Monica Ortega has been delivering groceries for three years, but with American life transformed by the coronavirus pandemic and many people staying indoors, her job has never felt more vital.
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KUALA LUMPUR: The situation was quieter than usual in the capital and other major cities in the country on the third day of the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO).
A Bernama survey of major roads in the capital, among them Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Raja Laut and Jalan Tun Razak, found them to be less congested while checks on housing estates nearby also showed that residents were adhering to the MCO and staying put at home.
Although most shops were closed, a self-service laundrette continued to operate despite not being allowed to do so.
Police and other enforcement officers were also seen doing their rounds in the Wangsa Maju and Ampang Jaya areas in Selangor, with crowd movement reported to be very minimal.
Sundry shopkeeper Abdul Halim Zakaria, 60, said he only conducted delivery services while restaurant owner Idris Abdul Malek, 51, said he was only selling packed food for takeaways as allowed under the MCO.
The situation was similar elsewhere in the country, with Johor Police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay saying “most people are obeying the MCO, though there are a few who still gather at eateries”.
In Malacca, State Security and Crime Prevention Department chief ACP Beh Eng Lai said police set up 24-hour road blocks at three main roads in central Malacca as well as three more in Jasin and one in Alor Gajah.
“The road blocks have had an impact although there are still some who are stubborn and continue to give excuses for being on the road,” he said.
Kota Star District Police chief ACP Mohd Rozi Jidin, meanwhile, said police decided to close certain roads here as many still did not heed the MCO.
“We had no choice but to close 15 roads in the district. We first closed the roads from 9am to 1pm. The roads were then reopened for a while before being closed again and we will keep changing the road closure times,” he said. — Bernama
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If you’ve tried ordering groceries for delivery this week, it isn’t you. In a coronavirus era, the old rules and expectations have been thrown out the window.
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PUTRAJAYA: Activities in the production, processing and distribution of food including imports and exports will continue as normal during the movement control order, which came into effect from March 18 to 31 to ensure continuity in the food supply chain ecosystem, said the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry.
“Therefore the supply process from wholesalers to retailers will continue to operate as usual and the people are advised not to panic buy or hold excessive stockpile of food,” said the ministry.
The ministry in a statement today said the Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee (pix) had conducted two visits to MyFarm outlet in Putrajaya and rice miller, YHL Trading Sdn Bhd in Semenyih today to ensure sufficient food supply in the market.
According to the ministry, main food items such rice, meat, fish, vegetables and fruits are at stable level and adequate.
“The supply is supported by domestic production, import and stocks. The stock of rice in the market now is 500,000 tonnes,” he said.
The ministry said its delivery service to target groups would go on as normal such as food development services, biosecurity, inspection and quarantine.
“The ministry will continue to monitor and cooperate with producers and distributors to ensure adequate food supply during the movement control order,” it said. – Bernama
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PETALING JAYA: In the spirit of helping people, Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar (pix) is offering free delivery services to help the aged and those in need.
The free delivery of essential items, food and medicine during the 14-day Movement Control Order runs from 6pm to 10pm.
The service will be available in the Setiawangsa area (Kuala Lumpur), Balik Pulau (Penang) and in her constituency, Permatang Pauh.
“The response has been encouraging and they been receiving numerous calls, especially from those requesting for face masks,” Nurul said.
“The team takes between five and 15 minutes to deliver the items. The teams are stationed at various state assembly constituencies and are manned by our members and volunteers.”
She added that other PKR MPs are also providing such a service in their constituency.
The assistance programme is led by Penang PKR youth chief, Fahmi Zainol and each area has three to five personnel.
“I decided on this initiative to assist the aged, less abled and those dependent on welfare aid as many of them were unable to cope with such a crisis.
“Many are in urgent need of assistance and support. As a time like this, we need to work together at all levels to ensure everyone is taken care of,“ Nurul said.
She added that she was also receiving help from others, including welfare-based non-governmental organisations to make the make the programme a success.
She added that they are also making deliveries to hospitals and police stations.
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Ride-sharing company Lyft says it is exploring government and health care partnerships to create safer earning opportunities for drivers by having them deliver medical supplies, food and other items.
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Amazon on Tuesday made a priority of medical supplies and household staples, putting shipments of other goods on hold to focus on key items during the coronavirus outbreak.
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Multiple rideshare and food delivery companies are following in the footsteps of Uber, which announced it would compensate its drivers who catch the new coronavirus.
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Food delivery giant DoorDash has taken a first formal step toward a stock market debut.
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The World Health Organization’s new action plan to speed up universal access to safe blood and blood products pulls together existing recommendations and recommends new improved ways of working. It’s the start of a four-year collaborative effort to improve blood transfusion and blood-based therapies in all countries.
Safe blood saves lives in all sorts of circumstances, not least in emergency and epidemic settings. Blood transfusion and blood products are critical for birth delivery for both the mother and baby; the survival and quality of life of patients suffering from life-threatening conditions such as haemophilia, thalassemia, immune deficiency and cancer; treating severe injuries and carrying out medical and surgical procedures.
But progress in blood safety and availability has been slow in many parts of the world, placing patients’ safety at risk and putting undue pressure on health workers. Progress is also mostly restricted to developed countries. Out of the approximate 118 million blood donations collected globally, 42% are collected in high-income countries, home to 16 % of the world’s population. And one out of four low-income countries do not test all donated blood, while 54% of countries do not have surveillance systems to securitise the supply chain from blood donor to patient.
Challenges include: slow implementation of national blood policies and weak blood regulatory systems; insufficient number of voluntary blood donors (who are considered the safest donors); poor quality management of screening tests, blood grouping and compatibility testing; inappropriate clinical use of blood; insufficient national funding for blood safety.
To address these, WHO has set out six key objectives for all countries and in particular those with weak blood systems:
The Organization looks forward to working with partners worldwide to implement the plan, improve blood supply particularly in the low and middle-income countries where this is so urgently needed, and save lives. The plan will run from 2020-2024.
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