Washington, 18 March 2020, TON: In a time when many are confined to their homes, consumers will have high expectations that Amazon will come though to meet their needs and demands.

Amazon, which has expanded its food operations with the acquisition of the Whole Foods grocery chain, has shifted its priorities in recent days to help people get needed household basics and medical supplies.

"There's enormous pressure on Amazon to meet these increased expectations," said Technalysis Research analyst Bob O'Donnell.

"Fairly or unfairly, people will expect that Amazon will always have some things, like toilet paper. If not, they're going to catch more grief than if a local grocery store is out."

Amazon this week boosted pay and set out to hire 100,000 more US workers to add to its global workforce of some 800,000 to cope with a surge in online shopping prompted by coronavirus fears.

The Seattle-based firm expects to spend more than $350 million to bump up hourly pay in the North America and Europe for employees and partners in distribution centers, transportation operations and stores.

"Getting a priority item to your doorstep is vital as communities practice social-distancing, particularly for the elderly and others with underlying health issues," senior vice president of worldwide operations Dave Clark said in a blog post.

"We are seeing a significant increase in demand, which means our labor needs are unprecedented for this time of year."

Amazon has been working to thwart price-gouging of sought-after products as it ramps up efforts to meet demands in the coronavirus age
Amazon accounts for some 37 percent of US e-commerce sales, according to the research firm eMarketer, and is the largest cloud computing firm which powers online operations around the world, including for firms like rival streaming platform Netflix.

If Amazon becomes a salvation for people unable or afraid to go out to shops due to coronavirus risk, it could win new users and become a more entrenched habit, and potentially boost its image at a time when Big Tech has come under fire.

Amazon this week said it was reorganizing its operations, slowing down some deliveries to help people with more pressing needs.

"We are seeing increased online shopping and as a result some products such as household staples and medical supplies are out of stock," Amazon said.

"With this in mind, we are temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so we can more quickly receive, restock and ship these products to customers."

Amazon has also been forced into policing the platform to thwart price-gouging efforts by vendors who stockpiled coveted supplies like breathing masks and hand sanitizers.

They are a serious liability that could cripple Amazon."

Amazon has also faced criticism for keeping warehouses open in Europe even after cases of COVID-19 have been detected among workers.

A side effect of the coronavirus could be accelerated development of drone delivery mechanisms already being tested in some locations, according to Enderle.

INDIA: 18 March 2020, TON: First case of coronavirus in an army soldier tested positive.  

The soldier is currently in isolation.

His father travelled back from Iran was also affected by the coronavirus. As he was on leave. After returning to Ladakh, his father was quarantined at a hospital and tested positive for Coronavirus on March 6. A day later, the soldier was quarantined and tested positive on Monday.

During his quarantine period, the soldier was staying in his native village and helping his family. His sister, wife and two children have been placed in quarantine as well.

India reports third coronavirus death

Another officer has been quarantined at a military institute in Pune with symptoms of the pneumonia-like virus.

As of now, 147 people have tested positive in India.

A 64-year-old man, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus and was hospitalized in Mumbai, died on Tuesday, raising the death toll in the country to three, officials said.

The patient had a travel history to Dubai. His wife is Coronavirus positive and is stable, according to the ministry.

To prevent the spread of coronavirus in India the health ministry announced a temporary travel ban from the EU, UK and Turkey.

What measures should parents take in ensuring their child is safe from Coronavirus?

Dubai: 18 March 2020, TON:  Keeping children safe is a concern among many parents, specifically with the children home from school. While there are many ways that preventative measures should be implemented in the home,  Consultant and Head of pediatric dentistry in Dubai Health Authority to ensure the safety of their children.

Dr. Mansoor pediatric firstly advises that children are sleeping well. Although it might be tempting during the holidays for children’s sleep schedules to shift, it is important that they are resting.

“These things are definitely important to ensure that their immunity is optimized. They should engage in any activity. In addition to all that, it’s extremely important to take this opportunity to teach them about hand hygiene and the importance of hygiene etiquette like washing their hands frequently, trying to avoid touching their faces with their hands and to know the etiquette of how to sneeze into a tissue or their elbow,” Dr. Mansoor says.

The pediatrics doctor understands that teaching children about certain habits differs from each individual depending on their age and character, “Every child has a unique personality so understanding what they like can make a huge difference. For example, parents can reward the children every time they wash their hands, they can have a timetable to keep track of handwashing, there can be small competitions in the house between the siblings, there could be a song that they sing while washing their hands, they can be watching a little clip, there are many different things they can follow and it just really depends on the personality of the child.”

