huffingtonpost--2020-04-24--This 96-Year-Old War Vet Survived COVID-19. Here's What He Wants You To Know.

Henry Lunney Henry Lunney has seen Australia weather several historical storms and survived them all .
Walking over Sydney Harbour Bridge on its opening day in March 1932 , it wasn ’ t the people in their three-piece suits or the marching band playing the British National Anthem that 8-year-old Henry Lunney remembered most .
It was a feeling of relief .
Lunney ’ s aged-care home — Dorothy Henderson Lodge , in Sydney ’ s Macquarie Park — was one of Australia ’ s first coronavirus clusters after a 50-year-old woman working at the BaptistCare facility fell ill in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the home recorded its first death — that of a 95-year-old resident .
Six residents have now died from the virus .
Lunney , said that from March 5 , BaptistCare staff tested everyone and he was confined to his room .
His only contact with another human was when he received meals .
The World War II veteran confirmed that the coronavirus test is , indeed , uncomfortable .
96-year-old Lunney , who spent most his working life as an engineer in the textile physics space ( wool research ) , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is seen being held up by his oldest son Daniel 's book ' A Natural Legacy .
Ecology in Australia ' .
Daniel told HuffPost : `` At least it 's getting some use . ''
After several more tests , Lunney finally got a negative result but was still under strict orders to isolate in his room .
“ If it wasn ’ t for my computer and access to the Internet , the boredom would be excruciating , ” he added .
The retired engineer will turn 97 next month and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But being brainy isn ’ t anything new for Lunney , who could read fluently when he started school in Sydney ’ s North Strathfield at age 6 and was put forward a few grades .
He arrived at university at the grand old age of 15 .
Australia recorded one of the highest rates of unemployment in the world at the time , peaking at just over 19 % in 1932 but Lunney remembers the statistic got closer to 33.3 % .
“ So there was always money coming in .
My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the age of eight , I was quite unaware of the implications of ‘ the great depression of the 1930s , ’ ” he wrote .
Other “ nuisances ” Lunney described included “ when the Wallabies arrived by ship in England in 1939 to find World War II and a cancelled tour ” and arriving at the New South Wales country town of “ Wee Jasper in 1955 , hungry , to find not a light on.
” Lunney knows about war and unrest .
He served in World War II @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped protect the southern section of Darwin Harbour during the conflict .
But once again , he weathered that unkind milestone in Australia ’ s history and came out on the other side quite unbothered .
“ I didn ’ t suffer at all .
Moreover , nothing that I did affected the result , ” he said of his time in Darwin .
But there were significant struggles ahead after peace was declared in 1945 .
“ Postwar shortages affected everything , ” he wrote in his memoir , adding that today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for his 1927 Chandler that towed the caravan he lived in with his wife and baby ) were unobtainable in 1946 .

Henry Lunney Henry Lunney has seen Australia weather several historical storms and survived them all.
On Anzac Day, Henry Lunney reflects on surviving the Great Depression, World War II and the deadly coronavirus.
Walking over Sydney Harbour Bridge on its opening day in March 1932, it wasn’t the people in their three-piece suits or the marching band playing the British National Anthem that 8-year-old Henry Lunney remembered most. It was a feeling of relief.
Advertisement
“I walked with my parents from south to north,” Lunney told HuffPost Australia via email from his aged care facility in Sydney. “It is downhill, (I felt) relief that I didn’t need to walk back, we caught a train.”
Relief could be a lingering feeling for Lunney, who recently recovered from COVID-19 after testing positive for the illness in March.
Getty The mayor of Sydney before the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. SMH Picture by STAFF (Photo by Fairfax Media via Getty Images/Fairfax Media via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Lunney’s aged-care home — Dorothy Henderson Lodge, in Sydney’s Macquarie Park — was one of Australia’s first coronavirus clusters after a 50-year-old woman working at the BaptistCare facility fell ill in late February. On March 3, the home recorded its first death — that of a 95-year-old resident. Six residents have now died from the virus.
Advertisement
BaptistCare confirmed to HuffPost that 21 residents at the rest home have been infected with COVID-19 - Lunney was one of them.
“We have now had nine residents who have recovered from COVID-19 and five staff members have recovered,” a spokesperson said.
Lunney, said that from March 5, BaptistCare staff tested everyone and he was confined to his room. His only contact with another human was when he received meals. The World War II veteran confirmed that the coronavirus test is, indeed, uncomfortable.
“The nostril test involves poking a narrow tube up my nostril,” he said. “The subject doesn’t like it, neither does the tester.”
After testing positive for COVID-19, Lunney was what some doctors would describe as asymptomatic.
“How did I feel? I didn’t feel sick, apart from a runny nose,” he explained.
Daniel Lunney 96-year-old Lunney, who spent most his working life as an engineer in the textile physics space (wool research), is competent using tech. Here his computer is seen being held up by his oldest son Daniel's book 'A Natural Legacy. Ecology in Australia'. Daniel told HuffPost: "At least it's getting some use."
Advertisement
After several more tests, Lunney finally got a negative result but was still under strict orders to isolate in his room. “If it wasn’t for my computer and access to the Internet, the boredom would be excruciating,” he added.
The retired engineer will turn 97 next month and can use modern tech products comfortably. But being brainy isn’t anything new for Lunney, who could read fluently when he started school in Sydney’s North Strathfield at age 6 and was put forward a few grades. He arrived at university at the grand old age of 15.
“The consequences were disastrous,” he wrote in his memoir, “Lunney Family History.”
“For the rest of my school days I was the smallest in the class, and got accustomed to being the immature bright one,” he said.
The problem of cleverness aside, Lunney also survived one of the darkest times in Australia’s history. He lived through the Great Depression, from 1929 until 1940.
Henry Lunney Lunney working as an engineer.
Advertisement
Australia recorded one of the highest rates of unemployment in the world at the time, peaking at just over 19% in 1932 but Lunney remembers the statistic got closer to 33.3%.
“My Father was in a government job, so he was never unemployed, although all salaries were reduced,” Lunney said of his living circumstances at the time.
“So there was always money coming in. My mother always had cash for shopping. At the age of eight, I was quite unaware of the implications of ‘the great depression of the 1930s,’” he wrote.
Fast-forward to 2020, and the world economy is set to suffer its worst year since the 1930s, the International Monetary Fund said in its latest forecast.
When I asked Lunney what he thought about the “extraordinary” press coverage of the coronavirus, he pointed to the enormous loss of life during the Spanish flu epidemic after World War I — 50 million people died.
Advertisement
“I get the newspaper (Sydney Morning Herald) every day; I read about the virus there,” he said. “I view the whole thing as a nuisance.”
Other “nuisances” Lunney described included “when the Wallabies arrived by ship in England in 1939 to find World War II and a cancelled tour” and arriving at the New South Wales country town of “Wee Jasper in 1955, hungry, to find not a light on.”
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 21: COVID-19 drive through testing centre at Bondi Beach on 21 April, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Lunney knows about war and unrest. He served in World War II at two anti-aircraft sites in Darwin and helped protect the southern section of Darwin Harbour during the conflict. But once again, he weathered that unkind milestone in Australia’s history and came out on the other side quite unbothered.
“I didn’t suffer at all. Moreover, nothing that I did affected the result,” he said of his time in Darwin. But there were significant struggles ahead after peace was declared in 1945.
Advertisement
“Postwar shortages affected everything,” he wrote in his memoir, adding that today’s simple resources like tyres (for his 1927 Chandler that towed the caravan he lived in with his wife and baby) were unobtainable in 1946.
So how does being involved in a world war and struggling in the aftermath compare to fighting 2020’s war against the coronavirus?
“Many servicemen and servicewomen suffered, both in WWI and WWII,” Lunney said. “Anzac Day is for them.”
“I have always felt unworthy to march,” he said, adding that he will pay his respect this Saturday with “silent appreciation of the efforts of others.”
Henry Lunney Lunney was hoping to go overseas with the army but ended up in Darwin at two AA (ack-ack=anti-aircraft) sites: Fannie Bay and Quarantine.
Advertisement
Although Lunney realises the world is in a tough spot right now, he acknowledges that things have been much worse, and we should all perhaps get on with it.
“Complaints about restrictions? I have a saying: ‘Find something to complain about!’”
“In the Army, there was a saying. ‘There’s a war on!’”


huffingtonpost--2020-04-24--Crisis Won't Stop Muslim Canadians From Making Ramadan Special

