Current Affairs Of Pakistan & World: 04/18/20

POLITICO Playbook: Trump gets some back up, and a new PPP offer

Apr 18, 2020

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By Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman

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DRIVING THE DAY

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IS ITCHING FOR A RETURN TO NORMALCY. He wants states to open up. He wants professional sports to start. He wants to get out of the White House.

AND THE FIRST SLICE OF NORMALCY to return to Washington and the political system will come courtesy of the same group that's been the president's comfort blanket for three years: House Republicans.

OUR COLLEAGUE MELANIE ZANONA reported Friday that a group of House Republicans will return to D.C. in the coming weeks, because they believe elected lawmakers should be working instead of sitting at home. The leader of this group is Florida Rep. BRIAN MAST, a veteran who lost both of his legs in the war in Afghanistan. MAST told Mel: "I don't deny there are risks as members of Congress in going there. But that's what doing your duty is: There are risks, but you get the job done anyway." HOUSE MINORITY LEADER KEVIN MCCARTHY is aware of the plans.

WASHINGTON IS SHUT DOWN as is the Capitol, for the most part. But TRUMP has already been rapping politicians for staying home during the pandemic, so the White House is sure to enjoy the imagery of the president's party returning to town.

REPUBLICANS ARE IN THE MINORITY, so their tools are limited. They can't bring the chamber back into session, or even take to the floor to give speeches. But the presence of a gaggle of Republicans in the Capitol could attract cameras, and draw eyeballs.

LOOK AT THAT! ... WAPO'S PAUL KANE: "Buried inside a survey showing bad grades for President Trump's handling of the coronavirus outbreak, Thursday's Gallup Poll contained a remarkable nugget showing approval ratings for Congress had jumped by a net gain of 16 percentage points in the past month."

NEW ... NEW OFFER IN PPP STANDOFF ... DEMOCRATS sent a new offer last night to Treasury Secretary STEVEN MNUCHIN in the negotiations to get the small business PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM refunded. The offer included $150 BILLION for state and local funding -- Republicans have largely resisted that funding this time around. This offer would disburse money based on need, and includes money for cities, states and towns.

-- THE DEM OFFER also includes changes to PPP -- money for community banks, and underserved populations -- hospital money and money for testing. REPUBLICANS are seeing $251 billion for the PPP, which has run dry.

-- THE SENIOR DEM AIDE POINTED OUT that "Key swing states for Trump - PA, MI, OH, WI - would receive billions in new aid under this proposal."

BULLETIN ... WSJ: "Paul O'Neill, Former Treasury Secretary and Alcoa CEO, Dies at 84"

VP MIKE PENCE is going to the Air Force Academy graduation today in Colorado Springs. Pooler is WaPo's BOB COSTA: "VPOTUS arrived at JBA by helicopter at 8:15 a.m. Boarded at 8:20 a.m. Traveling by himself today, with staff. No rain coat. Dark suit. Waved, but did not make remarks.Rainy weather here, 45 degrees.

"A rare journey outside of Washington for VPOTUS and his team during the pandemic, although this is the start of a more regular travel schedule. VPOTUS office says his last trip was March 7, when he went to Florida. AF2 will depart shortly. Destination: Colorado Springs, Colo. ... VPOTUS office says AF Secretary Barbara Barrett is traveling with him. And, they add, upon arrival at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, he will [be] greeted by Governor Jared Polis (D-Colo.), and John Raymond, Chief of Space Operations, United States Space Force, among other officials."

WHAT AMERICA IS READING ... THE NATION'S FRONT PAGES ... Denver Post: "Pandemic recovery 'is not a sprint'" ... Sun Sentinel (S. Fla.): "Florida unemployment rate spikes ... DeSantis' boasts on Florida testing don't tell whole story" ... Miami Herald: "Florida's governor keeps key information secret" ...

... Palm Beach Post: "153 Mar-a-Lago Club workers furloughed" ... Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "State data undercounts deaths" ... Wichita Eagle: "Kansas ranks nearly last in per-capita coronavirus tests" ... Boston Globe: "Warren sparks vice presidential speculation" ...

