The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that it has donated over Rs10 million to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s coronavirus relief fund. According to PCB press release it deposited PKR10,536 in the relief fund. PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani thanked all the employees for their generous contributions to the fund. He added that cricket has once again demonstrated that it values, respects and cares for its supporters and will continue to do so.
US Ambassador to Pakistan Paul W Jones has assured that the United States stands with Pakistan in its fight against the novel coronavirus.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson recovered from coronavirus but faced criticism for being “missing in action” at the beginning of the outbreak. Johnson spent three days in intensive care after contracting the virus, but was released from hospital a week ago. The leader was accused of being “missing in action” by Labour shadow health minister Jonathan Ashworth following a Sunday Times newspaper report.
The government of China knew that the Coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan could snowball into a pandemic yet they kept the world in dark from for the next 6 days. APNews reported based on retrospective infection data. The report, citing Chinese media, claims there was enough data that COVID-19 was spreading as people yet the Chinese government hid the fact from the public and WHO.
Remdesivir, an antiviral medicine, has cured nearly all coronavirus patients after the clinical trial. A hospital in Chicago administering Remdesivir reported that the patients recovered from fever and respiratory difficulties. Remdesivir is a product of Gilead Sciences, an American biotechnology company. Following the outbreak of Coronavirus in Wuhan, several laboratory tests identified Remdesivir as the potential cure of COVID-19 disease.
PIA will be operating daily flights to the UK to send back stranded Britons and bring back stranded Pakistanis. The PIA spokesperson said the flights will start April 19 (Sunday). They will operate from Lahore and Islamabad to London, Manchester and Birmingham. The added that the permission was given after assurance that all safety measures will be implemented.
Netflix has made some educational films and series available on YouTube for free including Our Planet and Explained at the request of teachers. The move comes as coronavirus outbreak has confined millions of students to their homes, compelling educational institutions to tap virtual tools to keep the classes running. The decision to make some content free on YouTube is a rare exception to Netflix’s marketing strategy as it charges a monthly subscription fee from users.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has extended the deadline for blocking unregulated IMEIs for an additional 30 days. PTA has given extension due to the coronavirus outbreak, to provide relief and facilitation to the public. The blocking of mobile devices that are not compliant with PTA regulations will resume from May 19 and will be communicated via SMS.
Apple is releasing a new iPhone that will be vastly cheaper than the previous models as pandemic curbed spending. The second-generation iPhone SE introduced will sell for $399, a 40 per cent markdown from the iPhone 11 unveiled last year. Higher-end versions of the iPhone 11 sell for more than $1,000. Online orders for the iPhone SE will begin Friday, with the first deliveries expected April 24.
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has banned live audiences to attend Ramazan transmissions amid coronavirus outbreak. Moreover, channels have been advised to disinfect equipment, while providing safety kits to the staff engaged in the transmission. The authority has also prohibited the distribution of extravagant gifts on Ramazan shows. The authority said, display of such gifts would give a very negative impact as the world is suffering from scarcity, hunger and joblessness.