With commercial airlines engulfed by the maelstrom of the coronavirus pandemic one sector of the industry favoured by the wealthy is thriving: private jets.
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KUALA LUMPUR: The government has cancelled the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign due to the Covid-19 situation, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri announced tonight.
She said Covid-19 has had a detrimental effect on the tourism sector in Malaysia in particular and the world in general.
Due to the movement control order from March 18 to 31 to check the spread of Covid-19, the ministry had to freeze many tourism-related services, she said in a statement.
The services include all counter and online services at the Tourism Licensing Division and ministry offices in the states, such as licensing of tour companies, tour guides, tourism accommodation, spas and foot reflexology centres, she added.
Nancy said in line with the Movement Control Order, all tourist accommodations are allowed to operate at a minimum level.
“All guests at the accommodation premises must remain in their respective rooms during the quarantine period and order their meals through room service.
“Check-ins at tourist accommodation will also be permitted, but on a small and limited scale,” she said.
However, new domestic tourists wanted to check-in at the premises would not be allowed, she added.
VM2020 was launched on Dec 31, targeting 30 million visitor arrivals and RM100 billion tourist receipts. – Bernama
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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/gov-t-cancels-visit-malaysia-2020-campaign-over-covid-19-LA2147278
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Belgian-based Brussels Airlines suspended all flights for at least a month on Tuesday, as the coronavirus pandemic savaged the air transport sector.
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In a coordinated effort to combat the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have agreed to work closely to ensure the latest and most reliable information and tailored guidance reaches the global business community.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health and societal emergency that requires effective immediate action by governments, individuals and businesses. All businesses have a key role to play in minimising the likelihood of transmission and impact on society. Early, bold and effective action will reduce short- term risks to employees and long-term costs to businesses and the economy.
To aid this collective effort, ICC will regularly send updated advice to its network of over 45 million businesses so that businesses everywhere can take informed and effective action to protect their workers, customers and local communities and contribute to the production and distribution of essential supplies.
ICC will also contribute to enhancing information flows on the coronavirus outbreak by surveying its global private sector network to map the global business response. This will both encourage businesses to adopt appropriate precautionary approaches and generate new data and insights to support national and international government efforts.
As an immediate priority, businesses should be developing or updating, readying or implementing business continuity plans. Business continuity plans should aim to reduce transmission, including by: promoting understanding of the disease, its symptoms and appropriate behavior among employees; setting up a reporting system for any cases and contacts; preparing essentials; limiting travel and physical connectivity; and planning for measures such as teleworking when necessary.
Calls to Action
As the pandemic evolves, ICC Secretary General John W.H Denton AO and WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus will continue to coordinate their efforts.
Essential information on the COVID-19 pandemic can be found on the WHO’s dedicated site.
.tmb-1200v.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=84087804_6 "ICC-WHO Joint Statement: An unprecedented private sector call to action to tackle COVID-19 7")
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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/16-03-2020-icc-who-joint-statement-an-unprecedented-private-sector-call-to-action-to-tackle-covid-19
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KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government is considering the possibility of extending the current school holidays and getting the private sector to allow their employees to work from home in order to curb the spread of Covid-19.
In appealing to the people to minimise their movements, including avoiding non-essential travel, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said that more measures might be considered.
“I urge the public to stay calm and fully cooperate with the authorities in order to curb the spread of Covid-19. We can overcome this if we all come together to do our part,” he said in a statement today.
Since the first positive case was detected last week, involving a 58-year-old man in Tawau who was among those who attended the Sri Petaling Mosque tabligh gathering in Kuala Lumpur between Feb 27 and March 1, the Sabah Health Department has identified 49 cases in the state as of today.
Health officials in the state have detected more cases from among those who attended the mosque event and steps are being taken to trace the other participants and also the people they have come into contact with over the past 10 days since their return.
“The Health Department and others have been going all out to locate and identify areas that could have been contaminated.