... Grand Rapids Press: "Whitmer ponders easing restrictions" ... Star Tribune: "FOR TRUMP AND ALLIES, VIRUS IS WEDGE ISSUE" ... Seattle Times: "Inslee rebukes Trump for tweets" ... San Jose Mercury News: "S.F. Unified might give A's to all students"

STAT DU JOUR ... WSJ: "The Dow Jones Industrial Average staged its best two-week performance since the 1930s, a dramatic rebound that has left many investors with a confounding reality: soaring share prices and a floundering economy."

-- L.A. TIMES: "Less than half of L.A. County residents still have jobs amid coronavirus crisis," by Jaclyn Cosgrove: "Because of the colossal impact that the coronavirus outbreak has had on the U.S. economy, less than half of Los Angeles County residents -- 45% compared with 61% in mid-March -- still hold a job, a decline of 16 percentage points, or an estimated 1.3 million jobs, according to findings from a national survey released Friday."

NYT'S TRIP GABRIEL and JONATHAN MARTIN: "Gretchen Whitmer Isn't Backing Down"

SCOTT GOTTLEIB is now advising Connecticut's Democratic Gov. NED LAMONT. CT Post

WAPO'S DAVID FAHRENTHOLD and JOSHUA PARTLOW: "The White House praised hotels for housing doctors. Cities say Trump's hotels aren't participating.": "Thousands of U.S. hotels have volunteered to help local authorities house doctors, nurses and other medical personnel at reduced rates — or even free — during the covid-19 pandemic.

"President Trump's White House has praised these efforts. But so far, none of Trump's own hotels are known to be participating. In five U.S. cities where President Trump's company operates large hotels — New York, Chicago, Miami, Washington and Honolulu — local authorities said that the Trump hotel was not involved in their efforts to provide low-cost or no-cost rooms to those fighting the virus."

REUTERS: "Exclusive: Amazon deploys thermal cameras at warehouses to scan for fevers faster," by Jeffrey Dastin and Krystal Hu: "Amazon.com Inc has started to use thermal cameras at its warehouses to speed up screening for feverish workers who could be infected with the coronavirus, employees told Reuters.

"The cameras in effect measure how much heat people emit relative to their surroundings. They require less time and contact than forehead thermometers, earlier adopted by Amazon, the workers said.

"Cases of the virus have been reported among staff at more than 50 of Amazon's U.S. warehouses. That has prompted some workers to worry for their safety and walk off the job. Unions and elected officials have called on Amazon to close buildings down."

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT ... HOLLY OTTERBEIN in Philadelphia: "'They've done pretty well': How one Dem governor stays off Trump's enemies list": "'They've done pretty well,' Wolf said in an interview with POLITICO. 'We needed additional N95 masks and I had a couple conversations with the vice president and he actually made it happen.'

"It's a leadership model that has left some Democrats quietly wishing he were a more prominent figure -- and a more critical voice -- during the crisis. But as the governor of a big battleground state that Trump carried in 2016, Wolf isn't afforded the same luxuries as his blue-state colleagues."

A message from Humana:

When Humana member Gwen M. — who is blind and has no family nearby — started running out of her medication and food, Humana helped her get prescriptions and healthy meals delivered right to her door. See how we're supporting members during this health crisis.

Good Saturday morning.

WAPO: "As U.S. coronavirus fatality rate rises to 5 percent, experts are still trying to understand how deadly this virus is," by Chris Mooney, Juliet Eilperin and Joel Achenbach: "In the United States, the case fatality rate has steadily ticked upward, from about 1.35 percent in late March to over 4 percent on April 15, according to figures compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate saw another spike to nearly 5 percent Thursday because of a large wave of "probable" deaths reported in New York City.

"This does not mean that the disease itself is getting deadlier, though. Covid-19 typically takes weeks to become severe enough to kill a patient, and the rising rate may reflect the disease's gradual progression, combined with discoveries of additional deaths.

"Without widespread testing to find out how many people have been infected, it remains impossible to determine precisely the lethality of the virus in any given community or demographic group. Researchers know that many infections result in no symptoms."

A message from Humana:

Humana is taking unprecedented action — waiving member medical costs for coronavirus testing and treatment — to support members like Gwen. Learn More

CARLA MARINUCCI in Oakland: "Gavin Newsom goes from resistance leader to unwitting Trump surrogate": "California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who spent his first year in office being a thorn in President Donald Trump's side, is now a breakout star in the president's reelection campaign.

