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  • The U.S. warns coronavirus “will last 18 months or longer”

    The U.S. warns coronavirus “will last 18 months or longer”

    The United States government has released a 100-page plan that details the impact of coronavirus on the country, economy, and the health system.

    According to The New York Times, the plan warns that the pandemic “will last 18 months or longer” and might have “multiple waves,” that will create a lot of shortage of resources around the world.

    READ MORE: Coronavirus: Opp calls PM ‘petty’ for not mentioning Sindh CM in address

    The importance of social distancing cannot be stressed enough by scientists and health experts. According to an article in Vox, “Scientists warn we may need to live with social distancing for a year or more”, with experts stating that, “this virus is going to be circulating, potentially for a year or two, so we need to be thinking on those time scales. There are no good options here”.

    RELATED: DO YOU HAVE CORONAVIRUS?

    The article also explains that people assume that a lockdown or social distancing for a few weeks might be the solution but, “the hard truth is that it may keep infecting people and causing outbreaks until there’s a vaccine or treatment to stop it”.

    Pakistan has 237 confirmed cases with 172 in Sindh, 26 in Punjab, 16 in Balochistan, 16 in KP, five in Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir and two in Islamabad

  • Shah Mahmood Qureshi in self-isolation after China return

    Shah Mahmood Qureshi in self-isolation after China return

    Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who on Wednesday morning returned from his trip to Beijing, has confirmed that he is in self-isolation as per instructions of the Pakistani government.

    Speaking to SAMAA TV, FM Qureshi, who was accompanied by President Arif Alvi and Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, said that he had self-isolated himself since the government had advised everyone returning from abroad to self-isolate in case they had contracted the new coronavirus — COVID-19.

    “Before leaving we did a swab test here and when we landed, Chinese officials took our blood samples. They both came back negative and we took another blood test after our meeting with President Xi Jinping. The results of the second test haven’t come back yet,” the minister said.

    However, he decided to isolate himself as a precaution for a few days. “My only interactions are over the phone,” he said, adding that he would undergo another swab test within five days. “I am going to follow protocol.”

    The delegation had on Monday reached China on a two-day visit at the invitation of the Chinese president.

    It was warmly welcomed by Chinese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Han Changfu, Pakistan Ambassador to China Naghmana Alamgir Hashmi and other senior officials of the Chinese government as well as the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing.

    Other than signing multiple agreements to enhance cooperation between the two countries, the visit was aimed at expressing solidarity with China amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

  • Coronavirus: Opp calls PM ‘petty’ for not mentioning Sindh CM in address

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb has called Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan “a petty person” for not mentioning Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah’s name in his last night’s address to nation on the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

    With Sindh being the most affected by the global pandemic that has left over 200 infected in Pakistan, the provincial government led by Shah has been at the forefront in dealing with the outbreak. Among other efforts being made by the Shah administration in Sindh, it is the first provincial government to set up a Rs3 billion coronavirus relief fund besides entering a partial lockdown to contain the virus.

    According to reports, the World Health Organization (WHO) country head had also praised Pakistan for its actions with regard to the outbreak on the basis of the steps taken by Sindh government. Despite this, the premier on Tuesday night didn’t mention Sindh CM or the government led by rival Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) as he spoke to the nation in a televised address amid coronavirus fears.

    Calling him out, Aurangzeb said that Imran “was a liar” who appeared to have no idea about the seriousness of the pandemic. Her comment came after PM Imran resorted to his popular mantra of “ghabrana nahi hai” as he urged the nation not to panic amid the global outbreak of coronavirus that has left at least 237 infected across the country and over 190,000 in the world with nearly 8,000 deaths.

    “Corona[virus] is a flu that spreads very quickly. 97% cases of the virus are treated successfully, and out of this, 90% are mild. Only 4-5% have to go to hospitals,” he said as he downplayed the global pandemic that has forced countries to shut down entire cities, including the Italian capital.

