MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 SHAWWAL 9, 1441 AH

OMAN DAILY

@omanobserver
www.omanobserver.om
editor@omanobserver.om

ESTABLISHED IN 1981 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI VOL. 39 NO. 200 | PAGES 20

1,014 COVID-19
CASES IN A
SINGLE DAY
MUSCAT: The coronavirus
cases in the Sultanate on
Sunday touched a new peak
with 1,014 new coronavirus
cases out of which 371 are
Omanis and 643 non-
Omanis. This brings the
total number of positive
COVID-19 cases in the
Sultanate to 11,437. Two
residents died on Sunday
taking the total toll to 46.

RESTORATION WORK
Muscat recorded 802 cases
of which 330 cases were
registered in Seeb alone.
The Wilayat of Bausher

BEGINS IN DHOFAR
recorded 237 cases, while
Wilayat Muttrah reported
137 new coronavirus cases.
Muscat Governorate now
has 8,638 cases. — ONA
KAUSHALENDRA SINGH

SAF steps in for

SALALAH: Dhofar Municipality has
relief operation
FDI grows taken up the task of restoration work in
the areas which are badly affected by
the rain caused by the tropical low
SALALAH: The Sultan’s
Armed Forces (SAF)
6% in Q3 pressure.
Dr Ahmed bin Mohsin al Ghassani,
personnel is providing relief
operations in Dhofar

of 2019 Chairman of Dhofar Municipality, took

MUSCAT: The total foreign direct
investment (FDI) in the Sultanate
till the end of the third quarter of
2019 hit RO 11.04 billion compared
to RO 10.39 billion in the same
period in 2018, recording a growth
of 6 per cent.
Foreign investment flows
reached RO 647.7 million, according
to the preliminary data on foreign
direct investment issued by the
National Centre for Statistics and
Information (NCSI).
The United Kingdom topped the
list with RO 5.17 billion followed by
the United Arab Emirates at RO
1.13 billion. The United States,
Kuwait, China and Qatar invested
RO 832 million, RO 836.4 million,
RO 479.7 million and RO 417.9
million, respectively. — ONA
stock of the situation after holding a
meeting with the municipality officials.
He assured restoration of normal life as
early as possible, as the machineries
were in place to clear the debris from
the main roads and waterlogging from
the residential areas.
Some roads which are badly damaged
and not fit for commuters are being
monitored by the Royal Oman Police
(ROP), which is making all possible
efforts to block these roads.
Simultaneously efforts are on to make
them functional as early as possible.
Saeed bin Muhammad Tabuk,
Director-General of the Directorate of
Roads and Land Transport in Dhofar
Governorate, confirmed that all roads
linking Salalah with other wilayats are
clear with the exception of the Al
Mazyouna road, which is currently
broken due to the flow of the wadis.
TURN TO P5
following the orders of
deputy prime minister for
defence affairs. The SAF
units have helped in
reopening of roads and
provided medical services in
the affected areas.
The Royal Navy of Oman
(RNO) vessel Al Rasikh
arrived in Dhofar
Governorate on Saturday to
help other naval vessels in
search and rescue
operations as well as
providing logistic support to
other sectors. The Royal Air
Force of Oman (Rafo) is
utilising its aircraft in the
ongoing search and rescue
operations, evacuation and
transport of essential goods.
— ONA
2 MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020
OMAN
OVER 1.4 MILLION LIVE IN MUSCAT
BANGLADESHIS TOP AMONG EXPATS; EGYPTIANS OUTNUMBER OTHER ARABS
ZAINAB AL NASSRI
MUSCAT: Muscat
Governorate has the highest
population density among
the governorates of the
Sultanate as there are 355
persons every 1km.
The number of population
in Muscat alone amounted to
1,421,409; 560,011 of which
are Omanis and 861,398
expats. Al Wusta, however,
has the least density, as
there is one every 1km.
On the other hand, the
number of the expat males
stood at 1.61 million (34.8 per
cent out of the total
population and about 82 per
cent of the total expatriates
in 2019). The average age of
expatriates across the
Sultanate’s governorates is
almost similar (35) years.
The population of Oman hit
4,671,927 till the end of 2019,
according to an NCSI
(National Center for
Statistics and Information)
bulletin released on Sunday.
The number of Omani
citizens stood at 2,655,144;
1.34 million of which are
males and 1.32 are females.
The number of expatriates
stood at 1,962,783.
The highest four male
nationalities in the Sultanate
as of mid-2019 are
Bangladeshi (623,961), Indian
(616,857), Pakistani (221,538)
and Egyptian (35,007). This
Healing beyond the
aftermath together
LAKSHMI
KOTHANETH
MUSCAT: More than 340
people across the globe
would attend the Webinar
from Oman titled ‘Healing
beyond the Aftermath’, an
initiative from the ‘Not
Alone Campaign’ held on
Friday and Saturday, May
29 and 30.
“We had been thinking
about how we can help.
We have the frontliners
but we cannot go to the
hospitals. So we are
thinking of how we can
reach out to the world.
Then we felt we have to
focus on technology and
talk about the healing
journey. We did not want
to use the word corona or
COVID-19.
“Of course, there is a lot
of pain and a reflex the
minute we say the word
corona. We wanted
something that would
help us throughout our
life and not just now and
that is why we called it
Healing beyond the
Aftermath. In Arabic we
www.omanobserver.om
make 38.8 per cent of the
male expats in the Sultanate
from the Bangladeshi
nationality. However,
Egyptian males make the
largest number of Arab
expats in the country.
The highest four female
nationalities in the Sultanate
as of mid-2019 are Ugandan
(26,487), Sri Lankan (17,265),
Tanzanian (14,098), and
Nigerian (729).
The bulletin also pointed
that expatriates in the
working age (15- 64) years
constitute the largest share
of expatriates with (95 per
cent) compared to (5 per
cent) only for the rest of the
segments. The elderly of
them (65 years and over) are
only (0.64 per cent) in 2019
while the age group
(25 -34) years constitute
(43 per cent).
called it Healing for a
Better Day,” said HH
Sayyida Basma al Said,
Psychologist and Founder
of Whispers of Serenity
and Not Alone Campaign.
The Webinar brought in
32 speakers.
The two-day event was
joined by over 350
participants and hosted
guests from Oman, Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain,
Egypt, Iran, India, United
Kingdom and Philippines.
Not Alone is a campaign
Sayyida Basma began in
2014, and in this year’s
webinar with the main
panel along with break
out rooms and in these
virtual rooms there were
themes – Mindfulness and
Art, which could help
individuals to make a best
of difficult times, Healing
for children – mental
health of different types
of children in the
aftermath were discussed
and Healing of lives (for
adults) and on the second
day one more theme was
added for young people to
share what they were
going through.
www.omanobserver.om
Civil Service Minister issues workplace guidelines
MUSCAT: Minister of Civil
Service Shaikh Khalid bin
Omar al Marhoon has issued
a circular regarding the
guidelines for the return of
employees to the workplace
following a decision of the
Supreme Committee for
tackling the COVID-19
pandemic stipulating that not
less than 50 per cent of
employees should be at office
in each entity while the rest of
the employees avail of their
annual leave.
The circular sets forth a
number of preventive
measures to be followed at
the Ministry of Civil Service.
Providing temperature
scanning devices at all
entrances for checking the
temperatures of employees
and visitors.
Suspending the biometric-
based attendance system.
Employees should clean and
disinfect their hands
regularly and avoid shaking
hands with others.
Providing protective
equipment for anyone
entering the ministry.
Maintaining good ventilation
and refreshing the air by
keeping the doors open.
Using personal protective
equipment such as gloves,
face masks and disinfectants.
Abiding by social distancing
guidelines by keeping a
suitable distance between
employees.
Office-to-office movement of
employees should be
restricted and the employees
should not share stationery.
Avoiding gatherings and
reducing meetings.
Employees’ gatherings
including official meetings
should be limited as far as
MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 3
OMAN
possible and replaced by
video conferencing.
Otherwise, meetings can be
held in open spaces while
maintaining social
distancing guidelines.
The guidelines also include
banning all types of events
inside the ministry’s premises,
rationalising paperwork and
using e-mail instead.
The ministry directed its
employees to report to it in
case any employee develops
symptoms of COVID-19 or
comes in contact with infected
or suspected cases.
The gradual return of the
rest of employees will be
decided by the Supreme
Committee, the Ministry of
Civil Service said.

