Tips for making most of quarantine

By Tanzeel Rauf Farooqui

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we have seen that the world, as a whole, has been greatly affected. Our lifestyle has had to be altered to bring it in line with this epidemic, the new normal, as many have termed it. 

Although these times have been proving to be cumbersome for most of us, we must realize the harsh realities and let’s adjust our lives accordingly to meet the challenge.

These times are indeed tough, even to the extent of being depressing, but we must not let these get to our heads. We must be optimistic during all phases of life and these times too shall pass. 

Now that most of us are forcefully or unwillingly locked up in our homes, we have more time on our hands to do things that in the normal, regular routine seemed rather difficult. This is a golden opportunity for us, which we must avail and make the most of it. 

On the top of our list, we could always invest our time in reading. With the extra time at our disposal, we should use maximum time in reading books, articles or magazines, whatever interest us.

In this highly competitive world, all of us need a little more than just the formal education or training that we acquire to succeed forward in life. Books give us the extra bit of knowledge that we need and there are a wide variety of books available that we can read. 

Personally, I feel that as Pakistanis, we should utilize this time and read books that pertain to our history. Pick up books that relate to the not so distant past so that we may reconnect and then progress along going into older times.

There is a vast variety of books available and they contain the truth of our nation, some moments that make us beam with pride, while others which are rather dark, but we need to know all these instances as the good or the bad, they are our history. 

Other than reading, we can also use this time and pursue the many online certifications that are available, many of whom are free. They would help us develop our skills further that would be beneficial for us, or we can explore more fields and diversify our resumes. 

All of us should focus on being productive and utilizing this time that we have, if seen from a rather optimistic angle, is a blessing in disguise. 

The positive sides of life should always be seen, and although this pandemic has affected our lives in ways that are rather uncomfortable, we must adjust to it and make the best possible use of it.

Travellers to China advised nucleic acid test

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Chinese authorities have allowed inbound passengers in their country upon the production of negative nucleic acid test certificate.

"To contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) all Chinese and foreign passengers entering China by flights, including business, temporary, passenger-to-cargo, chartered and transit, from Pakistan airports shall be required to provide nucleic acid test certificate for COVID-19 conducted by designated institutions within 120 hours prior to boarding flights,” an announcement from the Chinese embassy in Islamabad said. 

The passengers will be allowed to board the plane, only after producing nucleic acid test certificate with negative result as well as without showing fever and other symptoms, the announcement emphasized. The measure shall be effective from June 22.

“It is kindly informed that all passengers who board at airport in Islamabad must contact the designated institution, publicized on the Embassy’s website on June 22, with passports to conduct nucleic acid test, text the Pin Number and Password received from the institution as well as name, passport number, Chinese mobile number, email address to 0315-6060000 within 24 hours after receiving electronic test certificate. The nucleic acid test certificate with negative result shall be required to show before boarding,” the Chinese embassy notified. 

The nucleic acid test certificate has to include the name, passport number and photo of the passenger. The passengers, who plan to board planes at airport from Karachi, have been advised to follow the relevant notice from the official website of the Chinese Consulate General at Karachi.

Coronavirus Update: Fatality rate rises in interior Sindh

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The number of COVID-19 deaths occurring in the interior districts of Sindh increased to 162 on June 21 when the health authorities confirmed another 41 fatalities across the province, including 31 those of Karachi, with 2,275 new infection cases.

This was for the first time that districts other than those of Karachi division witnessed 10 coronavirus related deaths in a day since the outbreak of the global pandemic in the province. The case fatality rate rose to 1.18% compared to 1.15% recorded on June 20. 

According to official data, as of June 21, among the interior districts, Hyderabad reported the maximum 40 COVID-19 deaths so far, followed by Larkana (21), Sukkur (17), Shikarpur (11), Sanghar 9), Khairpur (7), Kambar Shahdadkot (7), Ghotki (6), Kashmore (6), Thatta (5), Badin (5), Shaheed Benazirabad (4), Dadu (4), Mirpurkhas (4), Sujawal (4), Naushero Feroze (3), Jacobabad ( 3), Jamshoro (2), Matiari (2), Umerkot (1) and Tando Mohammad Khan (1). 

It was learnt that as many as four COVID-19 patients were on ventilators and 56 off ventilators, in the intensive care units of various hospitals located in Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana divisions while 113 patients were on ventilators and 138 off ventilators in the Karachi division hospitals at 12 noon on June 20.

In the meantime, four COVID-19 laboratories in the interior of Sindh tested 5,597 samples during the last 24 hours ending at 9 am on June 21, out of which 991 (18%) were detected positive for the virus. 

The health department’s daily summary disclosed that as many as 31 patients lost their lives in Karachi hospitals or homes, while 10 others in Sujawal, Larkana, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Sukkur, Jacobabad and Umerkot. 

The deceased persons at Karachi, including 11 women, were aged 35 to 92 years, while three patients, including a woman, who died at Hyderabad hospitals, were in the age brackets of 47 to 67 years.

Sujawal, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Jacobabad and Umerkot reported death of one man each, who were aged from 45 to 80 years. Larkana and Sukkur registered deaths of one woman each, who were in the age brackets of 58 to 67 years. 