So how can observant Canadians practice their customs as faithfully as possible ?
When it comes down to it , many will need to make personal choices based on what options are available to them and what means they can access .
Still OK to fast , iftar and suhoor go virtual The consensus among all Muslim Canadians interviewed and Canadian Muslim organizations was that fasting rules are unchanged : Anyone able and willing to abstain from food and drink , should .
In a guidance report , the World Health Organization notes that fasting for Ramadan won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourages healthy observant Muslims to do so .
Keywords being able and willing : Fasting every day isn ’ t possible for those who may be risking their health because of illness or pre-existing conditions , says dietician Sana Motlekar .
This includes those who have tested positive for COVID-19 , as well as diabetics , the immunocompromised , pregnant Canadians , or the elderly .
Fasters who eat suhoor , the meal before dawn , and iftar , the evening meal , may deeply miss this communal aspect of Ramadan .
Eating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sheltering in place with can be comforting .
For those home alone , many organizations like the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama ` at Canada are hosting virtual iftar dinners to recreate the warmth of gathering together .
Some services are streaming , others ask to pray only with others in home Scholars and imams may be divided on whether special prayer services like taraweeh should be go live online , depending on how they interpret religious law .
Neither the Muslim Association of Canada ’ s chapters nor the Islamic Society of North America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streaming them .
The Canadian Council of Imans states that it views any prayer with an Imam via online streaming as invalid .
However , virtual sermons are OK .
Giving zakat can be done online or with acts of kindness While fasting may be a major feature of Ramadan , so too is giving back .
Ali ’ s free meals for front-line workers and hungry students , as well as those in need , are driven by zakat ― one of the pillars of Islam , it calls on Muslims to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Alms-giving ramps up during Ramadan , which is why Ali has plans to deliver to as many locals as he can .
He hopes organizations who are able to pitch in with their efforts do so .
What non-Muslim Canadians should keep mind

Naz Ali inadvertently made someone cry this week. The owner of Fredericton restaurant Caribbean Flavas had offered a front-line worker a sandwich.
“We haven’t eaten anything all morning,” they told him, sobbing. “We’ve been working non-stop.”
Tears flowed again when he dropped off lunch for an international student. As an immigrant, he could relate to the young newcomer.
Advertisement
“Just like I was, you are alone [in Canada]. But you’re part of our family now,” Ali told him.
The restaurateur will be replicating his acts of kindness every day for the rest of Ramadan, as part of the month’s charitable responsibilities.
Mike Slaughter via Getty Images The usually packed mosques will be empty, including the popular Toronto Jami Mosque, in keeping with the national bans on large gatherings.
So how can observant Canadians practice their customs as faithfully as possible? When it comes down to it, many will need to make personal choices based on what options are available to them and what means they can access.
Muslim Canadians shared with HuffPost Canada what’s changed for them for Ramadan in 2020:
Still OK to fast, iftar and suhoor go virtual
The consensus among all Muslim Canadians interviewed and Canadian Muslim organizations was that fasting rules are unchanged: Anyone able and willing to abstain from food and drink, should. In a guidance report, the World Health Organization notes that fasting for Ramadan won’t increase the risk of contracting COVID-19 and encourages healthy observant Muslims to do so.
Advertisement
Keywords being able and willing: Fasting every day isn’t possible for those who may be risking their health because of illness or pre-existing conditions, says dietician Sana Motlekar. This includes those who have tested positive for COVID-19, as well as diabetics, the immunocompromised, pregnant Canadians, or the elderly.
Fasters who eat suhoor, the meal before dawn, and iftar, the evening meal, may deeply miss this communal aspect of Ramadan. Eating with family members or anyone they are sheltering in place with can be comforting. For those home alone, many organizations like the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at Canada are hosting virtual iftar dinners to recreate the warmth of gathering together.
In light of #COVID-19, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at Canada has launched the National #VirtualRamadan Campaign to allow Canadians an opportunity to experience #Ramadan while #SocialDistancing.
Sign up on https://t.co/68q23tKVZY & share your experience by using #VirtualRamadan pic.twitter.com/ucc8RB6x9i — Virtual Ramadan (@VirtualRamadan) April 20, 2020
Some services are streaming, others ask to pray only with others in home
Scholars and imams may be divided on whether special prayer services like taraweeh should be go live online, depending on how they interpret religious law. Neither the Muslim Association of Canada’s chapters nor the Islamic Society of North America Canada (ISNA Canada) will be streaming them. The Canadian Council of Imans states that it views any prayer with an Imam via online streaming as invalid. However, virtual sermons are OK.
Mohd Samsul Mohd Said via Getty Images In non-pandemic times, taraweeh and other prayers often lead to an uptick in mosque attendance.
Advertisement
The reason: Chihab Kaab, chair of the board and acting executive director of ISNA Canada, says prayers like taraweeh were originally supposed to be an individual practice. However, over time it became tradition for communities to pray it in mosques to keep morale up.
“All our [virtual] programs are done during the day, until the time to break fast. At sunset, we’ll leave enough time for our communities to do their own prayers,” he told HuffPost Canada.
Other organizations, such as the Islamic Institute of Toronto, suggest that live prayer services are OK as a “temporary measure.” A Canadian may wish to check with their local mosque or go-to Islamic online resource regarding best practices on offering taraweeh at home.
Giving zakat can be done online or with acts of kindness
While fasting may be a major feature of Ramadan, so too is giving back. Ali’s free meals for front-line workers and hungry students, as well as those in need, are driven by zakat ― one of the pillars of Islam, it calls on Muslims to make charitable contributions to those less fortunate.
Advertisement
Alms-giving ramps up during Ramadan, which is why Ali has plans to deliver to as many locals as he can. He hopes organizations who are able to pitch in with their efforts do so.
“You’ve still got to fast, you’ve still got to give zakat. You’ve just got to figure out other ways of doing it,” he said.
Reyhana Patel, head of external relations at Islamic Relief Canada, agrees. She notes that registered charities like IRC are accepting online donations, which can fulfill religious duties. Their organization does relief and poverty reduction work in 40 countries, as well as in Canada. At home, they’re helping mosques with their fundraising, distributing hygiene kits to vulnerable Canadians, and supporting food banks.
Islamic Relief Canada A volunteer from Islamic Relief Canada readies donations of soap and deoderant for those in need.
“In the past, people tend to give for international [causes] rather than locally,” she told HuffPost Canada. “This year, people might consider giving back to those struggling here at home because of COVID-19.”
Advertisement
Farina Siddiqui and her Mississauga, Ont. family has gotten creative with kindness, by making a “table of sharing.” On their front lawn, they place free food and kitchen ingredients for anyone who needs, no questions asked.
Farina Siddiqui Farina Siddiqui's "table of sharing" has given pantry staples like cooking oil, sugar, pasta sauce, and beans.
“At this time of need, where most of us are struggling with wage loss, poverty and insecurity, Ramadan brings hope for people,” she said.
Siddiqui says their table’s been emptied a few times so far, with generous additions from other neighbours.
Community is still active
Mosques and Islamic centres are often community hubs for all ages, with many providing children’s programming and day activities for seniors. In the absence of physical community, organizations are helping bridge Muslim Canadians to each other, while deepening understandings of religious teachings. Here are a few examples:
Advertisement
What non-Muslim Canadians should keep mind
Torontonian Fahmida Kamali created a resource for non-Muslims about Ramadan, which includes frequently asked questions (which includes the common “Not even water?” query). It asks individuals to ask Muslims in their lives about how they observe before assuming, as well as facilitate accommodations if needed: scheduling changes for an employee to match their energy levels, for example, or changing the Zoom group meal so it coincides with iftar may be appreciated.
My #Ramadan slides have existed for four years without requiring changes -- this year, I had to make updates. See them here: https://t.co/eAGZD2kQnm
If you have power, advocate for making changes in work schedules/accommodations this time of year for your team members/staff. — Fahmida [fuh-me-duh] Kamali (@fahmidakamali) April 22, 2020
Siddiqui notes that more than just one group of Canadians benefits from the good deeds done during the holy month.
“Ramadan is a blessing for all and not just Muslims. Charity during Ramadan serves the poor, hungry, homeless, orphans, abused,” Siddiqui said. “It sends a message of hope and this year will not be different, God willing.”
Advertisement


huffingtonpost--2020-06-01--Lockdown Trapped Women In Violent Relationships. Their Abusers Might Kill Them When It Ends

I felt like I was trapped before quarantine happened , but now everything is a hundred times more intense .
@ @ @ @ @ in an abusive relationship during lockdown He is blaming it on the virus , but @ @ @ @ @ just an excuse for him to control me like he always wanted to .
Anita @ @ @ @ @ a controlling relationship with her husband during lockdown

Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
“I feel guilty for not being stronger sooner. I’m exhausted and I just want a way out.”
Nicola had reached the end of her patience with her boyfriend before the coronavirus lockdown began and had made preparations to leave him.
Advertisement
But then the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and the lockdown restrictions forced her to change her plans.
“I had prepared to leave my boyfriend and organised to go and stay with my mum.” she told HuffPost UK. “But then when the restriction came in, I wasn’t able to travel and with my mum’s already poor health, I couldn’t risk going there.
“I just told my mum that everything had got better with my boyfriend so that she wouldn’t worry. But it’s not true.”
In reality, Nicola, who is in her 20s and whose name has been changed to protect her identity, is living in fear at home with her boyfriend and her young daughter, desperately trying to keep safe.
“I felt like I was trapped before quarantine happened, but now everything is a hundred times more intense.” - Nicola, who is trapped in an abusive relationship during lockdown
Advertisement
“My partner is drinking a lot and his mood swings are really difficult to deal with.” she admitted. “He can’t go to work so he is at home all the time.
“He hasn’t been physically hurtful – yet – but he threatens he will sometimes and I believe him.
“Normally, I would have some time to myself during the day to look after my mental health. But now it’s constant stress for me.
“I felt like I was trapped before quarantine happened, but now everything is a hundred times more intense.
“I want to leave and go to my mum’s but I can’t cause more hurt to my family than I feel I already have from being with this person.
“I feel guilty for not being stronger sooner, even though I never asked for any of this. I’m exhausted and I just want a way out.”
Advertisement
Kittisak Jirasittichai / EyeEm via Getty Images
Nicola’s tale depicts the plight of thousands of women across the country feared to be trapped in domestic abuse situations during lockdown.
Latest figures from domestic abuse charity Refuge show that since lockdown started, there has been a 66% rise in demand for its National Domestic Abuse Helpline, while there has been a staggering increase of more than 950% to the Refuge website.
While the government has made it clear that those suffering domestic abuse should seek help from services, and that escaping an abusive relationship is a lawful reason to leave the home, it is feared many victims are living in fear as they don’t want to worry their families at a troubling time and feel they have nowhere to go.
Campaigners’ fears centre around what will happen when lockdown is lifted as the most dangerous time for abuse victims is when they try to escape. It is then that violence increases – and for some people, it leads to death.
Advertisement
However, they point out that coronavirus and the lockdown or the lifting of it aren’t to blame for domestic abuse or a rise in the killing of women – but the actions of abusive and controlling men.
And they want to ensure adequate support services are available for victims all year round to make sure they are protected from potential harm.
The Counting Dead Women project, which identifies UK women killed by a man or where a man is the principal suspect, revealed to HuffPost UK that their latest figures show there were 32 suspected domestic abuse killings of females at the hands of men between March 23 – when lockdown began in the UK – and May 17.
“One of the most infuriating things for an abuser is the feeling that they have lost control ... so they take back control by taking their life.” - Karen Ingala Smith, Counting Dead Women
Karen Ingala Smith, founder of Counting Dead Women, told HuffPost UK it is important to stress that coronavirus doesn’t cause men’s violence and hasn’t increased the number of abusive men in the world.
Advertisement
However, she spoke of her fears that there might be a rise in women being killed after lockdown lifts due to a sense of losing control for the abuser when the victim makes her escape.
Karen Ingala Smith, founder of Counting Dead Women Karen Ingala Smith
“One of the most infuriating things for an abuser is the feeling that they have lost control.” she said. “The actual leaving of the relationship by the woman is when men realise they have lost control.
“There is a potential for an increase in killings post lockdown because of a perceived loss of control by the abusers. So they take back control by taking their life.”
Smith says around a third of women killed by their partner or ex-partner are killed after separation and that as women may be finding it harder to leave abusive men in the current circumstances, there is a real risk of an increase in intimate partner homicide as lockdown eases.
Advertisement
Smith is troubled by the thought of the women such as Nicola and children who are currently trapped in lockdown with their controlling abuser.
“It must be soul destroying and horrible to have your life clipped by an abuser who is controlling you.” she said. “It erodes people’s confidence and their very essence.
“Domestic abuse is always a concern and worry – not just in lockdown but all the time. However, lockdown will be making it harder for some women to get help and the controlling behaviour posed on some of them will be greater than normal.
“Lockdown is another tool for abusers and abusers will pick up any tool they can to further their agenda.”
Some women have told domestic abuse services and supporters that their relationships which weren’t particularly controlling or abusive before lockdown have escalated into unhappiness.
Advertisement
Anita, who lives in Birmingham and has changed her name to protect her identity, told HuffPost UK that her relationship with her husband wasn’t too bad before lockdown – but things have got a lot worse.
“He is blaming it on the virus, but I think that’s just an excuse for him to control me like he always wanted to.” - Anita, who is trapped in a controlling relationship with her husband during lockdown
She said: “Before lockdown, he was controlling to a certain extent, but eventually, he would back down once I managed to reassure him that I wasn’t doing anything disrespectful when he wasn’t there.
“He never really liked me going to work or going out to see my sisters because he thought I might cheat on him or talk about him behind his back.
“Since social distancing has come into practice, it’s like the controlling part of him has taken over. He won’t even let me go to the supermarket or out for a walk.
Advertisement
“He is blaming it on the virus, but I think that’s just an excuse for him to control me like he always wanted to.”
Arman Zhenikeyev via Getty Images
Anita says her husband is now saying he wants her to stay at home after lockdown ends and not return to her job even though he knows she loves what she does. “I am so frightened of what will happen when I finally tell him I don’t want to stay at home forever,” she added.
“The other day, he slammed a door on my hand when I was trying to leave to go for a walk. He apologised but it didn’t feel genuine.
“I can’t worry my family, they are already going through too much in their own lives. I feel isolated and totally alone.”
Advertisement
Helen Victoria, 31, who was herself in an abusive and controlling relationship between the ages of 15 and 23, is the founder of Living Liberte, a social enterprise that aims to prevent future relationship abuse by educating young people in the West Midlands about what a healthy relationship looks like and how to spot red flags of abuse.
Helen Victoria, founder of Living Liberte, a social enterprise that aims to prevent future relationship abuse by educating young people Helen Victoria
She told HuffPost UK that during the lockdown period, she has had many enquiries from young women asking for guidance and she has been offering a free, confidential mentoring service for those in abusive situations to give then a safe space to share their experiences.
She says that since lockdown began, she has seen a spike in enquiries which shows no sign of waning.
“National lockdown has actually given us all the opportunity of insight into what it’s like to live within a controlling relationship.” she said.
“We are battling financial limitation, loss of personal empowerment and distinct uncertainty about our short and long term futures. These emotional experiences are correlative with those of being in an abusive relationship.
Advertisement
“Now, more than ever, we should be able to identify with the need of domestic abuse victims across our country.”
She added that while she signposts everyone she speaks to to further support from organisations that might be able to help them, she has found that most women just want to be heard and for their experiences to be validated.
Dame Vera Baird, the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, told HuffPost UK that those trapped in abusive situations during lockdown must be finding it increasingly difficult to cope.
Dame Vera Baird, the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales Dame Vera Baird
“It must be tortuous for them.” she said. “Those who have been locked down with their perpetrator must be finding it incredibly hard as it will be non-stop and inescapable and it will be generating mental health issues for the future.”
Advertisement
She said that domestic abuse services are working and resources are available so people should seek help. However, she acknowledges that many victims are reluctant to do so as they don’t want to worry their loved ones at an already turbulent time.
“By and large, the families of those suffering abuse do not know about it as the perpetrator does his best to isolate her from her family and keep her away from them so he can block off all the escape routes.” she said.
“Many victims might feel they can’t tell people about the abuse while they are in lockdown as they feel there is nowhere for them to go.
“If there is someone in their family who is sick or vulnerable to Covid-19, they might think why pile more worry on them when they can’t come and rescue them.”
“The most dangerous time for abuse victims is when they try to leave. That’s when the abuse and violence ramps up and even killings occur.” - Dame Vera Baird, victims' commissioner for England and Wales
Advertisement
Dame Vera says that although domestic abuse services such as Refuge have seen a huge rise in demand for support, police reports for domestic abuse have only seen a single digit rise.
She says it seems this is because victims either feel they can’t call the police in their current situation – or don’t dare contact them because they fear the repercussions.
“At the moment, victims of abuse are getting advice and support but they don’t dare to make that dramatic escape.” she said. “Police are gearing up for a spike in reports of domestic abuse when lockdown is over.”
She says it is important for resources to be in place for victims of domestic abuse when lockdown ends.
“The most dangerous time for abuse victims is when they try to leave.” she said. “That’s when the abuse and violence ramps up and even killings occur.”
Advertisement
If you, or someone you know, is in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you are not in immediate danger, you can contact:


huffingtonpost--2020-06-22--We’ve Been Hosting Two Refugees During Lockdown. Here’s What We’ve Learned