Back to work
with caution

SAMUEL KUTTY are not present on the floor

MUSCAT: As the Supreme
Committee allowed both the
public and private sectors to
host 50 per cent white-collar
workforce, offices in the
Sultanate opened on Sunday
with stringent measures in
place.
Although every employee
who returned to work was
very cautious, attendance was
reported to be low at several
offices. Many people were
averse to the opening of
offices, which, they feared,
would result in contracting
the coronavirus infection.
While the reaction on the
first day of resuming work
was mixed with many
employees experiencing a
cultural shift as Tariq Aziz,
who is working with a finance
company said, “the new norms
in the office are a bit painful
although they are for our
safety”.
No doubt, it is a great feeling
to be back on my seat and
seeing my colleagues despite
the fact that many of them
which used to accommodate
more than 30 staff, he said.
“But the identity has become
an issue. With face masks, we
were not able to recognise
each other. It is a real shift
from the routine”, he told
Observer.
Handshakes are out. Masks
have become socially de
rigueur and, if not worn, will
amount to an offence
punishable with fine.
Ahmed al Lawati, who works
in an insurance company said
that customer arrivals to the
office was almost nil as most
of the works were done online.
“What is amazing is the
change -- temperature
checks, masks, sanitisers –
which are becoming the
parameters to enter the
workplace”, he said.
He said the overall vibe is
good. There is no biometric
attendance or signing. But
the new social mores of
socially-distanced chairs and
masked colleagues will
continue to haunt us with
COVID times, Al Lawati said.
4 MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 www.omanobserver.om

OMAN
When rain
overshadowed
the pandemic
K AU S H A L E N D R A S I N G H

SALALAH: When there is a prob-

lem in physical form, people tend to
forget all other problems. Same is
the case in Salalah where a low
pressure has brought rain and
thunderstorms so much so that
most of the coastal areas in the
Dhofar Governorate received heavy
rain during the last four days.
People here are so much occupied
with the news of rain, waterlogging,
flood and overflowing of wadis that
they have forgotten that the world
is facing far bigger a problem than
this in the form of COVID-19 pan-
demic.
Hardly anyone is seen taking about
the COVID-19 in Salalah now and
that is reflected in people’s behav-
iour also. Pre low pressure, every-
one was overcautious while meet-
ing and greeting. They mostly
ensured that they were wearing a
mask and exchanging things with
caution and sanitising hands imme-
diately after, even after any small
exchange of things.
“This has gone out of their mind
temporarily, as I have seen people
Rain takes a break, seeking neighbour’s help while
removing their vehicles from water-
logged areas, they were freely