"That puts Newsom, a Democrat in the bluest of blue states, in a tough spot. As governor of a state hit hard and early by the coronavirus, he wants to curry favor to get medical and other supplies for his state. But he's also a governor who has spent the past year elevating his national profile and appears on a list of possible 2024 Democratic presidential contenders.

"Newsom and his supporters say there are only upsides for the new bromance. But in a hyperpartisan political environment, Newsom is also raising eyebrows for the extent to which he now refuses to say anything critical of the president's handling of the crisis."

NEW ... POLITICO DEFENSE EDITOR DAVE BROWN (@dave_brown24): "UPDATE: The Navy says 669 USS Theodore Roosevelt crew members have now tested positive for Covid-19"

LARA SELIGMAN: "Routine, boredom and panic: Life for a carrier crew stuck on Guam"

THE PRESIDENT'S SATURDAY: THE PRESIDENT has nothing scheduled.

JOIN MONDAY - CAN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY RECOVER FROM COVID-19? Restaurant doors are shut and millions of their employees have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic. Join Playbook co-authors Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman on Monday at 9 a.m. EDT for a virtual discussion with David Chang, founder of Momofuku Restaurant Group on what Washington can do to help the industry. What do restaurant owners and workers need to recover from this swift and devastating blow? Join the discussion. Have a question? Tweet it to @POLITICOLive using #AskPOLITICO. REGISTER HERE TO PARTICIPATE.

PLAYBOOK READS

Coronavirus protests

PHOTO DU JOUR: A family protests from the back of a truck during a "Liberate Minnesota" protest in St. Paul, Minn., on Friday. | Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP

CLICKER -- "The nation's cartoonists on the week in politics," edited by Matt Wuerker -- 17 keepers

GREAT WEEKEND READS, curated by Margy Slattery and the staff of POLITICO Magazine:

-- "Carnival Executives Knew They Had a Virus Problem, But Kept the Party Going," by Austin Carr and Chris Palmeri on the cover of Bloomberg Businessweek: "Passengers noticed new hand sanitizer stations and crew members wearing gloves, but life on the Grand Princess ... otherwise went on as normal." Bloomberg Businessweek ... The cover

-- "I'm an E.R. Doctor in New York. None of Us Will Ever Be the Same," by Helen Ouyang in the NYT Magazine: "Conversations about dying and death are all around me now, the only kind I hear. Either I am having one or the physician next to me is." NYT Magazine

-- "My Wild, Totally Surreal Experience Covering a Trump Coronavirus Briefing," by Ryan Lizza in POLITICO Magazine: "This week, especially Monday's event, the briefings reached the zenith of showcasing unusual behavior, peripheral issues and petty intrigue." POLITICO Magazine

-- "The Anxious Child and the Crisis of Modern Parenting," by Kate Julian on the cover of The Atlantic's May issue: "How do you prepare a child for life in an uncertain time—one far more psychologically taxing than the late-20th-century world into which you were born?" Atlantic ... The cover

-- "The Devastating Decline of a Brilliant Young Coder," by Sandra Upson in Wired: "Lee Holloway programmed internet security firm Cloudflare into being. But then he became apathetic, distant, and unpredictable—for a long time, no one could make sense of it." Wired

-- "The Naval Academy's War With a Professor Who Sends Shirtless Pics, Offends Women and Minorities—and Somehow Came Out on Top," by Benjamin Wofford in Washingtonian: "From ivory-tower faculty lounges to the Pentagon, Bruce Fleming is known for being a chauvinistic, egoistic loudmouth. Also, one hardened warrior." Washingtonian

-- "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Fractured Fairy Tale," by Rebecca Mead in The New Yorker: "How bad must being an H.R.H. be in order to make someone want to quit?" New Yorker

-- "Genius or Folly? One Man's Three-Decade Quest to Build a Replica of Monticello in the Middle of Nowhere," by Drexel Heikes in the Los Angeles Times: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. Except for Dan Sisson, this 82-year-old guy in the Pacific Northwest. He's not like us." LAT

OUR NEIGHBORS NEED YOUR HELP: Layoffs, school closures, and health fears. Everyone is struggling, and our neighbors need our help now more than ever. From grab-and-go dinners for kids to boxes of groceries for seniors, you can help provide critical support for people in the greater D.C. community who need it most. No one should go hungry during this pandemic. Together, we can make sure no one has to. Please support the Capital Area Food Bank's COVID-19 response today.