This week marking Refugee Week , it ’ s been difficult not to think about the refugees and asylum seekers who have largely been forgotten in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic .
Stranded far from family and friends in a strange country without any money and no roof over their head , many have had nowhere to turn .
I and my husband first met Tade in August 2019 through Refugees At Home , a national UK charity that connects people with a spare room with refugees and asylum seekers in need of accommodation .
We were keen to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aware of the difficulties of settling as a newcomer in a new land because we came to Britain in 1960 from South Africa .
Our own parents had escaped poverty and persecution in Eastern Europe and landed up as Jewish refugees in South Africa .
My father was one of the First World War generation who , at the age of 12 , was forced to flee in order to avoid the Russian army which was forcibly conscripting any young Jewish men they caught , many no older than him .
Plus I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Academics ( CARA ) for many years , and been active in the anti-Apartheid movement .
Once here , Tade managed to secure a university place but , four months into the degree , it turned out that the university ’ s student finance office had given him the wrong advice and enrolled him on a course he wasn ’ t eligible for .
No longer able to continue , Tade found himself homeless and pursued to immediately pay back his tuition and student loan .
Unable to find a job and with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sleeping on trains , buses and in train stations .
Eventually Tade secured accommodation through Refugees at Home and , after a few months , moved into a room in a shared flat and , last summer , had new offers from two universities for a master ’ s course .
As fortune would have it , we live in South London , a short distance from one of the universities that offered Tade a place .
We offered him free lodging and food to enable him to attend university in London .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to also host Aisha* once she got her reunification visa .
It did not take long for Tade to settle in with us .
A kind , thoughtful , calm and caring man , Tade quickly endeared himself to the rest of the family too – having someone else in the house brought a great piece of mind to all of them .
Always cleaning up after shared meals and sorting out repairs to long-standing problems with equipment , like the fridge and computers ( he is after all an engineer ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the household .
But despite the progress he had made , Tade still had major worries about Aisha .
She was living in a remote part of Oromia where the Ethiopian security forces were waging war on Oromo separatists and treating civilians brutally .
Roads and all means of communication were being regularly cut off and crops deliberately burnt down to starve the local population .
Tade made multiple approaches to the Home Office to find out about Aisha ’ s visa but got nowhere until our local MP got involved .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a message to Aisha of the visa proved a major challenge – Oromo was then in the midst of serious communication blackout .
Tade ’ s stress was made all the more acute because he knew that if Aisha did not collect the visa within the required 28 days she would lose it .
Once he finally reached her , she managed to fly out on a ticket purchased with the incredible generosity of strangers who heard about her case .
Despite arriving with no English and having never been beyond Ethiopia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to her new surroundings .
Arriving just before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic , she and Tade had to contend with the difficulties of entering lockdown with us .
Concerned about the risk of transmitting the virus to us , they quickly took it upon themselves to isolate completely and not venture beyond our house and garden .
Having only met six months before lockdown , we have all coped remarkably well - helped by the fact that we have food delivered to the house .
For us , Tade and Aisha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reassuring given our isolation from our family and friends .
On their part , Tade ’ s in a safe place to keep studying through lockdown , while Aisha , unable to attend any English classes , has been teaching herself online .
From their perspective they could not think of a better place to be and they hope to be with us for the foreseeable future .
Tade very much hopes to do a doctorate after completing his master ’ s degree .
This , he admits , he would never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his other hosts through Refugees at Home .
Clearly having strong academic abilities and interpersonal skills there is no doubt in my mind that Tade will go very far in the future whatever he chooses to do .
As one of his previous hosts puts it to us : “ While Tade is very modest , his dreams are not .
However hard he has been pushed back he has always had a vision that is about more than survival .
”

Vector illustration of multiethnic crowd of people in medical masks in trendy flat style. Nadzeya_Dzivakova via Getty Images
This week marking Refugee Week, it’s been difficult not to think about the refugees and asylum seekers who have largely been forgotten in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Stranded far from family and friends in a strange country without any money and no roof over their head, many have had nowhere to turn.
Just two months before Covid-19 forced Britain into lockdown we, two retired academics in our 80s, welcomed into our home the wife of Omari*, a refugee we have been hosting since last summer.
Advertisement
I and my husband first met Omari in August 2019 through Refugees At Home, a national UK charity that connects people with a spare room with refugees and asylum seekers in need of accommodation. We were keen to support a refugee as we are highly aware of the difficulties of settling as a newcomer in a new land because we came to Britain in 1960 from South Africa. Our own parents had escaped poverty and persecution in Eastern Europe and landed up as Jewish refugees in South Africa. My father was one of the First World War generation who, at the age of 12, was forced to flee in order to avoid the Russian army which was forcibly conscripting any young Jewish men they caught, many no older than him. Plus I had chaired the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (CARA) for many years, and been active in the anti-Apartheid movement.
We warmed to Omari, a political refugee from Ethiopia, immediately, when he joined us. A dedicated marine engineer, he was forced to abandon his home country – having to make the enormously painful decision to jump ship in London with his wife Aisha (not her real name) still in Ethiopia.
“Unable to find a job and with nowhere to stay, Omari landed up sleeping on trains, buses and in train stations.”
Advertisement
Once here, Omari managed to secure a university place but, four months into the degree, it turned out that the university’s student finance office had given him the wrong advice and enrolled him on a course he wasn’t eligible for. No longer able to continue, Omari found himself homeless and pursued to immediately pay back his tuition and student loan.
Unable to find a job and with nowhere to stay, Omari landed up sleeping on trains, buses and in train stations. Eventually Omari secured accommodation through Refugees at Home and, after a few months, moved into a room in a shared flat and, last summer, had new offers from two universities for a master’s course. As fortune would have it, we live in South London, a short distance from one of the universities that offered Omari a place. We offered him free lodging and food to enable him to attend university in London. The other benefit? We were happy to also host Aisha* once she got her reunification visa.
It did not take long for Omari to settle in with us. A kind, thoughtful, calm and caring man,Omari quickly endeared himself to the rest of the family too – having someone else in the house brought a great piece of mind to all of them. Always cleaning up after shared meals and sorting out repairs to long-standing problems with equipment, like the fridge and computers (he is after all an engineer),Omari quickly became a treasured member of the household.
But despite the progress he had made, Omari still had major worries about Aisha. She was living in a remote part of Oromia where the Ethiopian security forces were waging war on Oromo separatists and treating civilians brutally. Roads and all means of communication were being regularly cut off and crops deliberately burnt down to starve the local population.Omari made multiple approaches to the Home Office to find out about Aisha’s visa but got nowhere until our local MP got involved.
“It is impossible for us to imagine the emotions they felt as they hugged each other for the first time in three years.”
Advertisement
Even after Omari secured the visa, getting a message to Aisha of the visa proved a major challenge – Oromo was then in the midst of serious communication blackout. Omari’s stress was made all the more acute because he knew that if Aisha did not collect the visa within the required 28 days she would lose it. Once he finally reached her, she managed to fly out on a ticket purchased with the incredible generosity of strangers who heard about her case.
Omari was reunited with Aisha at Heathrow one cold morning in late January. It is impossible for us to imagine the emotions they felt as they hugged each other for the first time in three years.
Despite arriving with no English and having never been beyond Ethiopia, Omari’s wife adjusted remarkably quickly to her new surroundings. Arriving just before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, she and Omari had to contend with the difficulties of entering lockdown with us. Concerned about the risk of transmitting the virus to us, they quickly took it upon themselves to isolate completely and not venture beyond our house and garden.
Having only met six months before lockdown, we have all coped remarkably well - helped by the fact that we have food delivered to the house. For us, Omari and Aisha’s presence has been both welcome and reassuring given our isolation from our family and friends. On their part, Omari’s in a safe place to keep studying through lockdown, while Aisha, unable to attend any English classes, has been teaching herself online. From their perspective they could not think of a better place to be and they hope to be with us for the foreseeable future. Omari very much hopes to do a doctorate after completing his master’s degree. This, he admits, he would never have dreamt of doing without our support and his other hosts through Refugees at Home.
Clearly having strong academic abilities and interpersonal skills there is no doubt in my mind that Omari will go very far in the future whatever he chooses to do. As one of his previous hosts puts it to us: “While Omari is very modest, his dreams are not. However hard he has been pushed back he has always had a vision that is about more than survival.”
Advertisement
Omari and Aisha’s resilience, persistence, and at the same time gentleness, has been a lesson to us all.
As told to Lara Marks.
*name changed for the safety of the refugees


huffingtonpost--2020-05-13--‘Our Dreams Are Dead’: India’s Migrant Workers Just Want A Shot At Survival Now

The media scrutiny that triggered outrage at home and abroad forced the Modi government and state governments to take steps like distributing free rations , and making emergency cash transfers , even as they banned all interstate movement to stop the highly infectious virus from spreading to the hinterlands .
After weeks of delay , the central government finally announced a plan for migrant workers to be ferried home in special trains and buses a fortnight ago , but its execution has been slow and chaotic , with no clarity on who is even paying the fares for these journeys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work ?
’ Parida has an Aadhaar card , but with no ration card for shopping at a fair price shop , he is at the mercy of the markets .
The local shopkeepers , he said , had hiked the prices of pulses and vegetables because of the scarcity triggered by a break in the supply chain .
A kilogram of dal that would cost Rs .
70 before the lockdown , now costs Rs .
95 , and a packet of biscuits that would cost Rs .
5 now costs Rs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens when you ’ re back ?