downpour forecast exchanging keys and talking with-

out maintaining the standard social
distancing norms. I am sure they
were not doing it deliberately, but
KAUSHALENDRA SINGH According to National caution need to be taken again a
The weather Multi-Hazard Early bigger problem”, said Abdullateef,
SALALAH: Salalah is Warning Centre, most resident of Al Quof in Central Salalah.
mostly cloudy with high monitoring areas in Dhofar will He also noticed people not wear-
precipitation and humidi- remain cloudy with fair ing masks while discussing the low
ty, which are indications stations sounded chances of heavy rain in pressure standing in front of their
of heavy rain in coming Salalah and western parts houses and watching the overflow
hours. With precipitation possibility of high of Dhofar in places like of water on roads.
at 94 per cent and humid- sea waves and Rakhyout and Dalkhout. People were seen showing soli-
ity at 90 the chances of “There would be partly darity with those who got their vehi-
rain in and around the heavy rains during cloudy sky with chance of cles submerged in one wadi (canal)
city are very high. occasional rain and thun- or the other. The number of onlook-
Even as the rain has Sunday night der showers associated ers was much more than the real
taken a break in some with fresh wind in Dhofar rescuers. One can only guess about
areas, the weather moni- Governorate on Sunday”, the norms of social distancing in
toring stations sounded said the Met Office. such situations.
possibility of high sea roads are open and block- Monday also would have
waves and heavy rains ages from the wadis have cloudy sky with chances of
during Sunday night. Most been removed. rain and thunder showers.
of Dhofar has reported Due to Met Office’s alert The status of sea would
active winds with rain and of possible heavy rains, remain rough along
thunderstorm. the Public Authority for coastal areas of the
Due to less intensity of Civil Aviation (PACA) has Dhofar Governorate with
rain during last 12 hours advised the public to take maximum wave height of
and relief measures precautions and stay three to five metres.
undertaken by the Dhofar away from low lying The National Multi-
Municipality, water level areas. It also advised peo- Hazard Early Warning
on roads and residential ple to avoid crossing Centre has warned of
areas has come down wadis and avoid venture poor visibility during
drastically. Most of the into the sea. the rain.
www.omanobserver.om
WEAR REUSABLE
MASKS TO LIMIT
ENVIRONMENTAL
POLLUTION
STAFF R E P O RT E R
MUSCAT: Environmental
experts have warned against
the use of face masks that can-
not be recycled, as well as prod-
ucts that are made of plastic,
the Ministry for Environment
and Climate Affairs (MECA) in
Oman said.
As part of the preventive
measures to combat Covid-19,
under the law in Oman, it is
required of everyone to wear
face masks in public places,
including all permitted com-
mercial and industrial activi-
ties, workplaces in the public
and private sectors, and public
transportation.
Restoration work
begins in Dhofar
FROM PAGE 1
“We will re-open the road, as well
as the non-valley road leading to
Zayk. In the event of any inter-
ruption, we will reopen it”, he said
and pointed out that the teams of
the General Directorate of Roads
and Land Transport in the Dhofar
Governorate are present with
equipment and machinery in at
all affected areas to remove the
obstacles.
There is no major interruption
MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 5
OMAN
Lobster fishing
season ends
MUSCAT: Lobster fishing season in the
Governorates of Dhofar, Al Wusta and South
Al Sharqiyah, came to an end on Sunday, the
Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
announced. The lobster fishing seasons start-
ed in the beginning of March. The ministry has
called upon fishermen, companies, hotels, res-
taurants and individuals involved in the buy-
ing, selling and importing of lobster to register
their stock following the end of the 3-month
lobster fishing season. — ONA
Royal Oman Police is author-
ised to impose a fine of RO 20
for not wearing masks.
The ministry called for the
process to get rid of used masks
and other protective gears
found randomly on the roads
and especially on beaches. This
could become a health and
environmental concern
because of their impact on wild
and marine life.
It added that the problem is
already arising in various coun-
tries around the world, where
about eight million tonnes of
plastic ends up at sea annually,
and they constitute 80 per cent
of the waste in the seas accord-
ing to the International Union
for Conservation of Nature.
on the main roads connecting
wilayats of the governorate, but
some temporary interruptions
are there due to the wadis. Saeed
Tabuk confirmed that there has
been no interruption on Salalah-
Rakhyout-Dhalkout Salik road, as
well as the road linking Salalah,
of Taqah, Mirbat, Sadah and
Shuwaima-Salik, as well as
Salalah — Thamrait — Muscat
roads. Just as the Maamoura tun-
nel was submerged, it has been
cleared.
6 MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 www.omanobserver.om

OMAN
STAFF REPO RT E R

MUSCAT: The Directorate

General of Health Services
in South Batinah
Governorate has respond-
ed to the coronavirus pan-
demic in accordance with
the actions taken at the
national level.
The Governorate Health
Services with all its health
institutions and depart-
ments have delivered
prompt response in coop-
eration with the relevant
sectors to review and
update the emergency and
crises plan to tackle the
pandemic.
Moreover, all health insti-

South Batinah
tutions and relevant depart-
ments in the DGHS have
developed supportive plans
consistent with the general
plan of the governorate.

Health workers have been
trained to deal with sus-
pected cases, besides famil-
iarising them with the epi-
demiological surveillance,
reporting of cases and
infection prevention meth-
ods in the health institu-
tions.
They were also trained in
methods of washing and
cleaning hands, disinfect-
ing surfaces and in the
proper use of personal pro-
tective equipment (PPE).
The training included all
those in health institutions,
including technicians,
administrators, cleaners
and ambulance drivers,
along with workers in pri-
vate health institutions.
The preparation phase
stressed the provision of
the necessary medical sup-
health services
take prompt steps
plies and tools such as ster-
ilization tools, hygiene and
examination materials for
sampling, (PPE) and the nec-
essary medications, in addi-
tion to updating and moni-
toring electronic surveil-
lance systems and solving
some technical problems in
Ashifa system.
The continuous institu-
tional visits by the director
general, directors of depart-
ments, and supervisors of
various health programmes
since the announcement of
the epidemic in the world
have had a great impact on
monitoring the progress of
work and determining the
readiness of health institu-
tions at all levels to address
the pandemic. Drills were
conducted in this regard by
the DG’s department of
Disaster and Crisis.
All health educators par-
ticipated in the community
and institutional education
on various issues related to
COVID-19 using all types of
educational means, includ-
ing publications, film mate-
rials, lectures, seminars,
community awareness
campaigns and disseminat-
ing messages through vari-
ous social media. This is in
addition to the important
role performed by the com-
munity health support
groups in cooperation with
other public sectors, sports,
cultural and volunteer
teams.