    The premier also shared details of what the government was doing to contain the coronavirus mess.

  • EURO 2020 to be EURO 2021 now

    EURO 2020 to be EURO 2021 now

    UEFA on Tuesday announced the postponement of its flagship national team competition, UEFA EURO 2020, due to be played in June and July 2020.

    According to an official statement, UEFA said the health of all those involved in the game is the priority, as well as to avoid placing any unnecessary pressure on national public services involved in staging matches. The move will help all domestic competitions, currently on hold due to the COVID-19 emergency, to be completed.

    All UEFA competitions and matches (including friendlies) for clubs and national teams for both men and women have been put on hold until further notice. The UEFA EURO 2020 play-off matches and international friendlies, scheduled for the end of March, will now be played in the international window at the start of June, subject to a review of the situation.

    A working group has been set up with the participation of leagues and club representatives to examine calendar solutions that would allow for the completion of the current season and any other consequence of the decisions made today.

    The decisions, taken by UEFA’s Executive Committee, followed videoconference meetings held with the presidents and general secretaries of the 55 national associations, as well as representatives of the European Club Association, European Leagues and FIFPro Europe, convened by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, to find a coherent plan to break the logjam of fixtures building up due to the spread of the virus across the continent.

    Announcing the decisions, Aleksander Čeferin said: “We are at the helm of a sport that vast numbers of people live and breathe that has been laid low by this invisible and fast-moving opponent. It is at times like these that the football community needs to show responsibility, unity, solidarity and altruism.

    “The health of fans, staff and players has to be our number one priority and, in that spirit, UEFA tabled a range of options so that competitions can finish this season safely and I am proud of the response of my colleagues across European football. There was a real spirit of cooperation, with everyone recognising that they had to sacrifice something in order to achieve the best result.

    “It was important that, as the governing body of European football, UEFA led the process and made the biggest sacrifice. Moving EURO 2020 comes at a huge cost for UEFA but we will do our best to ensure that the vital funding for grassroots, women’s football and the development of the game in our 55 countries is not affected. Purpose over profit has been our guiding principle in taking this decision for the good of European football as a whole.

    “Football is an uplifting and powerful force in society. The thought of celebrating a pan-European festival of football in empty stadia, with deserted fan zones while the continent sits at home in isolation, is a joyless one and one we could not accept to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the competition.

    “I would like to thank the European Club Association, the European Leagues and FIFPro Europe for their great work today and for their cooperation. I would also like to thank from the bottom of my heart the 55 national associations, their presidents and general secretaries, and my colleagues from the Executive Committee for their support and wise decisions. The fine detail will be worked out in the coming weeks but the basic principles have been agreed and that is a major step forward. We have all shown that we are responsible leaders. We have demonstrated solidarity and unity. Purpose over profit. We’ve achieved this today.

    “I would also like to thank Alejandro Domínguez and CONMEBOL, who have agreed to move CONMEBOL’s 2020 Copa America in order to follow the recommendations issued by the international public health organisations to enact extreme measures and as a result of EURO 2020 being postponed. This means that clubs and leagues in Europe will have as little disruption as possible in the availability of their players. These joint efforts and especially this coordinated and responsible decision, are deeply appreciated by the whole European football community.

    “I would like to thank FIFA and its President, Gianni Infantino, who has indicated it will do whatever is required to make this new calendar work. In the face of this crisis, football has shown its best side with openness, solidarity and tolerance.”

    UEFA EURO 2020 was scheduled to take place in 12 cities across Europe from 12 June to 12 July 2020. The proposed new dates are 11 June to 11 July 2021. UEFA would like to reassure existing ticket buyers and hospitality clients that if they cannot attend the tournament in 2021, the face value of their tickets and packages will be refunded in full. Within the next month, further information on the refund process will be communicated to existing ticket buyers via email and on euro2020.com/tickets.