Hindustan Times via Getty Images A migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh boards a train at Pune railway station on May 9, 2020.
NEW DELHI — Debasis Parida, an embroiderer in a garment factory, counts the day he stood for 14 hours to get three kilograms of rations and a packet of salt as one of the hardest and most humiliating of his life.
The 28-year-old fell so sick that he had to go to a hospital and ended up spending Rs. 200 getting treated for dehydration in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. It was days before he felt well enough to leave the room that he rents with the six other migrant workers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat.
Advertisement
A native of Odisha, Parida said the cooked food the municipality in the city of Surat was giving migrant workers in his part of town stopped a few weeks after Modi announced a nationwide lockdown on 24 March, leaving him scrounging for food. After cutting out one meal from the day and reducing the portions that he eats, Parida says he always feels hungry.
“I don’t know which is worse. Feeling hungry or waiting in line from six in the morning to eight in the night,” said Parida, speaking to HuffPost India over the phone on Monday.
“There is no way that poor people like us can live on our own terms in this country. We are beaten down at every turn. All we want now is a chance to survive,” he said.
Parida used to earn a monthly salary of Rs.12,000 as an embroiderer in Surat, a city famous for its diamond-cutting and textiles trade. But the factory he works in was suffering losses even before the lockdown, and his last payment before everything came to a standstill was Rs. 7,500, back in March.
Advertisement
With more than 8,900 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 537 deaths, Gujarat is now second only to Maharashtra in the numbers count. A bigger concern, experts point out, is its high fatality rate, prompting the Vijay Rupani-led state government to set up a panel to look into the reasons.
Millions of migrant workers have been stranded in different states ever since the first phase of India’s punitive and poorly planned lockdown was enforced on 24 March. Many are still trying to walk hundreds of kilometres to return to their villages, carrying their children and possessions on their shoulders. Workers have died tragically from hunger, exhaustion and in accidents on the way.
The media scrutiny that triggered outrage at home and abroad forced the Modi government and state governments to take steps like distributing free rations, and making emergency cash transfers, even as they banned all interstate movement to stop the highly infectious virus from spreading to the hinterlands. After weeks of delay, the central government finally announced a plan for migrant workers to be ferried home in special trains and buses a fortnight ago, but its execution has been slow and chaotic, with no clarity on who is even paying the fares for these journeys.
Many workers who have managed to reach home have still not been able to see their families, as they need to stay in a quarantine centre for at least two weeks before joining them. And the bigger worry—how to make a living—will have to be addressed after that.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party-run governments in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh have decided to tackle the looming economic crisis by rescinding crucial legal protections for workers, including The Minimum Wages Act in UP, which could force them into bonded labour.
Advertisement
On Tuesday, Modi announced that the lockdown would be extended after 18 May, but with modifications, which he did not elaborate on. He also announced a relief package totalling Rs 20 lakh crore to revive the economy, but left it to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to disclose the details.
Parida, who has borrowed Rs. 2,200 from his fellow migrant workers to survive the lockdown, said, “I don’t know when I will work again. I don’t know when I’m going to be able to repay them. I can’t think about the future right now. All I want is to go home.”
The only thing that would keep him in Surat, Parida said, was if the garment factories reopen and he can start working again. If the industry does not revive, he plans to turn to farming or become an agricultural labourer in his village in Odisha’s Ganjam district.
“There is no way that poor people like us can live on our own terms in this country.”
‘How will we live and work?’
Modi’s speech on Tuesday, said Parida, was more confusing than reassuring.
“There is nothing for me to do in Odisha. Even if I make it back, I know I will have to travel again to find work in Gujarat or somewhere else,” he said. “But Modi said the lockdown will continue. If the lockdown continues, how will we live and work?”
Advertisement
On the Rs 20 lakh crore package to revive the economy that Modi announced, Parida said, “You will see that it will all go to big men, not to the poor. Even if it is meant for the poor, the big men will take half of it if not all. They always do.”
Dilipeswar Swain, a 23-year-old who worked in a garment factory in Gujarat, said that he wanted to hear Finance Minister Sitharaman give details about the package. “We really don’t know anything yet,” he said. “We can only hope there is something to help us.”
Swain, who reached his home state Odisha last week on a special train, was also not hopeful of finding work there because all he knew was working the machines in the saree factories of Surat.
“Will the Odisha government be able to give us work? I don’t think so,” he said.
Dreams
Parida and Swain, who have studied till Class 10 and Class seven respectively, once had “other dreams” while they were growing up, but they both said these now seemed too far-fetched to even share with this reporter.
Parida, who sends home half his salary every month, said, “Given that I’m worried about buying food, it is crazy to start talking about my dreams. My dream is to survive.”
Advertisement
Swain, who lost his father to a liver disease two years ago, also sends home half his salary to his mother and sister, every month. During the lockdown, Swain said that he ended up borrowing Rs. 12,000 from fellow migrant workers and he has no roadmap for repaying them.
“Life is full of worries right now,” he said. “What is the point of talking about my hopes and dreams? I had dreams. Those dreams are dead. Now, I just want to survive.”
“I had dreams. Those dreams are dead. Now, I just want to survive.”
Survival
A month after Modi first announced the lockdown on 24 March, Parida said that he was borrowing money to buy food, but he still decided to pay Rs. 750 to a stranger, “a friend of a relative”, for a train ticket that would get him back to Odisha.
Two weeks on, Parida does not have a train ticket and he only has Rs. 450 left. “I’m desperate. I really want to get on a train and go home,” he said.
Advertisement
Parida does the math. Of the Rs. 7,500 he had when the lockdown started, he spent Rs. 2,500 on the room he rents with six other migrant workers in Surat. The rest he spent on gas for his stove, Rs. 120 for five kilos of gas, and other essentials.
Parida has an Aadhaar card, but with no ration card for shopping at a fair price shop, he is at the mercy of the markets. The local shopkeepers, he said, had hiked the prices of pulses and vegetables because of the scarcity triggered by a break in the supply chain. A kilogram of dal that would cost Rs. 70 before the lockdown, now costs Rs. 95, and a packet of biscuits that would cost Rs. 5 now costs Rs. 10, he said.
“If there is nothing to eat then how do I survive?” he said. “Living with coronavirus has taught me that if you don’t have money, you don’t matter. The poor are left to sado aur maro (rot and die). No one even turns around and looks at you.”
“The poor are left to sado aur maro.”
Parida said that he could not have received the emergency cash relief that state governments had promised because he has neither a ration card nor a bank account.
Advertisement
Other migrant workers from Odisha working in garment factories in Surat told HuffPost India they had not received any money in their bank accounts.
Pintu Mohanty, 26, said, “I have not received one rupee from the government,” he said. “No one came and asked after the poor. We asked for the authorities to come and sanitize our basti. They came once but they did not sanitize. They just threw bleach.”
Swain also said that he had neither received any rations or money from the government.
Swain said the only time that he received rations was when volunteers from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Hindu nationalist umbrella organisation of which the ruling BJP is the political arm, visited the settlement where he rents a room along with other migrant workers.
“I recognised them from their clothes, but they only came that one time while I was there,” he said. “I could no longer afford to live there, buy food, pay rent. I had to leave.”
What happens when you’re back?
Swain said that he had paid Rs. 750 for a train ticket on 3 May and arrived in Odisha on 4 May.
After standing in line for nearly three hours to be tested for the coronavirus — a state-government administered test that migrant workers boarding the special trains must take — Swain was not expecting that he would have to spend another 14 days in a quarantine centre in his home district of Ganjam in Odisha.
Advertisement
“It is like this nightmare never ends,” he said. “I’m so close to home now, but still can’t reach it. I just want to go home and spend time with my mother and sister.”
“It is like this nightmare never ends,” he said. “I’m so close to home now, but still can’t reach it.”
Jagannath Barada, a 29-year-old migrant worker who works in a garment factory in Surat, said that he too had paid Rs. 750 for a train ticket on 3 May and landed in Odisha on 11 May, a few hours before this reporter phoned him.
“I’m too tired to talk about my life,” he said, explaining that he was mentally and physically exhausted after the train journey that took more than a day.
Barada, who was also at the quarantine centre in Ganjam, said that he had nothing to eat on the journey.
Advertisement
“We did not get anything to eat or drink in the train. They gave a parcel at Raipur but it was really bad. I’m really hungry. All I want to do now is to find something to eat,” he said, before hanging up the phone.


huffingtonpost--2020-04-30--Police Face 'Tsunami' Of Domestic Abuse Reports Once Coronavirus Lockdown Ends

Coronavirus has changed everything .
Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone , our evening politics briefing .
Sign up now .
The victims ’ commissioner , who gave evidence to the Commons ’ justice committee on Tuesday , said curbs on Brits due to Covid-19 meant many people were cooped up with their abusers at home .
Charges and arrests have gone up as much as 24 % in some areas , but calls to charities such as Women ’ s Aid have surged by 50 % , suggesting the real problem could be masked by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we do think will happen [ is ] there is likely to be tsunami of complaints , pleas for help , police reports as soon as the lockdown is over .
“ I hope that if they didn ’ t plan particularly fantastically well for the epidemic now that they will be planning for the recovery which will inevitably produce this tsunami.
” She added : “ Calls to the helplines have rocketed .
Complaints to the police have not gone up commensurately , but complaints to victims ’ services clearly have .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to any help if you are locked down with the perpetrator in the next room.
” Baird also told the committee there had been “ some suggestion of abuse by older children on parents ” emerging during the coronavirus lockdown .
“ This is a newer kind of domestic abuse which is probably suggestive of kids wanting to go out and not being allowed to , ” she said .
“ We are talking teenagers .
“ That is , I think , a worry and there ’ s a sense in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerge of this kind of domestic abuse complaining which is just coming through now.
” “ It looks like , if I can put it this way , people are getting more frustrated and slightly angrier at things like noise nuisance , which perhaps isn ’ t a surprise given what ’ s going on , ” she said .
“ Victims ’ services are getting quite a lot of welfare-related calls – so , about not having enough food , not being on Universal Credit , not having enough money , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if people are having to resort to a friendly face and they ’ ve been victims of crime before , ” she said .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Police face dealing with a “tsunami” of domestic and sexual abuse reports when the coronavirus lockdown ends, Dame Vera Baird has said.
Advertisement
The victims’ commissioner, who gave evidence to the Commons’ justice committee on Tuesday, said curbs on Brits due to Covid-19 meant many people were cooped up with their abusers at home.
Charges and arrests have gone up as much as 24% in some areas, but calls to charities such as Women’s Aid have surged by 50%, suggesting the real problem could be masked by the lockdown.
Baird told MPs cops must start preparing for a rush in official reports when restrictions are lifted.
Advertisement
She said: “What we do think will happen [is] there is likely to be tsunami of complaints, pleas for help, police reports as soon as the lockdown is over.
“I hope that if they didn’t plan particularly fantastically well for the epidemic now that they will be planning for the recovery which will inevitably produce this tsunami.”
She added: “Calls to the helplines have rocketed. Complaints to the police have not gone up commensurately, but complaints to victims’ services clearly have.
“There are real worries about access to any help if you are locked down with the perpetrator in the next room.”
Victims' commissioner Dame Vera Baird Tessa Bunney via Getty Images
Advertisement
Baird also told the committee there had been “some suggestion of abuse by older children on parents” emerging during the coronavirus lockdown.
“This is a newer kind of domestic abuse which is probably suggestive of kids wanting to go out and not being allowed to,” she said. “We are talking teenagers.
“That is, I think, a worry and there’s a sense in which there’s a spike likely to emerge of this kind of domestic abuse complaining which is just coming through now.”
There has also been “quite a big spike” in calls about anti-social behaviour, she said.
“It looks like, if I can put it this way, people are getting more frustrated and slightly angrier at things like noise nuisance, which perhaps isn’t a surprise given what’s going on,” she said.
“But that is a big upturn, quite a big spike, in calls about anti-social behaviour.”
Victims’ services have also seen a high number of calls about welfare.
“Victims’ services are getting quite a lot of welfare-related calls – so, about not having enough food, not being on Universal Credit, not having enough money, they’ve lost their job, as if people are having to resort to a friendly face and they’ve been victims of crime before,” she said.
Advertisement