FAMILY MEDICINE PLAYS KEY ROLE

STAFF REPORTER ing data, and then pre-
senting them to experts
MUSCAT: The Sultanate’s in order to make the
Primary Healthcare, rep- appropriate decisions for
resented by the polyclin- each phase.
ics and Health Centres’ The work was
Family Medicine, has intensified with the World
been playing a prominent Health Organization’s
role in providing declaration of the
healthcare to the people coronavirus as a global
ever since the outbreak pandemic on March 12
of COVID-19. this year. All Health
The Family Medicine’s Centres and Family
tangible role mainly cen- Medicine Clinics started
tred on discussing facts, implementing infection
developing plans, analys- prevention measures in
their respective
institutions, besides
maintaining social
distancing among
patients and staff.
Furthermore, family
physicians in collabora-
tion with the infection
control team trained all
the health workers in the
health institutions on
hands sterilization steps,
and applying all precau-
tionary measures during
the examination of sus-
pected patients.
www.omanobserver.om
SPACEX
CREW
DRAGON
DOCKS
WITH ISS
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft lifts off from launch complex
39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday. — AFP
WASHINGTON: A able first booster stage
SpaceX Crew Dragon
capsule carrying two
NASA astronauts
docked Sunday with
the International Space
Station, the first time a
crewed US spacecraft
has performed the feat
in nearly a decade.
It was also a first for
the private sector, a tri-
umphant moment for
the company founded
by Elon Musk in 2002.
NASA hopes to build on
such partnerships to
usher in a new era of
space travel.
The two-stage rocket
with astronauts Robert
Behnken and Douglas
Hurley aboard blasted
off smoothly in a cloud
of orange flames and
smoke from Launch
Pad 39A at Florida’s
Kennedy Space Center
for a historic flight to
the orbiting ISS.
“Let’s light this can-
dle”, Hurley said, right
before liftoff. The reus-
of the SpaceX rocket
separated cleanly
about two and a half
minutes after liftoff
and landed upright on
a floating barge off the
THE MISSION,
DUBBED
“DEMO-2”, IS THE
FINAL TEST FLIGHT
BEFORE NASA
CERTIFIES
SPACEX’S CREW
DRAGON CAPSULE
FOR REGULAR
CREWED
MISSIONS
Atlantic coast.
The second stage
also separated smooth-
ly, sending the astro-
nauts in the Crew
Dragon capsule on
their way to the space
station.
SpaceX said Crew
Dragon was on the cor-
rect trajectory to link
up with the space sta-
tion orbiting some 250
miles (450 kilometres)
above the Earth.
The launch had origi-
nally been scheduled
for Wednesday but was
delayed because of
weather conditions,
which also remained
uncertain on Saturday
right up until liftoff at
3:22 pm (1922 GMT).
President Donald
Trump flew to Florida
aboard Air Force One
to watch the launch
and described it as
“really something spe-
cial”.
“Real talent, real gen-
ius, nobody does it like
us”, said Trump, who
has vowed to send
astronauts back to the
Moon by 2024.
The mission, dubbed
“Demo-2”, is the final
test flight before Nasa
certifies SpaceX’s Crew
Dragon capsule for
regular crewed mis-
sions. — AFP
MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 7
WORLD
IN BRIEF
Pope: People
more important
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis said on
Sunday that people are more impor-
tant than the economy, as countries
decide how quickly to reopen their
countries from coronavirus lock-
downs. Francis made his comments,
departing from a prepared script, at
the first noon address from his win-
dow overlooking St Peter’s Square in
three months as Italy’s lockdown drew
to an end.
“Healing people, not saving (money) to
help the economy (is important), heal-
ing people, who are more important
than the economy”, Francis said. The
pope’s words were met with applause
by hundreds of people in the square,
many of whom wore masks and kept
several metres from each other. The
square was reopened to the public last
Monday. Normally tens of thousands
attend on a Sunday.
Al Aqsa reopens
after two months
JERUSALEM: Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa
mosque compound, Islam’s third holi-
est site, reopened on Sunday after a
more than two-month-long coronavi-
rus lockdown, but tensions marred the
event which came hours after a deadly
police shooting.
Before dawn, worshippers in protec-
tive masks waited outside chanting
“God is greatest, we will protect Al Aqsa
with our soul and blood”, before they
were let in for the first prayers of the
day. Israeli soldiers were stationed at
the gates to the site, which has often
been a flashpoint in the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict, and police said
eight arrests were made throughout
the day.
100-year-old
beats COVID-19
SURABAYA: A 100-year-old Indonesian
woman has recovered from coronavi-
rus, making her the country’s oldest
survivor of the deadly respiratory ill-
ness.
Kamtim, who like many Indonesians
goes by one name, was discharged
from hospital this week after a month
of treatment in her hometown
Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-biggest
city, officials said.
East Java Governor Khofifah Indar
Parawansa said she hoped Kamtim’s
story would give a boost to at-risk resi-
dents — the illness is especially dan-
gerous for older people and those with
chronic conditions. — AFP
8 MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 www.omanobserver.om

WORLD
A NYPD police car is set on fire
as protesters clash with police
during a march against the
death in Minneapolis police
custody of George Floyd, in the
Brooklyn borough of New York
City on Saturday. — Reuters

US braces for more protests

WASHINGTON: Cities
across the United States
on Saturday were brac-
ing for more overnight
violence with tens of
thousands of people pro-
testing fuelled by outrage
over the death of George
Floyd.
Minneapolis - where the
African-American man
died in police custody
earlier in the week - was
under curfew and rough-
ly 2,500 national guard
soldiers were patrolling
the streets.
The city’s governor, Tim
Walz, has already warned
that Minneapolis resi-
dents should expect more
violence on Saturday
night. It will be the fifth
night straight that the
Minnesota city has seen
unrest.
Walz called on locals to
stay home so authorities
can remove what he con-
tends are outside agita-
tors, looking to sow “ter-
ror and destruction”.
The outpouring of rage
across the US has forced
yet another reckoning
about police treatment of
African-Americans in the
country, as authorities
struggle to provide an
outlet for the anger while
attempting to quell
unrest.
President Donald
Trump has taken a highly
partisan tone calling for a
tougher crackdown on
protesters and accusing
them of being “radical-left
criminals”.
He said Antifa - a loose
network of people that
often promote militant
anarchism - are behind
the unrest that was
sparked by Floyd’s death.
“My administration will
stop mob violence and
will stop it cold”, Trump
said, adding that the fed-
eral government is coor-
dinating with local
authorities across the
nation, as the response
becomes increasingly
militarized.
Protests have spread
from the mid-western
city of Minneapolis and
evolved into a wave of
nationwide demonstra-
tions and riots.
After a night of unrest,
largely peaceful protests
took over streets in major
cities throughout the
country on Saturday,
including in Newark, New
Jersey, and Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, among oth-
ers. — dpa