    Decisions on dates for other UEFA competitions, whether club or national team for men or women, will be taken and announced in due course.

  • Coronavirus: Online video game site Steam reports 20 million spike in users

    Coronavirus: Online video game site Steam reports 20 million spike in users

    As coronavirus outbreak has forced people to stay at home and self-isolate themselves, the gaming platform Steam had a record number of players online from all over the world this weekend.

    According to their data, over 20 million gamers connected at the same time. The highest single peak in terms of players was on Sunday afternoon when 20,312,000 players all connected at the same time – the most in its 16 year history. Out of the 20 million users logged on to the steam app on Sunday, nearly 6.4 million of them were actively playing a game.

    According to Mail Online, it’s a notable peak for the platform as it didn’t coincide with any major gaming release – unlike previous usage peaks. It has been put down to countries going into lockdown and people into self-isolation as a result of coronavirus. With major sporting events cancelled, gatherings of large groups banned and pubs beginning to close – people are looking for ways to pass the time indoors.

    In Italy, public life has also come to a complete halt as schools, restaurants, theatres and gyms have shut down indefinitely. As a result, Telecome Italia SpA’s national network registered a surge of more than 70 % of internet traffic over its landline network, with a major contribution from online gaming such as ‘Fortnite’ and ‘Call of Duty’.

  • Show your COVID-19 test results or go back: CAA tells travellers coming to Pakistan

    Show your COVID-19 test results or go back: CAA tells travellers coming to Pakistan

    Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a notification on Tuesday saying that in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Pakistan, all international flight operations to/from all international airports were suspended except Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad Airports.

    Three steps would be taken to ensure the enhancement of screening with effect from Saturday, March 21, 2020.

    All international passengers arriving in Pakistan shall be required to provide a copy of test results for COVID-19 conducted during the 24 hours prior to boarding the flight. Test results must include the name and passport number of the passenger and the original test result shall be required at the disembarkation airport in Pakistan. It shall be the responsibility of the airline operations to ensure that no passenger boards without the test result. This is in addition to the health declaration form at the point of disembarkation.

  • 254 Indian Shia pilgrims have reportedly tested positive for coronavirus

    254 Indian Shia pilgrims have reportedly tested positive for coronavirus

    Indian journalist Sidhant Sibal tweeted that a number of Indians pilgrims from Union territory of Ladakh in the central city of Qom in Iran have been confirmed with Coronavirus.

    “Indian mission in Iran & local authorities are reaching out to them,” she wrote in her tweet.

    Another Indian journalist Aditya Raj Kaul tweeted:

    In response to these reports by the Indian media, Indian External Affairs Ministry officials on Tuesday said they cannot confirm whether more than 250 Indians in Iran have tested positive for coronavirus but acknowledged that they were aware of such a list of people being circulated.

    MEA Additional Secretary Dammu Ravi was asked several times about Indians in Iran testing positive.

    “Of course in a situation like that, you will find some positive cases among the Indian pilgrims given the extensive spread of virus in Iran,” Ravi told the media.

    “Rest assured that every care is being taken by mission in cooperating and coordinating with the government of Iran for safety of Indians there. The ambassador is giving a lot of attention to them,” he said.

    “Cannot confirm that over 250 Indians in Iran have tested positive for coronavirus and whether the list that is being circulated is authentic or not ,” he said in response to a question about media reports claiming that more than 250 Indians in Iran have tested positive for the virus.

    He, however, said that it was not possible that all the tests of the Indian pilgrims would have come out negative as they were located in Qom.

    Video of MEA briefing:

    According to Bloomberg, India could become the next global hotspot for virus cases, with experts warning containment measures that proved successful elsewhere in Asia may not work in the world’s second-most populous country.

  • Did you know ‘Ehd-e-Wafa’ was shot in 16 cities?

    Did you know ‘Ehd-e-Wafa’ was shot in 16 cities?