huffingtonpost--2020-04-09--Boris Johnson Released From Intensive Care Unit

ASSOCIATED PRESS United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been released from intensive care into a hospital ward , his office said Thursday .
United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been released from intensive care into a hospital ward , his office said Thursday .
Saying the prime minister was “ in extremely good spirits ” , a Downing Street spokesperson said “ he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery ” from coronavirus .
Johnson has spent three nights in intensive care at London ’ s St. Thomas ’ Hospital after he was admitted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
Earlier on Thursday , chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the first big breakthrough in his health , when he said Johnson was now “ sitting up in bed ” and “ engaging positively ” with medics .
Meanwhile , first secretary of state Dominic Raab said a total of 7,978 patients have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the U.K. as of Wednesday .
Raab said the government would make a decision towards the end of next week .
But he stressed the U.K. had not yet reached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was “ too early ” to think about lifting the restrictions until that passes .
“ We are not done yet , ” he said .
“ We must keep going.
” This is a breaking news story and will be updated .
Follow HuffPost UK on Twitter here , and on Facebook here .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Boris Johnson has been released from intensive care and back onto the ward of St Thomas’ Hospital, Downing Street has said.
Advertisement
Saying the PM was “in extremely good spirits”, a Downing Street spokesperson said “he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery” from coronavirus.
The announcement came shortly before the now weekly cheering of the NHS workers at 8pm and Johnson’s fiancé, Carrie Symonds, marked the moment with a tweet of a rainbow and a series of clapping hands emojis.
Johnson has spent three nights in intensive care at London’s St Thomas’ Hospital after he was admitted on Sunday night with persistent symptoms of the virus.
Advertisement
Initially it was described as a “precautionary” measure and on Monday he was said to be issuing instructions and working on his ministerial red boxes from his hospital bed.
But by the evening his condition had deteriorated and he was moved to the intensive care unit in case he required a ventilator.
Earlier on Thursday, chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the first big breakthrough in his health, when he said the PM was now “sitting up in bed” and “engaging positively” with medics.
The latest development was met with relief from politicians from across the board political spectrum.
So good that the Prime Minister is out of intensive care and on the road to recovery. The NHS is there for us all and I know our amazing NHS staff have given him their characteristic world-class care — Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) April 9, 2020
Advertisement
This is good news. I hope it is the beginnings of a speedy recovery. https://t.co/JxVttZ2w2B — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) April 9, 2020
President Trump said it was “great news”, adding: “Get well Boris!!!”
Great News: Prime Minister Boris Johnson has just been moved out of Intensive Care. Get well Boris!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 9, 2020
Meanwhile, first secretary of state Dominic Raab said a total of 7,978 patients have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Wednesday.
Raab said the government would make a decision towards the end of next week.
But he stressed the UK had not yet reached the peak of the epidemic and that it was “too early” to think about lifting the restrictions until that passes.


huffingtonpost--2020-03-11--I'm In The Middle Of Italy’s Coronavirus Lockdown. Here’s What It’s Like.

After weeks of debate and confusion in Italy , in what feels like a blink of an eye I have gone from living in a country in the midst of mild hypochondria to one in state quarantine-induced national panic .
And it all started , literally , with an earthquake .
On the day the first reported case of COVID-19 hit Carpi , the small northern Italian town in which I live , a sizable tremor rattled our walls and windows — as if signifying the beginning of our ensuing war against an invisible enemy .
Such words may seem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ language adopted by politicians and journalists alike in Italy ’ s national press .
At the time of the initial outbreak , being in a town still living in the shadow of a devastating earthquake just eight years ago , personally I felt greater worry about the seismic activity than coronavirus .
But , as the dust settled , my attitude rapidly changed .
All schools were suddenly closed , leaving myself , an English teacher , at home watching a relentless 24-hour news cycle , updating minute-upon-minute skyrocketing rates of infection .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensified .
Public facilities such as gyms , libraries and cinemas soon followed suit .
People stockpiled food from supermarkets as teams of cleaners sterilized the windows and aisles around them .
Pharmacies soon ran out of hand gel and face masks .
The usual busy crowds in streets and piazzas were reduced to handfuls of high school kids relishing their unexpected holiday .
Until this week , public opinion seemed divided .
Torn between alarmist panic and anti-alarmist dismissal , there was seemingly no middle ground between “ we ’ re all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s just a passing flu.
” The media had a hand in this , with their relentlessly dramatic coverage followed by the confusing message of “ don ’ t panic , keep calm and carry on.
” The tone severely shifted following Monday ’ s shutdown , amplifying public fears up to 11 .
Businesses were forced to either close or adhere to restrictions such as limiting the number of customers at one time and keeping a distance of at least a meter between people .
Such measures are a result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coronavirus , of which only some 700 patients have fully recovered , while more than 450 people have tragically died .
The rest , we are told , are being incubated in intensive care units within Italy ’ s overstretched hospitals .
It had been previously considered that patients at severe risk seem to be primarily the elderly and infirm ; the high-profile case of a 38-year-old entrepreneur from Milan then proved otherwise .
Coined by the press as “ patient one , ” only after three weeks in intensive care has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is breathing independently .
In the meantime , mainstream media channels are circulating images of hospital beds lining corridors due to the lack of space on wards .
The stress on the health service has led to a complete prioritization of those with coronavirus .
Anyone seeking other treatment have been told to stay at home and sweat it out — or in matters of severe emergency , face long waits .
This includes a client of mine , a pregnant woman in her thirties who has had her prenatal appointments put on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like me in locked-down Italy is : How did we let it get to this ?
Following Italian President Giuseppe Conte ’ s decision to put the whole country in lockdown , he ’ s been criticized by locals for not acting sooner .
Simultaneously , there ’ s contrary argument over the devastating effects this crisis will have on an economy still not fully recovered from the credit crunch of 2008 .
For this , the virus ’ hotspots couldn ’ t have been located in a worse place — Italy ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen to be the country ’ s major producers , and the subsequent fallout will inevitably be felt by all of us here .
As for me , for the time being , I am “ smart-working ” — teaching from home on Skype to students who are able to or want to continue .
The news channels are keeping us updated , and I have to say I ’ m thankful for Netflix in giving me a necessary respite from this otherwise inescapable pandemic .
Aside from teaching , my work as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be creative about my training in light of gym closures .
My proverbial solitary confinement has so far limited me to the “ Max Cady school ” of prison workouts .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
After weeks of debate and confusion in Italy, in what feels like a blink of an eye I have gone from living in a country in the midst of mild hypochondria to one in state quarantine-induced national panic. And it all started, literally, with an earthquake.
On the day the first reported case of covid-19 hit Carpi, the small northern Italian town in which I live, a sizeable tremor rattled our walls and windows – as if signifying the beginning of our ensuing war against an invisible enemy. Such words may seem dramatic, but it is indeed the language adopted by our politicians and journalists alike in Italy’s national press.
Advertisement
At the time of the initial outbreak, being in a town still living in the shadow of a devastating earthquake just eight years ago, personally I felt greater worry about the seismic activity than coronavirus. But, as the dust settled, my attitude rapidly changed. All schools were suddenly closed, leaving myself, an English teacher, at home watching a relentless 24-hour news cycle, updating minute-upon-minute skyrocketing rates of infection.
Courtesy of the author HuffPost UK
“The usual busy crowds in streets and piazzas were reduced to handfuls of high school kids relishing their unexpected holiday...”
Fears over public health well and truly intensified. Public facilities such as gyms, libraries, and cinemas soon followed suit. People stockpiled food from supermarkets as teams of cleaners sterilised the windows and aisles around them. Pharmacies soon ran out of hand gel and face masks. The usual busy crowds in streets and piazzas were reduced to handfuls of high school kids relishing their unexpected holiday.
Advertisement
Until this week, public opinion seemed divided. Torn between alarmist panic and anti-alarmist dismissal, there was seemingly no middle ground between ‘we’re all going to die’ and ‘it’s just a passing flu’. The media had a hand in this, with their relentlessly dramatic coverage followed by the confusing message of ‘don’t panic, keep calm and carry on’.
Following this Monday’s shutdown, the tone severely shifted, amplifying public fears up to 11. Businesses were forced to either close or adhere to restrictions such as limiting numbers of customers at one time, and keeping a distance of at least a metre away from contact.
Such measures are a result of – as of writing – 10,000 cases of coronavirus, of which only some 700 patients have fully recovered, while more than 450 people have tragically died. The rest, we are told, are being incubated in intensive care units within Italy’s overstretched hospitals.
It had been previously considered that patients at severe risk seem to be primarily the elderly and infirm; the high profile case of a 38-year-old entrepreneur from Milan then proved otherwise. Coined by the press as ‘patient one’, only today, after three weeks in intensive care, has just been taken off his respirator and breathing independently.
In the meantime, mainstream media channels are circulating images of hospital beds lining corridors due to the lack of space on wards. The stress on the health service has led to a complete prioritisation of those with coronavirus. Anyone seeking other treatment have been told to stay at home and sweat it out – or in matters of severe emergency, face long waits. This includes a client of mine, a pregnant woman in her thirties, who has had her prenatal appointments put on hold.
Advertisement
“I have to say I’m thankful for Netflix in giving me a necessary respite from this otherwise inescapable pandemic.”
The big question facing people like me in locked-down Italy is: how did we let it get to this? Following Italian president Giuseppe Conte’s decision to put the whole country in lockdown, he’s been criticised by locals for not acting sooner. Simultaneously, there’s contrary argument over the devastating effects this crisis will have on an economy still not fully recovered from the credit crunch of 2008. For this, the virus’ hotspots couldn’t have been located in a worse place – Italy’s northern regions worst hit by coronavirus happen to be the country’s major producers, and the subsequent fallout will inevitably be felt by all of us here.
As for me, for the time being, I am ‘smart-working’ – teaching from home on Skype to students who are able or want to continue. The news channels are keeping us updated, and I have to say I’m thankful for Netflix in giving me a necessary respite from this otherwise inescapable pandemic.
Aside from teaching, my work as a fitness model means I have had to be creative about my training in light of gym closures. My proverbial solitary confinement has so far limited me to the ‘Max Cady school’ of prison workouts.
How long it will take before cabin fever sets in, I can only find out.
James Emmerson is a teacher based in Carpi, northern Italy
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com