Global coronavirus cases top 6 million

BRASILIA: The number of
coronavirus cases world-
wide topped six million on
Sunday as Brazil registered
another record surge in
daily infections and divi-
sions deepened on how to
deal with the pandemic.
Latin American countries
are bracing for difficult
weeks ahead as the virus
spreads rapidly across the
region.
This contrasts to other
parts of the world where
the pace has eased and per-
mitted a cautious exit from
lockdowns that have
wrecked economies and
stripped millions of their
jobs.
In Brazil -- the epicentre of
South America’s outbreak
with nearly 500,000 con-
firmed cases -- disagree-
ment among its leaders
over lockdown measures
has hampered efforts to
slow a virus that has cost
nearly 30,000 lives.
President Jair Bolsonaro,
who fears the economic fall-
out from stay-at-home
orders will be worse than
the virus, has berated gov-
ernors and mayors for
imposing what he calls “the
tyranny of total quarantine”.
Even as his country sur-
passed France to have the
world’s fourth-highest
death toll, Bolsonaro called
for Brazil’s football season
to resume.
The pandemic has killed
nearly 370,000 people and
infected more than six mil-
lion worldwide, according to
an AFP tally.
As the virus progresses at
different speeds around the
globe, there has been pres-
sure to lift crippling lock-
downs, despite the lack of a
vaccine and experts warn-
ing of a possible second
wave of infections.
In Britain, which recorded
960 new deaths on Saturday
ahead of starting to lift its
lockdown on Monday, sen-
ior advisors to the govern-
ment warned that it was
moving too quickly.
“COVID-19 spreading too
fast to lift lockdown in
England,” tweeted Jeremy
Farrar, a member of the
government’s Scientific
Advisory Group for
Emergencies.
— AFP
www.omanobserver.om MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 9
ANALYSIS
A way of
cure and
protection
ABDULAZIZ AL JAHDHAMI
aljahdhami22@gmail.com

A nun from the Missionaries of Charity, wearing protective gloves and a mask, prays in St.

S
Peter’ Square at the Vatican on Sunday. — AFP ocial dis- land, do not enter it; if
tancing is a the plague breaks out

US-China
good weapon in a place while you are
against COV- in it, do not leave that
ID-19. Stay at place”.
home is the safest way The Prophet’s saying

rivalry
to avoid catching the vi- refers exactly to the
rus. principle of modern
Those who are diag- quarantine, which is
nosed with coronavirus being practised today

chokes UN
infection should stay at concerning the Coro-
home and quarantine
themselves for at least
14 days. It will help them THE PROPHET
to get cured and avoid ADVISED

F
or nearly a decade, PHILIPPE RATER spreading the virus to QUARANTINE 14
the UN Security their family. Non adher-
Council has been unable to reach agreement on ence to quarantine is a CENTURIES AGO
frequently para- a resolution supporting a call punishable violation. WHEN HE SAID: “IF
lysed by Russia’s from the UN secretary-general The healthy people YOU HEAR OF AN
obstinacy over the for a global cease-fire while the are advised to stay at OUTBREAK OF
Syrian crisis. Today, however, it world battles the novel corona- home for the sake of
is the US-China rivalry that has virus. protecting themselves PLAGUE IN A
infected a growing array of The sole reason? US-Chinese from getting the infec- LAND, DO NOT
issues, according to officials differences over a passing men- tion. Staying at home ENTER IT; IF THE
and diplomats. tion in the draft resolution to while enjoying time PLAGUE BREAKS
As recently as 2017, an under- the World Health Organization with loved ones and not OUT IN A PLACE
standing between Washington (WHO), with which President going outside except
and Beijing allowed the United Donald Trump on Friday said for extreme necessity WHILE YOU ARE IN
Nations on three occasions — he planned to sever ties. would minimise the risk IT, DO NOT LEAVE
involving separate sets of eco- “The Security Council has of getting the virus. THAT PLACE
nomic sanctions — to project been frozen for 45 years Both methods are effi-
international unity in the face between 1945 and 1990, because cient in protecting peo-
of the North Korean nuclear of the Cold War”, one ambassa- ple and the whole world.
threat. Three years later, the dor said. “The last thing we need Therefore, one should navirus pandemic. As
COVID-19 pandemic has seen a is another Cold War that would be more responsible COVID-19 outbreak
ferocious competition erupt freeze again the Security and join forces with continues to kill tens
between the UN’s two main con- Council”. concerned authorities of thousands of peo-
tributors, prompting the organ- Another ambassador said: “We to support in combating ple across the world,
isation’s chief, Antonio Guterres, really shouldn’t enter in a new the coronavirus. the Prophet’s advice
to bemoan a “lack of leadership” Cold War. But it doesn’t look very Prophet Muhammad on how to respond to a
during the world’s worst crisis good at the moment”, whether (Peace Be Upon Him) pandemic offers a moti-
since 1945. regarding leadership, the pan- advised quarantine 14 vation to people to stay
Even after more than two demic or US-Chinese relations, centuries ago when he at their homes and pro-
months of negotiations, the 15 three subjects “very closely tied said: “If you hear of an tect themselves from
Security Council members were to each other”. — AFP outbreak of plague in a the deadly virus.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this page are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the opinion of the Observer.