PLAYBOOKERS

Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com.

IN MEMORIAM -- "Former Arizona governor Jane Dee Hull, a trailblazing politician, dies at age 84," by 12 News' Brahm Resnik in Phoenix: "Her husband, Dr. Terry Hull, also died Thursday, hours before his wife died, 12 News has learned. ... Hull, a lifelong Republican, once said she was inspired by then-Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona, when she heard him speak at the University of Kansas in 1961. Hull was the first woman elected as Arizona governor, as well as the first female speaker of the state House of Representatives. ...

"Hull was secretary of state and next in line to the governor's office, when [Fife] Symington was forced to step down after a felony conviction. Hull won election to a full four-year term in 1998 in a landslide victory, with 61 percent of the vote, over former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson." KPNX

-- "Paul O'Neill, Former Treasury Secretary and Alcoa CEO, Dies at 84," by WSJ's James Hagerty: "Mr. O'Neill's unlikely career path took him from bored undergraduate at Fresno State College to Alaskan highway surveyor, federal bureaucrat, chief executive of the world's largest aluminum company and U.S. Treasury secretary. ... Mr. O'Neill loved to delve into the minutiae of policy initiatives and hash out the pros and cons with people of all political stripes. A lifelong pragmatist, he loathed ideologies." WSJ

TRANSITION -- Susan Miller is now acting chief of public affairs at ODNI. She continues as chief of public affairs at the National Counterterrorism Center and is an ABC, CNN and Fox News alum.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Brian Roehrkasse, VP of comms for Facebook, and Megan Gerking, a partner in the global antitrust practice at Morrison & Foerster, welcomed Heidi Jean Roehrkasse on Wednesday. Pic

BIRTHDAYS: White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany is 32 ... Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) is 4-0 ... Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) is 64 ... Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) is 69 ... Mike Dubke, founding partner of Black Rock Group ... Darby Grant ... Nate Parker of the White House ... Rick Kaplan, president of Kaplan Media Partners ... POLITICO's Burgess Everett, Michael Stratford and Lara Seligman ... John Podhoretz, editor of Commentary magazine and columnist for the N.Y. Post, is 59 ... former Rep. Karen Handel (R-Ga.), who's running again, is 58 ... Brian Huseman, VP of public policy at Amazon ... Kelsey Donohue, director of comms at Harvard's IOP ... Susan Faludi is 61 ... Nicci Carrasco ... USA Today's Donovan Slack ... Grant Saunders, political director for Team Scalise ... Erin Miller Weibel ... Ayman Mohyeldin, anchor and co-host of "Morning Joe First Look," is 41 ... HHS press secretary Katie McKeogh (h/t Caitlin Oakley) ... Ryan Sager is 41 ...

... Ben Chang, deputy VP for comms and spokesperson for Princeton (h/t wife Ashley) ... Trey Grayson is 48 ... Charlie Baker, president and co-founder of Dewey Square Group, is 62 ... Jonathan Epstein ... Theresa Verbic (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... Evan Ryan, EVP at Axios ... Sean Maloney of CARE ... Phil Gordon is 69 (h/ts Ben Chang) ... Irish President Michael Higgins is 79 ... Zach Zaragoza, state director for Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) ... Micki Werner ... Nell Merlino ... Tracy Spicer, principal and founding partner at Avenue Solutions (h/t Jon Haber) ... The Atlantic's Sophie Gilbert ... Christine Sexton ... Jeffrey Caporizzo ... Mike Singh ... Erika Walter ... Robert Silvers, partner at Paul Hastings, is 4-0 ... Greg Cuneo ... Bill Perkins ... Caleb Crosswhite ... Karol Markowicz ... Rachel Burns ... John Fogarty is 43 ... Evan Philipson ... Jill Habig ... Bret Manley ... Robert Feinschreiber is 77 ... Jeff Goldblatt ... Melody Scalley ... Kristine Euclide

THE SHOWS, by Matt Mackowiak, filing from Austin:

-- NBC's "Meet the Press": New NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll ... VP Mike Pence ... Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Panel: Peter Alexander, Jeh Johnson and Danielle Pletka.