huffingtonpost--2020-05-08--'My Dad Doesn’t Feel Safe': Anti-Chinese Abuse Skyrockets During Coronavirus Outbreak

Over a third of people of Chinese heritage had experienced anti-Chinese racism in public places , while 20 % of those surveyed say they had encountered increased racism in the workplace .
The study , led by Professor Binna Kandola and included a survey of more than 400 people and interviews with 29 participants , warned that these attacks could once again increase when the lockdown is lifted .
Liam* noticed a rise in anti-Chinese sentiment when the virus first broke out in China at the beginning of the year , but was not too worried at first .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their 70s and have lived in the area for nearly two decades , are afraid to leave the house .
“ Before the virus , I don ’ t think I experienced much racism for a long time , ” the British-born Londoner said .
“ I thought it had gotten a lot less than when I was young.
” On Tuesday it was revealed that the rate of hate crimes against Chinese people between January and March was nearly three times that of previous two years .
Since January , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for example when a man muttered the word “ coronavirus ” at him as he was walking through a car park outside a Tesco ’ s in Peterborough .
Although the 43-year-old describes these incidents as “ mild ” , he admits that his wife - who is also Chinese - now worries about his safety when he goes food shopping .
Where once he was more accepting of so-called “ normal ” experiences of racism , he says the rise in anti-Chinese attacks have changed his attitude .
“ This is my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I ’ ve been too passive for too long .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
Racist attacks against people of Chinese heritage have soared in the UK since the coronavirus outbreak, according to a new report.
Advertisement
Victims describe being spat at, physically abused and told to “f*** off back to China” in experiences that made them feel “shocked” and “anxious”.
Over a third of people of Chinese heritage had experienced anti-Chinese racism in public places, while 20% of those surveyed say they had encountered increased racism in the workplace.
The study, led by Professor Binna Kandola and included a survey of more than 400 people and interviews with 29 participants, warned that these attacks could once again increase when the lockdown is lifted.
Liam* noticed a rise in anti-Chinese sentiment when the virus first broke out in China at the beginning of the year, but was not too worried at first.
Advertisement
It was not until the end of February when the British-born former lecturer felt the racism hit home.
His elderly father was taking his usual walk in his residential neighbourhood in Manchester when a group of teenagers shouted “coronavirus” and coughed directly into his face.
Now Liam’s parents, who are in their 70s and have lived in the area for nearly two decades, are afraid to leave the house.
“My dad doesn’t feel safe anymore, and my mum is afraid of being targeted,” he said.
The study also showed examples of people of Chinese heritage being verbally abused and receiving death threats.
One man claimed he had stopped travelling on public transport before lockdown because he was “feeling so uncomfortable”.
Advertisement
Prof Kandola said these recent incidents were bringing back childhood memories of anti-Chinese sentiments from long ago.
“For a lot of British-born Chinese, it was a sense that this was something they had grown up with,” he told HuffPost UK.
Until this year, Leah* had thought these incidents had been relegated to her past.
“Before the virus, I don’t think I experienced much racism for a long time,” the British-born Londoner said. “I thought it had gotten a lot less than when I was young.”
However since the outbreak began, she has experienced several incidents at her workplace which have left her feeling “hypersensitive” to anti-Chinese racism.
“I’ve always felt really proud of my Chinese culture,” she said. “Now I don’t feel like I can speak up at work.”
Advertisement
Reports of anti-Chinese racism have escalated since the coronavirus outbreak, in Europe and the US as well as the UK.
On Tuesday it was revealed that the rate of hate crimes against Chinese people between January and March was nearly three times that of previous two years.
At least 267 offences were recorded in the first three months of 2020, according to freedom of information data released to Sky News.
Juinn Tang: “This is my way of standing up. I’ve been too passive for too long.” HuffPost UK
Juinn Tang, from Cambridgeshire, is positive that racism against people of Chinese heritage has risen in the past few months.
Advertisement
Before the outbreak began, the British-born IT manager described his “normal” experiences of racism as coming from children.
“They would pull their eyes into slants and make ‘ching chong’ noises,” he said.
Since January, he has seen anti-Chinese sentiments from adults, for example when a man muttered the word “coronavirus” at him as he was walking through a car park outside a Tesco’s in Peterborough.
A few days later, he saw a woman swerve immediately away from him along a supermarket aisle.
Although the 43-year-old describes these incidents as “mild”, he admits that his wife - who is also Chinese - now worries about his safety when he goes food shopping.
The study said those who had reported experiencing cases of anti-Chinese discrimination were left with feelings of shock, fear, paranoia and anxiety.
All the people the study spoke to who have experienced racism in the recent months pointed to anti-Chinese remarks made by high-profile figures, such as when US president Donald Trump called Covid-19 a “Chinese virus”.
Advertisement
“It’s down to words,” said Liam. “It can influence the public and what language they pick up on.”
Among the Chinese community in Britain, many have felt their experiences of racism dismissed or not taken seriously.
“There is a perception among victims of anti-Chinese abuse that the only way the media will pay attention is if someone is killed,” said Prof Kandola.
When Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan mocked the Chinese language in January, more than 1,600 people called to complain to the broadcasting regulator Ofcom. Juinn was one of them.
Where once he was more accepting of so-called “normal” experiences of racism, he says the rise in anti-Chinese attacks have changed his attitude.
“This is my way of standing up,” he said. “I’ve been too passive for too long.”


huffingtonpost--2020-05-08--Ice Cream Makers Want To Cut Workers’ Wages As Part Of ‘Relief Package’

India ’ s Rs10,000 crore ice cream industry is reeling under the loss of its peak summer business worth at least Rs 4,000 crore because of the national lockdown as well as fake news related to the coronavirus pandemic .
But the companies ’ demand that they be allowed to slash wages at a time when millions of Indians are struggling to survive is outrageous , said labour economists .
“ I think the government should be faulted for delaying issuance of any kind of a credible fiscal stimulus package as the ILO has asked for in its four pillars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in fact , by its failure , is making industries pile up their demands .
There is a huge supply-demand mismatch in terms of a relief package , ” he said .
Speaking with HuffPost India , Anuvrat Pabrai , official spokesperson for IICMA , gave a slightly different set of figures from Gandhi to explain the impact of the lockdown and coronavirus on the ice cream business .
He estimated that the industry cumulatively makes between Rs 10 , 000 and 15,000 crore business each year and at least 40 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June .
Almost 90 % of this Rs 4,000-6,000 crore worth business was lost since mid-March , he said , mostly due to the lockdown but also , in a relatively small way , due to the fake news circulating on social media that claimed coronavirus could be transmitted through ice creams .
Pabrai estimates that the industry may have done as little as 10 % of normal business this season , and that too because of a behemoth like Amul continuing to sell ice creams through its multi-product shops and smaller brands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standalone outlets and some functional multi-brand hypermarkets also making sales .
“ In the last week of March , it was totally bad .
We were 90 % down .
Gradually it started picking up .
In April , it was 85 % minus .
But in May , it is only 65 % less .
Every day it is picking up .
By the end of May , I expect ice cream will be 30-40 % minus , not more than that , ” the GCMMF MD told HuffPost India .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other ice cream manufacturers , the federation is not looking at cutting jobs or wages , instead it has given additional allowance to its employees for this period .
“ Once the markets open , we don ’ t know how infrastructure unrolling will happen .
Whether workers will be able to come back , packing material may face bottlenecks .
So probably June will get half-baked sales .
Then the months of July and August will see rains—these are anyway poor months for sales , ” he said .