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10 MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020
Parents with kids
taking online
classes should
watch out for
threats lurking
on the web
KABEER YOUSUF
N
ow that parents are back to
work after more than two
months’ hiatus due to Covid-
19, kids will again be immers-
es in studying online. Chances are,
kids will be misguided in the virtual
world which is why high precaution
must be taken to protect them.
A host of cyber hazards, ranging
from cyber bullying, threat from
cyber predators, phishing, scams,
accidental downloading of malware
and the like can often haunt children
throughout their lives. If they are not
properly educated of the dangers
lurking in the worldwide web, it is
easy for them to fall prey and both
parents and chidlren’s lives will be
changed forever.
“The cyber world has become the
escape domain for everyone. Kids
and adults, today are facing a lot of
restrictions to go out and about in
the real world. However, the cyber
alternative, have presented itself as
a safe escape, where anyone can be
anything”, says Haitham Hilal al Hajri,
Cyber Security Researcher and
Expert, Information Technology
Authority (ITA).
“The cyber world is anything but
safe escape, as adults we may have
the ability sense and filter out most
of the malicious attempts online,
however we do fall victim for some, it
is even worse for kids and young
adults, whom we have to safeguard
them against a variety of lucrative
and malicious cyber baits within the
cyber space”, Haitham, a Certified
Computer Forensics Examiner
(CCFE) as well as a Certified Data
Recovery Professional (CDRP), said.
According to cyber experts, it is the
time of cyber challenges where par-
ents should protect their loved ones
from real life predators, and to extend
their protection to include the cyber
world predators and malicious
actors.
“Certain steps need to be followed
to better safeguard our kids this
summer and every day of their cyber
world and by adhering to this 5 sim-
ple cyber security tips, our kids can
be protected to a great extent”, Al
Hajri, who has a Masters in Digital
Forensics as well as a Bachelors in
Computer Security & Internet work-
ing, adds.
CYBER SECURITY TIPS:
1. Protect your kid’s device by imple-
menting anti malware and parental
control tools.
2. Educate your kids, to avoid sharing
of sensitive information with stran-
gers online, such as personal infor-
mation, home address, schools or
phone numbers.
3. Teach your kids to only download
apps from official stores and avoid
direct links via social media.
4. Follow, and know what your kid’s
interests is? On the cyber world, from
games, social websites or online
blogs. Also, teach them to not search
for illegal materials.
5. Educate your kids about cyber eti-
quette, and how to address\talk to
people online. Besides teach them
about the impacts of cyber bullying
and how to report them.
www.omanobserver.om
DOS AND DON’TS TO
TEACH YOURS KIDS
WHEN ONLINE
1) Never search for the website
of your parent’s bank as most
of the results are faked sites
2) Never ask Google doctor
about a symptom as most of the
simple symptoms may have
severe impacts
3) Do not download apps from
unknown sources or any unre-
liable source. Always depend
upon the genuine sources
because there are apps created
just to steal your personal info
4) Never search for criminal
content like how to make a
bomb, how to kill a person, etc
for fun sake
5) Online trading info shouldn’t
be searched and so does the
financial dealings. These info
should be created by an expert
or an established company.
Financial dealings
6) Do not search for dangerous
things, creature or of this sort.
For example, which is the most
dangerous animal because
most of these moths are exag-
gerated in the virtual world
7) No human birth should be
searched as these info and
images can cause phobia
among women affecting their
lives
8) Don’t search for customer
care number of a company
where your parents bought
your household appliance. They
can take your data and share
with outside world. Verify if it’s
the original number from a
reliable source
 www.omanobserver.om
INSTAGRAM TOP PICKS
‘Cook
Off’: the
Zimbabwe
film that
defied all
odds to
appear
“SEEING MYSELF ON Netflix, I
have to punch myself every day.
Like, is that really me?” asked
actress Tendaiishe Chitima,
star of the first Zimbabwean
feature film acquired by the
streaming pioneer.
“Cook Off” was shot in 2017,
just months before the fall of
Zimbabwe’s despotic ex-presi-
dent Robert Mugabe, whose
iron-fisted rule brought the
economy to its knees.
The romantic comedy had a
meagre starting budget of just
$8,000.
“It was not like a luxury shoot
where you have your own trail-
er and you are big on wine,” said
29-year-old Chitima, sparkly
eyed as she recalled the experi-
ence from her parent’s house
in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“Everything was very mini-
malistic. We had to get things
right the first time or the sec-
ond time.”
Chitima plays main charac-
ter Anesu, a single mother too
busy making ends meet to pur-
sue her passion for food... until
her son and grand-mother
sign her up for a reality cook-
ing contest.
For the Zimbabwean débu-
tante, making it onto Netflix was
a “miracle” given the filming
conditions.
Most of “Cook Off” was shot
on the set of Zimbabwe’s ver-
sion of “Top Chef”, which airs on
public broadcaster ZBC.
“We used the costumes, the
set, the cooking pots of Battle of
the chefs,” confessed director
Tomas Brickhill, referring to a
programme now no longer air-
ing. “Without that there would
not have been any movie.”
Chitima admitted that none of
the cast or crew had yet been
paid for their work.
Their budget barely covered
food for the crew while on set.
“At the time there was restric-
tion on (cash) withdrawals,”
Brickhill recalled.
“Every day we had to source
cash,” he said in an interview
with AFP, adding that hard to
get hold of notes were selling
for more than their value on the
black market.
The daily limit was $20 (18
euros) — not even enough for
bottled water in a country crip-
pled by hyper-inflation.
With no running water on set
MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2020 11
FEATURES
“Cook Off”
was shot in 2017,
and little cash
just months before
to spare, the the fall of Zimbabwe’s
“Cook Off” despotic ex-president
crew resorted
to drinking
Robert Mugabe,
boiled water whose iron-fisted
from a garden
tap.
rule brought
the economy to
TEAR GAS its knees.
The first days of
shooting were also
constantly disrupted by
power cuts — a regular
occurrence — forcing the team
to stretch their paltry budget
and hire a generator. maid, a prostitute, or I was being
One day, one of the actress- trafficked,” said Chitima, who
es found herself choked up in had previously featured only in
a cloud of tear gas fired to shorter productions.
disperse an anti-government “A role in which I could play
protest. an empowered character purs-
“She called and said: ‘I can ing what she wanted was for me
still come but I am crying and I a great opportunity.”
dont know if I am going to be “The movie shows the other
able to act because I don’t have side of our story,” she added.
a crying scene,’ “ said Brickhill, “That we are resilient and have
smiling at the memory. dreams.”
Despite the challenges, “Cook Chitima hoped to eventually
Off” did not lose its sparkle and star in big budget productions.
“feel good” effect. Meanwhile, the crew and the
“Previously I was acting in a cast are still awaiting their
lot of TV shows in which my role cheques, after agreeing to
as a Zimbabwean was either a deferred payments. — AFP
12 MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 www.omanobserver.om

BUSINESS

INSURERS IN OMAN
DIRECTED TO PICK UP
COVID-19 TREATMENT TAB
CONRAD PRABHU

MUSCAT: The Capital

Market Authority (CMA),
which regulates the insur-
ance industry in the
Sultanate, has instructed
insurance firms to shoul-
der the cost of treating
policyholders who have
contracted the novel coro-
navirus causing COVID-19.