-- ABC's "This Week": Speaker Nancy Pelosi ... Deborah Birx. Panel: Chris Christie, Rahm Emanuel, Austan Goolsbee, Tom Bossert and Danielle Allen.

-- CBS' "Face the Nation": Deborah Birx ... Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker ... King Abdullah II of Jordan ... Suzanne Clark ... Scott Gottlieb.

-- CNN's "State of the Union": Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin ... Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ... Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan ... Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

-- "Fox News Sunday": VP Mike Pence ... Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Panel: Karl Rove, Marie Harf and Bret Baier ... "Power Player of the Week" segment with José Andrés.

-- CNN's "Inside Politics": Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo. Panel: Ashish Jha, Megan Ranney, Douglas Brinkley, Jonathan Martin and Kaitlan Collins ... Jen Psaki.

-- CNN's "Reliable Sources": Piers Morgan ... Juliette Kayyem and Philip Bump ... Kaitlan Collins and Francesca Chambers ... Susan Wojcicki ... Adam Mosseri.

-- MSNBC's "Kasie DC": Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) ... Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) ... New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman and CEO Pat Foye.

-- Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures": Peter Navarro ... Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) ... Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) ... Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) ... Steve Bannon.

-- Fox News' "MediaBuzz": Mollie Hemingway ... Susan Ferrechio ... Mo Elleithee ... Leslie Marshall ... Buck Sexton.

-- CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS": Kishore Mahbubani and Nadia Schadlow ... Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz ... Madeleine Albright.

-- C-SPAN: "The Communicators": National Association of Broadcasters President & CEO Gordon Smith ... "Q&A": James Wallner.

-- Gray TV's "Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren": Anthony Fauci ... Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) ... Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) ... Derek Angus.

-- Sinclair's "America This Week with Eric Bolling": Assistant HHS Secretary Adm. Brett Giroir ... Mehmet Oz. Panel: Dave Campbell, Greg Applebaum and Colby Grossman ... Panel: Sebastian Gorka and Ameshia Cross.

-- Univision's "Al Punto": Iris Nolasco ... California Gov. Gavin Newsom ... Rev. Samuel Rodriguez ... Carlos Castillo Salgado ... Ana Castillo ... Maria Paula Romo.

-- "Mack on Politics" weekly politics podcast with Matt Mackowiak (download on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify or Stitcher): Lyman Stone.

A message from Humana:

Humana is committed to delivering #BetterHealth for our members during the coronavirus crisis, and working to connect people to the resources they need.

For example, when Gwen M. — who is blind and has no family nearby — started running out of her medication and food, Humana helped her get prescriptions and healthy meals delivered right to her door.

At Humana, we're experts at helping our members achieve #BetterHealth and recognize our unique role in supporting them during this unprecedented time. From waiving member medical costs for testing and treatment related to coronavirus to expanding access to telehealth, Humana is committed to doing all that we can to protect our members' health.

See how we're supporting our members.

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KP govt taking all-out measures to curb spread of COVID-19: Ajmal Wazir - ARY News

PESHAWAR: Adviser to the Chief Minister on Information Ajmal Khan Wazir on Saturday said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was taking all-out measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, ARY News reported.

Talking to journalists, Ajmal Khan Wazir said that coronavirus testing capacity at Khyber Medical University has been enhanced from 40 to 700 per day.

He maintained that they started coronavirus diagnostic tests at Hayatabad Medical Complex and Syedo Teaching Hospital to facilitate the masses. The adviser said that private sector hospitals were also conducting the COVID-19 diagnostic tests.

Responding to a question, Ajmal Wazir said that the government was taking steps to bring back stranded Pakistanis in Afghanistan.

Read More: KP govt to observe partial lockdown till April 30 amid COVID-19 pandemic

Earlier on April 15, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government had announced details of the partial lockdown in the province until April 30 amid COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a handout issued from the KP government detailing decisions taken at the provincial cabinet meeting, all education activities would remain suspended in the province during the lockdown.

“All educational institutes in the province including schools, colleges and universities, coaching centres and institutes will remain closed till May 21,” it had said adding that all examinations under the educational boards were postponed until May 31.

400 patients recovered at Sukkur isolation centre, says health official - ARY News

Sukkur, isolation centre, patients recovered

SUKKUR: More than four hundred people kept at Tablighee Markaz isolation centre in Sukkur have recovered from the coronavirus disease, a health department official said on Saturday.