“They have also taken swift measures, including temporarily closing mosque and suraus in areas that have had Covid-19 cases,” said Mohd Shafie, adding that since Jan 30, the Sabah government had halted the arrivals of tourists directly from countries affected by the virus.
Of the 49 cases reported in Sabah so far, 14 were in Lahad Datu; followed by Kota Kinabalu (nine); Tawau (eight); Kinabatangan (five); Tuaran (three); Kunak, Putatan and Sandakan (two each); Beaufort, Kota Belud; Papar and Sipitang (one each). — Bernama
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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/covid-19-sabah-may-extend-school-holidays-get-private-sector-to-let-employees-work-from-home-HI2129382
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The ailing US news industry is bracing for more turmoil with the coronavirus pandemic expected to deliver an economic shock to the sector—just when people need credible information the most.
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KUALA LUMPUR: Sectors affected by the Covid-19 outbreak will be given electricity bill discounts, said Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah.
In a statement today, he said it was one of the measures that would be implemented under the 2020 Economic Stimulus Package announced in February.
“I will also ensure that the country’s electricity supply industry supports the government’s efforts to implement the economic stimulus package by accelerating the implementation of renewable energy projects as well as the development of the country’s electricity supply infrastructure,“ he said.
Meanwhile, Shamsul Anuar said his ministry was currently reviewing plans made in the energy sector to ensure that the initiatives were in line with the new government’s desire and policies.
He said the direction of the country’s power generation industry under the new government would also be announced after he received detailed input over the matter.
Shamsul said the agenda to boost renewable energy growth would also continue in line with the government’s aspirations under the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030. — Bernama
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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/covid-19-affected-sectors-to-get-electricity-bill-discounts-CC2127523
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It is almost five years now since the Nutrition Decade was declared. It is time to reflect back on its achievements so far. FAO and WHO are convening an open and inclusive dialogue with stakeholders for the mid-term review of the Nutrition Decade. 
This review follows the ECOSOC Resolution 1989/84 regarding international decades, which provides that an appropriate inter-governmental body should appraise the implementation of a decade’s programme of work at the mid-point and at the end of the decade.
The objectives of the Mid-term Review of the Nutrition Decade are to assess and evaluate the achievements in individual policy areas of the ICN2 Framework for Action, as reflected in the actions areas of the Work Programme of the Decade, over the time period from 2016 to 2020. The Mid-term Review aims to identify focus areas for priority action and promising opportunities in each of the six action areas for future progress from 2021 to 2025. This assessment will guide the revision of the ‘living part’ of the Work Programme of the Nutrition Decade as appropriate.
The process will include a series of consultations and dialogues with member states, civil society organizations, private sector, UN partner agencies and others, as well as an open online consultation. Finally, a global event is envisioned to be organized to underscore the achievements of the first half of the Nutrition Decade and set the stage for the priorities during the second half. More information is provided in the concept note.
The joint FAO/WHO Nutrition Decade Secretariat has developed the Mid-term Review Foresight paper, which will serve as the background paper for the consultation process. Reflecting on the broader development in nutrition globally, this paper develops a vision on actions to be taken in the different areas of the Work Programme of the Nutrition Decade, considering specific advances and opportunities in individual policy areas.
Background documents for the consultation process of the Mid-term Review of the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition 2016-2025 can be downloaded here. We will add the other 5 languages when they are available, and meanwhile, publish some in English only.
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https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/12-03-2020-mid-term-review-of-the-un-decade-of-action-on-nutrition
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A world without robots is now almost inconceivable. Not only do they take on important tasks in production processes, they are also increasingly being used in the service sector. For example, machines created to resemble humans—known as androids—are helping to care for elderly people. However, this development conflicts with the preconception that senior citizens are rather hostile to technology and would be skeptical about a robot. A study by psychologists of Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany suggests, however, that older people are far less anxious and hostile regarding such ‘human robots’ than previously thought.
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By 2030, a fifth of the fuel that motorists put into the petrol tanks of their cars could be alcohol, according to research concluding that new petrol and ethanol blends can reduce carbon emissions from Europe’s transport sector with little additional cost to consumers.
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