COST MITIGATION:
COVID-19 TESTING
AND TREATMENT
COSTS OF
HOSPITALISED
POLICYHOLDERS TO BE
BORNE BY INSURANCE
FIRM UP TO THE LIMIT
OF THEIR POLICIES:
CMA

The directive came in a

circular issued by CMA
Executive President
Shaikh Abdullah Salim al
Salmi on Sunday. It caps
days of consultations
between the regulator and
the Supreme Committee
for COVID-19 management,
on the one hand, and the
Oman Insurance
Association, on the other,
aimed at bringing the
insurance sector on board
in mitigating the rising cost
burden on the Ministry of
Health in the management
of the pandemic in the
Sultanate.
Thus, with immediate
effect, insurance firms are
mandated to cover the
“costs of medical tests
TURN TO PAGE 14
www.omanobserver.om MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 13
BUSINESS
$94M AMIN SOLAR
PROJECT EXECUTED
IN RECORD TIME
RENEWABLE LANDMARK: AMIN RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY STARTS
COMMERCIAL OPERATION FOR PDO POWER PLANT

MUSCAT: Petroleum Development
Oman’s landmark 100-megawatt Amin
Photovoltaic Power Plant has now
achieved a key milestone with start of
commercial operations, having been
successfully commissioned three
months ahead of schedule and pass-
ing the acceptance test procedures.
The Independent Power Producer
(IPP) renewable energy project, locat-
ed near Nimr which lies approximate-
ly 300km north east of Salalah, is pro-
viding power to PDO’s Interior opera-
tions as one of the world’s first utility
scale solar projects to have an oil and
gas company as the sole buyer of
electricity.
The contract to develop, finance,
build, operate and maintain the pho-
tovoltaic (PV) plant was awarded in
January 2019 to Amin Renewable
Energy Company SAOC, a special pur-
pose company founded and developed
by the Marubeni Corporation (Japan)
as the lead founder, Oman Gas
Company SAOC, Bahwan Renewable
Energy Company LLC of Oman, Nebras
Power QPSC (Qatar) and financed by
Bank Muscat SAOG.
The innovative project attracted
competitive tenders from highly
reputed global developers in the
renewable energy industry.
Amin IPP is also the first utility scale
PV power plant in Oman and has one
of world’s lowest tariff at the time of
award for such a project, which spans
23 years.
The installation was built and com-
missioned in record time, just under
12 months after signing the EPC
(Engineering, Procurement and
Construction) contract, providing ini-
tial power into PDOs electrical grid in
March 2020.
PDO Managing Director Raoul
Restucci said: “Solar intensity in Oman
provides an attractive platform to
enable a lower carbon and more sus-
tainable future and this flagship
project is another building block in
support of PDO’s continued transition
to a fully-fledged energy company.
The Amin power plant represents an
excellent example of Oman’s outstand-
ing potential in renewable energy. “It
is also a source of pride that Omani
goods and services represented
around a quarter of total project con-
struction costs including site estab-
lishment, and local manufacturing
and material supply and I am confi-
dent that the sector will continue to
expand in Oman.”
The $94 million facility in the south
of the Sultanate covers an area of
4km2 and produces up to 100 mega-
watts of electricity directly from sun-
light through solar panels. The gener-
ated energy is sufficient to power
15,000 homes, and could result in an
annual CO2 emission reduction of
more than 225,000 tonnes – the equiv-
alent to taking 23,000 cars off the
road.

Submitting cargo details 48 hours

before arrival must from today
ZAINAB AL NASSRI
MUSCAT: In line with the
Sultanate’s efforts to
enhance efficiency, com-
petitiveness and transpar-
ency in logistics services to
ensure smooth flow of
goods in a fast, efficient and
safe manner through vari-
ous seaports, the Ministry
of Transport has issued a
circular to adopt global best
practices in maritime ship-
ping operations and the
integration of systems of
shipping agents and freight
brokers through the one-
stop electronic window sys-
tem (Bayan).
The Ministry indicated
through ministerial circu-
lar No. (4/2020) that starting
today (June 1, 2020) all ship-
ping agents and freight bro-
kers, must submit the cargo
manifest electronically at
least 48 hours before the
arrival of the ship to the
ports of the Sultanate.
If the trip duration is less
than 48 hours, the cargo
statement shall be submit-
ted immediately upon the
departure of the ship from
the last port before the final
destination, in addition to
the need to issue a notice to
customers two days before
the arrival of the ship stat-
ing the due shipping fee.
The circular emphasised
the necessity, for all ship-
ping agents and freight bro-
kers, to provide a list of the
types of services in the
country of origin and the
destination for full contain-
er services and split con-
tainers, and send them to
the Ministry of Transport,
with a view to ensuring the
import and export competi-
tiveness in the Sultanate.
The Ministry stated these
procedures would facilitate
documentary review and
analysis of risks by the
General Directorate of
Customs before the arrival
of the goods. These proce-
dures are also important in
pre-customs clearance of
the goods before their arriv-
al at the ports of the
Sultanate, in addition to
reducing time and cost for
the dealers in the Sultanate’s
supply chain.
14 MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 www.omanobserver.om

BUSINESS

PORT OF DUQM HANDLES

MAIDEN CHEMICAL
SHIP-TO-SHIP OPERATION
CONRAD PRABHU
MUSCAT: Port of Duqm has
added Chemical Ship to Ship
(STS) operations to its
expanding portfolio of capa-
bilities.
Recently, the maritime
gateway, which anchors the
Duqm Special Economic
Zone (SEZ) – the largest of its
kind in the Middle East –
facilitated the first-ever STS
operation involving the
transfer of 18,000 metric
tonnes of phosphoric acid
MULTIPURPOSE HUB: sider Duqm for operations
THE MARITIME GATEWAY RECENTLY FACILITATED THE FIRST- of this kind.”
EVER STS OPERATION INVOLVING THE TRANSFER OF 18,000 According to the official,
METRIC TONNES OF PHOSPHORIC ACID FROM ONE chemical STS operations
CHEMICAL TANKER TO ANOTHER. are organised when, for
example, one large parcel
ship transfers its cargo into
from one chemical tanker to ers – was carried out at the two or three smaller parcels.
another. port’s commercial quay. Other reasons can involve
The transfer between the “The successful operation grade separation, load port
Stolt Calluna and Stolt underscores Port of Duqm’s changing, and so on. “This
Vestland – both chemical versatility as a multipurpose operation is a further affir-
carriers belonging to port,” said an official. “With mation that Port of Duqm is
Norway-headquartered its strategic location and slowly emerging as an appro-
Stolt Tankers – which oper- deep drafts, it becomes priate and suitable port for
ates the world’s largest fleet advantageous for vessel and carrying out STS opera-
of chemical and parcel tank- cargo owners alike to con- tions,” the official remarked.