NEW DELHI : 18 March 2020, TON: India has closed the iconic Taj Mahal, one of the world’s most visited tourist sites, as it battles the spread of coronavirus.

The Culture Ministry said  that it was “imperative” people keep away from the monument in the city of Agra, whose allure has apparently not been dimmed by the coronavirus scare. Each day, about 20,000 Indian and foreign tourists visit the Taj Mahal, a number that usually doubles on weekends.

Harsh Singh, who traveled with his family from New Delhi, said there were huge crowds when he visited the monument on Saturday. “The line for tickets was really long,” he said.

Dozens of other monuments that are popular with tourists have also been shut.

The closure of top tourist sites comes as states across much of India shut down schools, colleges, shopping malls, and theaters and cancel sports events in a bid to halt the outbreak of the respiratory disease.

India’s tally of confirmed coronavirus cases stands at 130 and the death toll at three. Health experts say those numbers may not fully reflect the extent of the disease’s spread in the world’s second-most populous nation due to limited testing done so far.

About 6,000 people have been tested in the country of 1.3 billion people, focusing mainly on those who came from abroad and the people who had contact with them.

Amid calls to ramp up testing, Indian officials announced on March 17 that they are increasing the number of laboratories and ordering more testing kits.

Health experts warn that India has entered a critical phase in which it needs to halt community transmissions.

Authorities have begun tightening restrictions as cases increase. In the financial hub of Mumbai, officials said they will stamp “Home Quarantined” in indelible ink on the wrists of all those who have been ordered to self-isolate.

It has been a challenge to keep people quarantined as many do not take the instructions seriously.

In a Mumbai suburb, local media reported that 11 people, who had been isolated after returning from Dubai, fled a hospital, leading to a manhunt.

Cities like Mumbai, where hundreds of thousands live in overcrowded slums and travel on packed transport networks, pose the greatest challenge in controlling the outbreak in India.

India was among the first countries to introduce screening at airports. Last week, it also imposed some of the world's toughest border measures, suspending most visas and shutting down most land borders.

New York, 17 March 2020, TON: A spat between the US and China over the novel coronavirus escalated on Tuesday as President Donald Trump angered Beijing by referring to the pathogen as the "Chinese Virus." The two countries have sparred over the origin of the virus for days, with a Chinese official promoting conspiracy theories claiming it was brought to China by the US army and American officials using terms seen as stigmatising a nation.

"The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus," Trump tweeted Monday night. He doubled down on the comment on Tuesday morning while Tweeting about how US states were being affected, saying: "Some are being hit hard by the Chinese Virus, some are being hit practically not at all."

Trump's allies had previously referred to the pandemic as the "Chinese coronavirus", but Beijing said Tuesday it was "strongly indignant" over the phrase, which it called "a kind of stigmatisation". The United States should "immediately stop its unjustified accusations against China," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters.

A commentary by the official Xinhua news agency said using "racist and xenophobic names to cast blame for the outbreak on other countries can only reveal politicians' irresponsibility and incompetence which will intensify virus fears".

The war of words reignited diplomatic tensions between the two countries, which have tussled over trade and other disputes since Trump took office. Trump's comments were also criticised inside the US, with warnings it could incite a backlash against the Asian-American community.

"Our Asian-American communities -- people YOU serve -- are already suffering. They don't need you fueling more bigotry," tweeted New York city mayor Bill de Blasio, whose state is one of the hardest-hit by the virus in the US. The World Health Organization said more cases and deaths had been reported in the rest of the world than in China.

The new coronavirus virus was first detected late last year, with China's own health officials initially saying its source was a live animal market in the central city of Wuhan, whose government had initially tried to cover up the outbreak. But China has sought to distance itself from the virus, saying the origin is still unknown, while seeking global goodwill by offering aid to countries facing serious outbreaks.

OTTAWA, 13 March 2019, TON: In another upset Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau wife of Canadian PM has tested positive for Coronavirus. However, she was fine and in good health.

PM office said in a statement, “Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau was tested for COVID-19 today, she would remain in isolation, however, she is in good health and had there are no symptoms of coronavirus.” Canadian PM would also be in isolation for two weeks on the advice of his doctors.

Canadian Health Minister Patty Hajdu said that, “reconsider going to areas where there are a large number of people, which might include places like churches, community centers, concerts and various sporting events.”