HuffPost India Some of India's biggest ice cream makers are members of the Indian Ice-Cream manufacturers Association.
NEW DELHI—Some of India’s biggest ice cream makers have asked the Narendra Modi government to allow them to slash workers’ wages down to MGNREGA norms rather than the much higher minimum wages, and for the government to foot 70% of their wage bills for the lockdown period and six months after.
The demand, which comes at a time when millions of Indians have been pushed to the brink of poverty by the punitive national lockdown, was made just before the Karnataka government’s decision to stop migrants from leaving the state at the alleged behest of the builders’ lobby sparked outrage.
Advertisement
The Indian Ice Cream Manufacturers’ Association (IICMA) made the request, along with 11 other economic relief measures, in two separate letters to the government over the past week.
India’s Rs10,000 crore ice cream industry is reeling under the loss of its peak summer business worth at least Rs 4,000 crore because of the national lockdown as well as fake news related to the coronavirus pandemic. But the companies’ demand that they be allowed to slash wages at a time when millions of Indians are struggling to survive is outrageous, said labour economists.
“If you take welfare as a tax, basically what the firms are doing is that they are shifting the burden of this tax on to the state or on to the vulnerable, hapless workers,” said K.R. Shyam Sundar, who teaches at Xavier’s School of Management in Jamshedpur.
“If you take welfare as a tax, basically what the firms are doing is that they are shifting the burden of this tax on to the state or on to the vulnerable, hapless workers” - Prof K R Shyam Sundar, Xavier's School of Management
Advertisement
Sundar, however, also blamed the central government for failing to announce a “credible” relief package for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which have been worst hit due to the lockdown.
“I think the government should be faulted for delaying issuance of any kind of a credible fiscal stimulus package as the ILO has asked for in its four pillars of policy responses. So the government in fact, by its failure, is making industries pile up their demands. There is a huge supply-demand mismatch in terms of a relief package,” he said.
While Prime Minister Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman have organised hectic parleys with bureaucrats and experts to discuss the contours of a second economic stimulus package for MSMEs, no announcement has been made so far.
According to the IICMA, the organised ice cream business in India includes a large number of small and medium enterprises and employs about two million people.
Advertisement
The need for relief
The manufacturers have asked for ice cream to be designated an “essential commodity” to ensure there are no hiccups in the supply chain. They have also asked for low interest and long-term “disaster loans” on the lines of those given by the US government for paying fixed expenses.
Advertisement
Other demands include conversion of working capital loans into soft loans; reduction of the goods and services tax on ice cream; and granting exemption to companies from paying statutory contributions like employees’ provident fund and GST or alternatively, the government paying them on behalf of the companies for a period of three months beginning April.
Whether the demands are accepted by the government or not, they reflect the manufacturers’ bleak outlook for the ice cream business at just the time of year when they should have been making the most profits.
Rajesh R. Gandhi, managing director of popular ice cream maker Vadilal Industries, is the current president of IICMA and has been writing to different functionaries of the Modi-led government as well as several state governments seeking help. The measures cited earlier were requested in his letters to finance minister Sitharaman on April 30 and dairy minister Giriraj Singh on May 1.
“Today, the ice-cream and frozen dessert industry in India are dying. Most small and medium scale manufacturing units are on the edge of shutdown or bankruptcy.” - Vadilal MD Rajesh R Gandhi
In his letter to Sitharaman, Gandhi explained his rationale for requesting the measures. “Today, the ice-cream and frozen dessert industry in India are dying. Most small and medium scale manufacturing units are on the edge of shutdown or bankruptcy,” he wrote.
Advertisement
The Vadilal MD also claimed that, “if urgent steps are not taken to save this industry then current funds of around Rs. 5000 crores will become NPA”, but did not elaborate further.
Emphasising that theirs is a “seasonal business”, Gandhi claimed that “more than 60% of ice cream business comes between 15th March to 15th June” every year. He also argued that the business requires more costs than other industries during this season.
“As ice cream has to be maintained in a frozen state (i.e. -18°) it is mandatory to keep all cold storage in working. Therefore, the ice cream industry has to bear more electricity and plant maintenance expenses compared to other industries even in this lockdown situation.”
Summer meltdown
Speaking with HuffPost India, Anuvrat Pabrai, official spokesperson for IICMA, gave a slightly different set of figures from Gandhi to explain the impact of the lockdown and coronavirus on the ice cream business. He estimated that the industry cumulatively makes between Rs 10, 000 and 15,000 crore business each year and at least 40% of this happens during summer months—from mid-March till June. Almost 90% of this Rs 4,000-6,000 crore worth business was lost since mid-March, he said, mostly due to the lockdown but also, in a relatively small way, due to the fake news circulating on social media that claimed coronavirus could be transmitted through ice creams.
The fake news problem was serious enough for Pabrai to write to the national food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, requesting the body to issue a media advisory clarifying that ice creams do not transmit coronavirus.
Advertisement
Pabrai is the founder of the relatively small Kolkata-based Pabrai ice cream brand, which has franchises in many cities across India.
Pabrai estimates that the industry may have done as little as 10% of normal business this season, and that too because of a behemoth like Amul continuing to sell ice creams through its multi-product shops and smaller brands doing the same through their relatively few standalone outlets and some functional multi-brand hypermarkets also making sales.
The timing of the lockdown, Pabrai explained, was particularly bad because manufacturers prepare for the summer peak sales season from January to mid-March, when the season begins. But the season barely began this year before the onslaught of fake news and subsequently, the lockdown, arrived.
“One thing is certain that all the companies are going to go in the negative,” he said.
HuffPost India Some demands mentioned by IICMA President and Vadilal Industries Managing Director Rajesh R Gandhi in his letter to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on April 30.
Who’s hurting more?
Interviews with manufacturers confirm that the lockdown has relatively bigger ice cream manufacturers less severely than the smaller and medium-sized ones.
Advertisement
For instance, the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which owns the popular Amul brand, suffered less as compared with many relatively smaller and standalone ice cream brands like, for instance, the Pabrai brand from Kolkata.
In an interview with HuffPost India, GCMMF Managing Director R.S. Sodhi said that Amul’s long-standing supply chain helped it tide over the crisis better than smaller players in the business, who are dependent upon a complex network of distributors and retailers. The dairy sector behemoth has the added advantage that its main business of milk and dairy products is doing better than usual.
The updated guidelines issued by the government for the third stage of the lockdown will also help Amul steadily recover its losses in the ice cream business, said Sodhi.
“In the last week of March, it was totally bad. We were 90% down. Gradually it started picking up. In April, it was 85% minus. But in May, it is only 65% less. Every day it is picking up. By the end of May, I expect ice cream will be 30-40% minus, not more than that,” the GCMMF MD told HuffPost India. When asked, he clarified that, unlike other ice cream manufacturers, the federation is not looking at cutting jobs or wages, instead it has given additional allowance to its employees for this period.
“In the last week of March, it was totally bad. We were 90% down. Gradually it started picking up. In April, it was 85% minus. But in May, it is only 65% less. Every day it is picking up. By the end of May, I expect ice cream will be 30-40% minus, not more than that.” - GCMMF Managing Director R S Sodhi
Advertisement
Like Pabrai, Sodhi also attributed the fall in business to rumours and fake news surrounding consumption of ice creams and cold foods and to initial distribution problems. He said that in Gujarat and many other states, all milk products have been included in the list of “essential commodities” but that local authorities in several states were perhaps interpreting this differently to leave ice creams out of the purview. HuffPost India could not independently verify this.
Pabrai’s business has taken a different trajectory compared with the dairy behemoth. He said sales started dropping in mid-March due to the fake news and, as with most of the small and medium manufacturers in India, Pabrai ice creams also lost 90-95% business in April and expects to lose as much in May.
“Once the markets open, we don’t know how infrastructure unrolling will happen. Whether workers will be able to come back, packing material may face bottlenecks. So probably June will get half-baked sales. Then the months of July and August will see rains—these are anyway poor months for sales,” he said.