District Health Officer (DHO) Sukkur has said that the patients recovered at isolation centre being sent to their homes.

The recovered patients being allowed to go home after they tested negative for COVID-19, the DHO said.

Earlier on April 10, another 70 individuals kept in isolated quarantine facility had been declared fit and healthy after spending more than 14 days at the isolation centre.

Commissioner Sukkur Division Shafique Ahmed Mahesar had said that a total of 40 pilgrims currently in the facility had been tested out of which 30 tested negative for coronavirus.

70 pilgrims who had been given a clean bill of health had departed for their homes after final approval from the doctors.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country witnessed a sharp increase and rose to 7,481 on Saturday, while eight deaths were also reported during the last 24 hours which took the death toll to 143.

According to the government’s statistics, 1,832 patients have recovered from the disease.

Currently 5,506 patients are being treated at the various hospitals and quarantine facilities across the country.

The total number of tests conducted, so far in the country stands at 92,584 with 6,416 tests conducted in last 24 hours, the statistics released by the national dashboard

Restaurants to remain open in Karachi from 8am to 5pm - ARY News

KARACHI: The restaurants, hotels and ‘Nanbais’ have been allowed to remain open from 8: 00 am to 5:00 pm in Karachi, ARY News reported on Saturday.

According to a notification issued by Commissioner Karachi, the restaurants will be only be allowed to give take away service dinning will not be allowed.

Moreover, every worker shall be examined before entering into the workplace. Commissioner Karachi had also declared wearing face masks mandatory for those leaving homes.

“Face masks are mandatory for all people who come out of the houses for a valid reason or are exempted during the lockdown, the mask shall cover the nose, mouth and chin.”

“Sanitizing and cleaning hands after every activity and wherein necessary shall he strictly ensured,” it added.

If symptoms of flu, cough or fever are found, he/she may be referred to the hospital immediately, the notification read.

Meanwhile, the Sindh government has decided to completely close the areas of Karachi from where, coronavirus cases are being reported in huge numbers.

As per details, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said decided to completely seal the coronavirus hotspot areas in Karachi, in a new strategy to deal with the deadly virus.

Pakistan extends ban on domestic, international flights

KARACHI: Pakistan has extended the ban on domestic and international flights till April 30 in the wake of the coronavirus situation, ARY News reported on Saturday.

The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority in a statement said that the ban on all flight operations has been extended till 30th of April.

Director Air Transport CAA has issued a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) regarding extension in the suspension of flight operations.

As per the decision of the Government of Pakistan, the suspension of International and Domestic flight operations as effected earlier has been extended upto Thursday, April 30, 2020 at 2359 hours PST, the CAA statement said.

However, relief and cargo flights will be operated with special permission. To repatriate thousands of Pakistanis stranded in different countries due to the coronavirus pandemic, PIA operating special flights from April 15 and will continue to do till April 20.

The aviation authority had earlier ordered that all inbound flights shall be subjected to thorough checking for COVID-19 as per established procedures including screening, swab test and quarantine as per the advice of the health professionals.

Earlier, a NOTAM was released by CAA’s director air transport after the foreign ministry accepted the request of the German Embassy in Pakistan to allow a chartered flight of Qatar Airways for transporting German citizens and diplomatic staff on April 4.

The aviation authority had also released an advisory for the chartered flight that transport over 225 passengers including German citizens and diplomats from two destinations including Karachi and Islamabad.

Before it 300 Canadian nationals left for Toronto via Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) special flight from Lahore airport.

Pakistani authorities had also granted permission to operate a chartered flight on the request of the US Embassy to transport US citizens, American and British diplomats.

A special plane arrived from Cairo at the Karachi airport to airlift the US citizens including members of the US embassy in Pakistan.

The flight MSR-3200 was allowed to land at the airport on a special permission from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It carried 135 passengers including 16 members of the embassy team.

Govt, ulema agree over Ramadan congregations with preventive measures

Courtesy: ARY News

ISLAMABAD: A consultative session of religious scholars with President Arif Alvi in chair on Saturday agreed over 20-point preventive measures against highly contagious novel coronavirus disease during prayers in the month of holy Ramadan, ARY News reported.

The meeting was held to discuss precautionary measures in the holy month to stem the spread of coronavirus.

The president chaired the session with the religious scholars via video link, who attended the consultation from governor houses.

