piece of fruit could be less good
for you.
5. Chai tea: Some prebiotics — such as those
contained in the chia mix — are water
soluble. Chai tea has the bonus of spices,
adding further plant foods to your diet.
6. Cauliflower:  Studies show that the plant
chemicals in cauliflower directly support
the health of the immune cells that line our
intestine. The chemicals help strengthen the
gut lining, and as 70 per cent of our immune
system is on that digestive tract, that is a
major boost to our resilience.
7. Turmeric:  While research reporting its
benefits studied the effect of large doses,
turmeric is still worthwhile including in your
diet in any amount. The active ingredient,
curcumin, has anti-inflammatory effects on
the gut.
8. Popcorn:  Don’t be surprised: popcorn is
kind to wheat, which tends to dominate our
diet.
9. Chia seeds:  Not only are these tiny seeds
thought to help with laxation, but they are
also very high in omega 3. And it’s not just
your brain that likes omega 3s; our microbes
feast on them as well.
taste makes
pomegranates an easy plant addition to
many dishes and they are a great prebiotic
food.
guts to work differently — with regular
consumption your bacteria develop the
ability to digest it.
it’s full of helpful prebiotic fibres.
consume protein because it contains fibre —
The Indian Weekender
and our gut microbes like fibre and protein
to be combined.
14. Lentils:  All legumes contain an important
prebiotic known as galacto-oligosaccharides
(GOS), but lentils can be added to meat
dishes such as bolognese to make it better
for the gut. Adding mixed beans to curries is
another way to include more legumes.
15. Rye: While wheat also has prebiotics and
helpful plant chemicals, I suggest other
grains because wheat is the main, sometimes
the only, grain people eat.
16. Rosemary:  Herbs are a good source of
thyme and sage are great options. I count
herbs and spices as a quarter of a point in
my weekly 30, but they are still beneficial.
17. Cinnamon: Adding powdered cinnamon to
food can increase plant chemical intake.
18. Sauerkraut:  Fermented foods such
as sauerkraut and kimchi (fermented
vegetables) can introduce helpful bacteria.
19. Extra virgin olive oil: Very important, as it
has excellent polyphenols (plant chemicals).
20. Wheat berries: A textured nutty grain that
is chewy, like barley, and comes in ready-
cookedmicrowaveable packets.
21. Blueberries:  One of the richest dietary
sources of polyphenols. Don’t go for the
biggest berries — polyphenols are in the
skin so smaller ones have more.
22. Garlic: One of the highest vegetable sources
of fructans (a prebiotic). Also concentrated
in onions. Pickled garlic has fewer fructans,
so is a good option for people with a
sensitive gut.
23. Olives Both green and black olives are very
high in polyphenols and are an easy way to
add another plant food to your week.
24. Pasta al dente: Cooked ‘al dente’ and still
firm, pasta is a good source of resistant
starch, a fibre gut bacteria love.
25. Ginger:  Studies show this soothes the
digestive tract and is also very high in
polyphenols.
26. Cocoa:  Very high in flavanols (another
polyphenol) and trials show it has good
heart and brain benefits. Many of dark
chocolate’s benefits are due to digestion by
good bacteria. The raw version, cacao, has
more flavanols, but the processed version is
a good start.
27. Mushrooms:  I choose those sold by
supermarkets that are exposed to UV light
to increase their vitamin D content. Or
leave button mushrooms on a window sill to
achieve the same effect. Maximising vitamin
D intake is linked to better gut health.
28. Asparagus: A great source of prebiotics and
fibre. Research suggests asparagus promotes
good bacteria in the gut and is also said to
have anti-inflammatory benefits.
29. Walnuts:  A study found a handful a day
for three weeks increased the microbes
that produce a short-chain fatty acid called
butyrate, which helps nourish the gut lining.
Walnuts were also linked with a decrease in
30. Cumin: This spice has plant bioactives
linked to improved digestion and immunity.
Curry powder contains cumin.
 Inviting nominations for
The guidelines, which need to be adhered to, for
nominations, are as follows:

The Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 2020

1. The nominee needs to have an undisputable

2. Should be nominated by a person of repute. Further,

the nominee.
3. The nominator has to provide their full contact
details. No anonymous applications will
be accepted.
4.
business, sports, art, culture, or any other
profession).
5.

Indian origin, from any part of the world, who has

settled here in New Zealand. To be of Indian origin,
at least one of the parents of the nominee have to
be Indian, by blood, thereby making the nominee
of Indian lineage.
6. The nominee must have either a Permanent
‘The Indian Weekender Honours’ recognises individuals who have built a road to Residency (PR), or Citizenship of New Zealand to
be eligible for consideration.
glory for themselves and left a path for the coming generations to tread on; who
7. The nominee should have no prior convictions.
have touched the lives of thousands and enriched the society with their being; 8. For minors, under the age of 18, parental consent
who have brought fame and respect to New Zealand and the Kiwi-Indian community. will be required.
The Indian Weekender invites nominations for such personalities from the 9. The successful candidate will be required to attend
community for getting inducted into the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame 2020. the ceremony in person. In case a person is not able
to attend, due to any unforeseen circumstances, the
We also invite nominations for Kiwi Indian Young Achiever of the Year jury will use its discretion.
and Kiwi Indian Community Service Exellence Award 2020. 10.
Nominate Online: visit www.halloffame.co.nz cannot be challenged.
Post your nominations: Fill this form and post it to the address given below.

ENTRY FORM: Nomination form for The Indian Weekender Honours 2020 | Please fill and post it to the address below

Nominator Details Nominee Details About the Nominee

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For how long have you known the nominee?

Please state your reasons for nominating the above person. You may mention the
achievements of the nominee in his/her profession.
Professional details of the nominator Age of nominee

Gender M F

Address & Contact number of nominator Address & Contact number of nominee

How according to you has the Nominee brought fame and respect to the Kiwi-Indian
Category Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame community? (Add extra sheets to this form, if required)
Kiwi Indian Young Achiever of the year (16 to 35 years only)

Kiwi Indian Community Service Excellence Award

Declaration by Nominator
Nominee has accepted to appear in person
for the ceremony, if he/she gets chosen
the nominee for this application. for the nominated category for Kiwi Indian
Honours 2020.
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I hereby declare that the above information is true to the best of my knowledge. I also
allow The Indian Weekender and the Jury to use the information provided for background
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Please take a print out of this form, sign (Add extra pages to this form if required.)
more information.
and send / or email at: For details contact Indian Weekender on
Jury Panel, Kiwi Indian Honours 2019 09-217 3623 or go to:
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Signed: Date: Auckland 1061 halloffame@indianweekender.co.nz
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