In the meantime, according to another official report, two patients died at home in Sindh on June 20. On June 21, as per the provincial health department, 1,756 new COVID-19 cases were registered at Karachi, pushing the provincial tally of overall infection to 69,628. 

Among other districts, Ghotki reported 74 new infections, followed by Sukkur (74), Khairpur (64), Hyderabad (45), Mirpurkhas (39), Shikarpur (38), Shaheed Benazirabad (36), Kashnore (33), Thatta (28), Larkana (20), Jamshoro (13), Naushero Feroze (12), Umerkot (11), Tando Allahyar (10), Dadu (7), Matiari (6), Kambar Shahdadkot (5), Sujawal (2), and Tando Mohammad Khan (2). 

Meanwhile, the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, on June 21, inaugurated a 140-bed high dependency facility at the Karachi Expo Centre, where a Field Isolation Centre had already been functioning for COVID-19 patients.

Breakthrough for China’s high-speed maglev test vehicle

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

A prototype high-speed maglev test vehicle with a speed of 600 km/h successfully ran in Shanghai on June 21.

Developed by CRCC Qingdao Sifang Co, it successfully ran on the test line at Tongji University in Shanghai, an important breakthrough in China's high-speed maglev research and development. Production of the prototype system is expected to begin at the end of 2020. 

The system will provide full high-speed maglev technology and engineering capability, bridging the gap between high-speed rail and air transportation, and meeting the travel needs of different groups. 

The project is being managed by the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC), with CRCC Qingdao Sifang Co responsible for the technology. More than 30 enterprises, colleges and universities besides scientific institutes have been involved in the research, which has seen a collaboration of domestic resources in the high-speed rail and maglev fields. 

The ultimate aim is to master high-speed maglev core technology and develop the independent intellectual property rights for a 600 km/h hour high-speed maglev engineering system, eventually industrializing the technology. 

The successful trial run marked a step forward from static to dynamic operation, obtained a large amount of key data and proved the key performance of the high-speed maglev system, providing technical support for the development and optimization of the follow-up high-speed maglev project test vehicle. 

Since the launch of the project in July 2016, the research team has made numerous breakthroughs in key core technologies and successfully developed a test vehicle. 

High-speed maglev fills the gap between high-speed rail and air transportation, and it can form a more logical, efficient, flexible and convenient multi-dimensional transportation architecture for aviation, high-speed rail, high-speed maglev and urban traffic speed gradients. 

This architecture can meet the travel needs of different groups, analysts said. The news went viral as many netizens applauded this new breakthrough in the railway industry. Others, however, welcomed the news but remained skeptical about its possible high costs for construction and maintenance.

President Xi Jinping pursuing father’s legacy of simplicity

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Chinese President, Xi Jingping, has been leading a simple life since childhood, following the footsteps of his beloved father, Xi Zhongxun.

"There are many noble characters I wish to inherit from my father," Xi Jinping, then governor of southeast China's Fujian Province, had written in a letter of felicitation to his father Xi Zhongxun on his birthday in 2001, the Chinese media reported in an article to mark the Father's Day on June 21. 

Xi Zhongxun (1913-2002) was a leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state.

Despite his heavy responsibilities, he had enjoyed the opportunities of being with his kids at home. 

The Xis have had a tradition of being strict with children and frugal, Xi Jinping's mother, Qi Xin, once said, attributing it to the influence of Xi Zhongxun. 

When China began its reform and opening up in 1978, Xi Zhongxun was serving as the party chief of the southern province of Guangdong. To get started in Guangdong, he was known to have worked round the clock and during one summer, he visited 23 counties in the scorching heat to familiarize himself with the locals. His risk-taking spirit in innovative reforms has deeply impacted President Xi.

Under Xi's leadership, China announced plans to establish the Xiongan New Area in north China's Hebei Province in 2017 to coordinate the development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, hailed as a historic project. 

Once the mother recalled that how Xi and his younger brother used to wear clothes and shoes handed down from their elder sisters, including their old red cloth shoes. At first, Xi Jinping found this embarrassing, according to his mother. 

But his father told his boy that they could dye the shoes to make them a better match for him. This reflected a tradition in the Xi's to live a simple life, with Xi Jinping carrying on his family's tradition.

Beijing reports 22 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Beijing, the capital of China, reported 22 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on June 21, taking the total number of infections involving the Xinfadi wholesale market since June 11 to 227.

There was no new death reported, however, according to the details shared by the Beijing Health Commission. Three suspected cases and three asymptomatic cases also reported in the same period. 

Among the newly-reported cases, 10 came from Fengtai district, eight from Daxing district, three from Haidian district and one case was detected in Tongzhou district. So far, 18 asymptomatic persons have been placed under medical observation in the city since June 11. 

Meanwhile, over 2.29 million samples have been collected for nucleic acid testing in Beijing between June 11 and June 20, according to Zhang Qiang, a member of the city's epidemic-control office who oversees nucleic acid testing. 

Beijing was conducting large-scale nucleic acid testing of food delivery people and couriers to reduce the risk of infection, Zhang added.

The health authorities on June 21 revealed that 26 new COVID-19 cases were reported on the Chinese mainland during the past 24 hours, of which 25 were local transmissions and one was an inbound case. No new deaths were reported.