    Apart from a stellar star cast, Hum TV and ISPR’s joint project Ehd e Wafa also boasted some breathtakingly beautiful shots of Pakistan. And it turns out that the drama was shot in 16 cities across the country.

    Osman Khalid Butt, who played the spoiled Malik Shahzain, revealed this little fun fact in a social media post in which he thanked director Saifee Hasan for his unrelenting effort in making the drama. Butt also shared that the drama’s shoot was spread over nine months.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9zZS1ep8oX/

    The last bumper episode of the drama was released on Sunday (March 14). It was initially supposed to be screened in cinemas but the coronavirus outbreak lead to a closure of cinemas across the country.

    Earlier Zara Noor Abbas also took to social media to share some fun BTS from the sets of the drama and thank her co-stars for the experience. She also offered “special thanks to Col Asif and Major General Asif Ghafoor for all his love and hard work for this project which was his dream to fulfil.”

    Read more – Zara Noor Abbas congratulates General Asif Ghafoor for fulfilling his dream

    Directed by Saifee Hassan and written by Mustafa Afridi, Ehd-e-Wafa is centred around the SSG, short for Secret ‘S’ Gang, consisting of Shehryar (Ahmed Ali Akbar), Shariq (Wahaj Ali), Saad (Ahad Raza Mir) and Shahzain (Osman Khalid Butt). The series won the hearts of the audiences because of its heartwarming storyline and great performances by the ensemble cast which also includes Alizeh Shah, Hajra Yamin, Vaneezah Ahmed, Zara Noor Abbas, Faraz Yahya, Syed Muhammad Ahmed and Adnan Samad Khan (Gulzar) among others.

    Check out The Current‘s review of the drama here:

  • Fayyaz Chohan comes under fire for his distasteful comments about differently-abled children

    Fayyaz Chohan comes under fire for his distasteful comments about differently-abled children

    Punjab Information Minister Fayyaz ul Hasan Chohan has once again sparked furor after he passed insensitive remarks regarding differently-abled children saying that they are born to parents as a punishment for their misdeeds.

    During a press conference that Chohan was addressing along with Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, Chohan said: “Whoever adopts this ideology that apna sab kuch banta, bhaar mein jaaye janta [Let’s make a profit, and ignore what happens to the rest of the people], God will punish that person. Paralysed and differently-abled children are born as a result of this. We see this around us in our society. Relatives of such people then say that this has happened because that trader or industrialist was involved in fraudulent activities and this is an ‘azaab‘ [wrath of God].”

    He said that while the government and authorities will deal with such traders and industrialists in the world, God will punish them in the hereafter.

    Chohan’s comments sparked outrage and fury on social media and many including Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari took to social media to condemn the minister and his comments.

    Following the backlash, Chohan took to social media to apologise for his remarks.

    https://twitter.com/Fayazchohanpti/status/1239912973918969862?s=20
  • Groom arrested for arranging valima ceremony amid coronavirus outbreak

    Groom arrested for arranging valima ceremony amid coronavirus outbreak

    Despite calls for self-isolation and social distancing and the imposition of Section 144 in Punjab, a wedding in Multan went ahead as planned following which the groom was arrested for not abiding by the rules.

    According to reports, officials on Monday were informed that a wedding reception was being held at Nasir Public School. Deputy Commissioner Amir Khattak ordered a team to launch a crackdown on the wedding. Upon reaching the venue, officials arrested the groom who was standing outside the hall to welcome his guests. Police began to remove all the tents at the site and called off the function. An FIR was registered against the groom as well as the principal of the school, Bilal Dogar, for organising the event.

    Meanwhile, following a sharp increase in cases of coronavirus in Pakistan, the government has imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in Punjab for the next three weeks. In a bid to stop the virus from spreading further, the government has also ordered citizens to voluntarily self-isolate and not congregate.

    Politicians, celebrities and health experts are also appealing to the people to practise self-isolation and social distancing.