The government in the session in a conditional agreement allowed congregational prayers and Taraveeh in Ramadan with preventive measures.

President Alvi in the meeting said that the people should perform ablutions for prayers from homes and during prayers “a space of two persons should be left between two people offering prayers in a row.”

“The floor of mosques should be washed with chlorine mixed water and prayers offered at uncovered floor in worship places,” it was further agreed.

It was also decided that “no collective Sehri or Iftar arrangements” will be made at the mosques”.

“The government will review its decision if agreed precautions not observed properly or the coronavirus spread rapidly,” President Arif Alvi said in the session.

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan in a meeting with Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri had directed the minister to devise a set of precautionary measures to stem the spread of coronavirus in Ramadan congregations.

Prime Minister Khan is expected to meet religious clerics in the next week.

Qadri had earlier met spiritual seat holders (Mashaikh) of various shrines in connection with the meeting with the president.

The Mashaikh while expressing support to the government’s efforts for containing the COVID-19 pandemic had assured their presence in the meeting.

They, however, had sought permission for performing religious rituals after adopting all necessary precautions.

PM Imran Khan recently said that the government has sought clerics’ cooperation to overcome the pandemic and he will soon meet them.

The premier emphasised the need for devising a strategy for the month of Ramadan after holding consultations with the religious scholars.

COVID-19 to have 'profound' mental health fallout

The coronavirus pandemic is likely to have a "profound and pervasive impact" on global mental health as billions struggle to cope with isolated living and anxiety spikes, experts warned Thursday.

In a paper published in Lancet Psychiatry, a panel of 24 specialists call for more funding for research into the impacts COVID-19 may have on society's mental well-being.

Two accompanying surveys of the British public showed that most people questioned had experienced heightened anxiety and fear of becoming mentally unwell since the pandemic struck.

"We are all dealing with unprecedented uncertainty and major changes to the way we live our lives as a result of coronavirus," said lead author Emily Holmes from Uppsala University's department of psychology.

"Our surveys show these changes are already having a considerable impact on our mental health."

The authors called for real-time monitoring of anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide across the world, as well as the creation of treatment programmes that can be accessed remotely.

"This needs to be on a bigger scale than we have ever seen previously, and must be coordinated, targeted and comprehensive," said Matthew Hotopf, from King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience.

"Above all, we want to stress that all new interventions must be informed by top notch research to make sure they work."

Studies into the mental health impact of previous disease outbreaks, such as the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s, showed a clear increase in suicide rates and the number of health care workers who experience emotional distress.

But the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic is unprecedented, with billions of people forced to isolate at home and no end in sight even after social distancing measures are eased.

'Perfect mental health storm'

The surveys, conducted among more than 3,000 people in Britain, showed a wide range of fears arising from the pandemic.

These include increased anxiety, the effects of social isolation, the fear of becoming mentally unwell and accessing care if needed.

The experts cautioned that these symptoms were likely to continue well in to the future, even after the current round of lockdowns are eased.

The authors called for government funding to establish specialised working groups comprised of people with experience of mental health impacts to ensure research and treatment are prioritised.

"Increased social isolation, loneliness, health anxiety, stress and an economic downturn are a perfect storm to harm people's mental health and wellbeing," said Rory O'Connor, professor of Health Psychology at the University of Glasgow.

He said that a lack of intervention risked an explosion of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, as well as a rise in alcohol and drug addiction.

"The scale of this problem is too serious to ignore, both in terms of every human life that may be affected, and in terms of the wider impact on society."

Indian villagers mourn bull, ignoring virus fears

Indian intelligence tried to influence Canada’s politicians with money, disinformation: report

cafop shared a post DAWN.COM

Indian intelligence tried to influence Canada's politicians with money, disinformation: report

LHC moved against dismissal of factory workers in Punjab during lockdown

cafop shared a post DAWN.COM

LHC moved against dismissal of factory workers in Punjab during lockdown

N.Y. Today: At Least New Yorkers Can Still Roll Their Eyes

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Continue reading the main story

April 18, 2020

Hilary Swift for The New York Times

At Least New Yorkers Can Still Roll Their Eyes

Most people are obeying, if sometimes reluctantly, the new statewide order to wear facial coverings in public wherever social distancing is not possible.

By Michael Wilson