VIF Neighborhood News Digest: March 23, 2020

PAKISTAN

Opposition urges Imran to do something practical: Dawn
March 23, 2020

The opposition on Sunday reacted to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address to the nation and said “he has no plan on how to steer away the nation from deadly coronavirus”. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) urged the government to do something practical in the situation instead of asking people to take their own measures to prevent spread of the deadly virus. Click here to read.... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

6 New COVID-19 Cases, 40 Total in Afghanistan: Tolo
March 23, 2020

Public Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz on Sunday told TOLOnews six more positive cases of COVID-19 had been reported in Afghanistan. Three new cases were from Herat, two were in Farah and one in Ghor. With this, there are 40 cases total in Afghanistan. This come after a 40-year-old man has died of the virus in Balkh province. Click here to read.... [3]

BANGLADESH

Govt withdraws duty on coronavirus test kits: Dhaka Tribune
March 23, 2020

The government has withdrawn all sorts of duties on import of test kits and other necessary materials and equipments in a bid to tackle the global outbreak of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The National Board of Revenue (NBR) under the Ministry of Finance issued an SRO in this regard on Sunday which stated that all sorts of customs duty, regulatory duty, supplementary duty, VAT, Advance Tax and Advance Income Tax have been withdrawn on a number of products, reports BSS. Click here to read.... [4]

MYANMAR

Myanmar quarantines over 100 Chinese in virus clampdown: Myanmar Times
March 23, 2020

Officials have quarantined more than 100 unregistered Chinese nationals in Thingangyun Township in Yangon Region as the country scrambles to prevent an outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 virus. The Chinese were caught Saturday living illegally in two houses in Yangon Thit ward of the township, according to U Shwe Hla Win, a Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House) MP for Thingangyun, he said. A team headed by the Minister of Labour, Immigration and Population is investigating, and the Chinese will face legal action, he added. Click here to read.... [5]

NEPAL

Government to close down border with India and China for a week: The Kathmandu Post
March 23, 2020

The government has decided to close down its borders with both India and China for a week, effective from 10am Monday, to deal with the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak. A Cabinet meeting on Sunday took a decision to this effect. “Today’s Cabinet meeting decided to close all borders starting 10am Monday,” said Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali. “We have also decided to develop a fund of Rs500 million, for which all ministers will donate a month’s salary.” Click here to read.... [6]

BHUTAN

Listen to health experts: His Holiness the Je Khenpo: Kuenselonline
March 23, 2020

Thousands of Bhutanese dropped everything and remained glued to their screens for hours yesterday attending the first-ever initiation of Sangay Menlha (Medicine Buddha) over the TV and social media platforms. More than 9,000 Bhutanese including those from the Middle East, the USA, Australia, and beyond received the oral transmission (Lung) and blessings (Wang) online. Click here to read.... [7]

CHINA

No respite for Asia-Pacific markets as investors recoil in horror at the explosive spread of Covid-19: South China Morning Post
March 23, 2020

Asia-Pacific markets plunged in early trading on Monday, with US futures falling on concerns a deep global recession is building as the worldwide coronavirus death toll rises and the US Congress is at odds over a proposed US$1.5 trillion stimulus package. Click here to read.... [8]

Washington under fire for labeling coronavirus: China Daily
March 23, 2020

As the coronavirus continues to spread in the United States, the Trump administration is fielding criticism from some public health officials, politicians and Asian Americans for labeling the illness a "Chinese virus", a term that experts argued is inaccurate and has led to increased incidents of racist attacks against Asians of different ethnicities. Click here to read.... [9]