INSURERS IN OMAN DIRECTED TO and the recent experience of Al

PICK UP COVID-19 TREATMENT TAB
FROM PAGE 12
and treatment of insured infected
with coronavirus (COVID-19) up to the
annual limits of their respective poli-
cies when they receive treatment in
any hospitals”, according to the cir-
cular. Coverage also applies to poli-
cyholders currently receiving treat-
ment in any hospital, it stressed.
Additionally, the circular obliges
insurance companies to “bear the
costs of medical services for all
insured who show symptoms of coro-
navirus when receiving treatment in
any hospitals”.
The circular includes a price list
and treatment guidelines approved
by the Ministry of Health. The cost
estimation of the management of
COVID-19 patients, it says, is based on
the calculation of the cost of health
services a patient will need per the
‘National Guideline for Clinical
Management Pathways for
Hospitalised Patients with COVID-19’
Nahdha and Royal Hospitals in man-
aging such patients. For example, the
average cost of polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) testing for COVID-19 is
estimated at RO 30.
The announcement comes just
over a week after Oman’s authorities
underlined the need for insurance
firms to support COVID-19 treatment
costs, which have hitherto been
entirely shouldered by the Ministry
of Health and the Omani government.
Private firms are also obliged to
cough up their share of costs per the
Omani Labour Law if their employ-
ees are treated for the virus, it was
stressed.
www.omanobserver.om
China factory
activity slows
as global slump
drags on growth
A worker checks on seamless steel pipes at a factory of a steel products manufacturer in
Cangzhou, Hebei province, China. — Reuters
BEIJING: Factory activity in China
expanded at a slower pace in May
as the country attempts to get
back on track after the coronavi-
rus, official data showed on
Sunday, with the global economic
slump making the sector’s recov-
ery difficult.
China’s factories have stirred
back to life after the lifting of
strict lockdown measures
imposed when the deadly virus
surfaced in the central city of
Wuhan, but its spread worldwide
has dragged down key foreign
markets — weighing heavily on
Chinese exports.
The Purchasing Managers’
index (PMI), a key gauge of activity
in China’s factories, was at 50.6
points in May, remaining above
the 50-point mark separating
growth from contraction each
month.
But the figure was down slightly
from 50.8 the month before, and
52.0 in March, according to the
National Bureau of Statistics
(NBS).
NBS senior statistician Zhao
Qinghe pointed to weakness in
China’s imports and exports, say-
ing “the epidemic situation and
economic situation globally
MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 15
BUSINESS
Thailand’s
parliament
approves
$58 billion
economic
package
BANGKOK: Thailand’s parliament
passed a 1.9 trillion baht ($58 billion)
economic support package on Sunday
to ease the impact of the coronavirus.
The legislation, comprising three bills,
include a government plan to borrow 1
trillion baht and central bank measures
worth another 900 billion baht in soft
loans and support for corporate bonds.
Of the 1 trillion baht of borrowing, 600
billion baht will be for public heath works
and relief measures, and the rest for
rebuilding the economy and job crea-
tion.
The bills must next be approved by the
upper house Senate, which is expected
to convene in early June, before they
can become law.
The latest steps follow billions of dol-
lars of stimulus measures introduced
earlier this year to cope with the impact
of the coronavirus on the Thai economy,
which is heading into a recession.
Thailand began this month to gradu-
ally ease some restrictions introduced
to contain the virus. More businesses
CHINA’S FACTORIES classified as medium to high risks,
HAVE STIRRED BACK TO including cinemas and gyms, will be
allowed to reopen on Monday.
LIFE AFTER THE LIFTING Thailand’s central bank has said it
OF STRICT LOCKDOWN expects the economy to sharply con-
MEASURES IMPOSED tract this year as the pandemic hit busi-
nesses and households.
WHEN THE DEADLY Thailand reported four new coronavi-
VIRUS SURFACED IN THE rus cases on Sunday. The country has
CENTRAL CITY OF confirmed 3,081 cases and 57 deaths
since the outbreak began in January.
WUHAN, BUT ITS SPREAD — Reuters
WORLDWIDE HAS
DRAGGED DOWN KEY
FOREIGN MARKETS —
WEIGHING HEAVILY ON
CHINESE EXPORTS.
remain severe and complex, and
foreign market demand is still
shrinking”.
Zhao said indexes on new export
orders and imports remained at
relatively low levels.
The “momentum of economic
recovery is steady and improv- People walk through a ‘sanitising gate’ spraying dis-
ing”, Zhao added, but there is weak- infectants against coronavirus before entering into
ness in some industries such as a shopping mall in Bangkok. — Reuters
textiles and apparel. — AFP
16 MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020
BUSINESS
Russian small businesses
reopen to uncertain future
A woman wearing a face mask walks past a department store window in Saint Petersburg amid the COVID-19 outbreak caused by the novel coronavirus. — AFP
MOSCOW: When Moscow authorities
closed non-essential businesses to
stop the spread of the coronavirus,
Boris Kupriyanov began to personally
deliver books to his customers.
This, he said, has helped him and his
indie bookstore survive over the past
two months.
“In many ways this has become our
salvation,” Kupriyanov, co-founder of
Falanster, one of the country’s most
famous independent bookshops, said.
“We’ve kept going only because peo-
ple wanted to buy our books and help
us,” he added.
Many small and medium-sized busi-
nesses including Kupriyanov’s book-
store will be allowed to reopen on
Monday as authorities gradually ease
confinement restrictions in Russia,
which has reported more than 396,000
coronavirus infections — the third-
largest caseload after the United
States and Brazil.
Not everyone will resume operations,
however.
According to a study by the Center
for Strategic Research in April, about
a third of Russian companies risk
bankruptcy following a collapse in
demand fuelled by the epidemic.
Companies in the trade and services
industries are among the hardest-hit,
www.omanobserver.om
Centre for Labour Market Studies at
Moscow’s Higher School of Economics,
THE RUSSIAN said tax breaks and loans were of little
help for companies on the brink of
GOVERNMENT HAS bankruptcy.
REFUSED TO TAP INTO “Deferrals are not a solution to the
THE COUNTRY’S problem,” Gimpelson said in a recent
report, warning of a rise in poverty
SOVEREIGN WEALTH and inequality.
FUND, WHICH HAD The Russian government has refused
to tap into the country’s sovereign
ASSETS WORTH $150 wealth fund, which had assets worth
BILLION AS OF EARLY $150 billion as of early March, and
instead ordered companies to contin-
MARCH, AND INSTEAD ue paying their employees in April
ORDERED COMPANIES TO despite the shutdown.
“We have not felt any major support
CONTINUE PAYING THEIR from the state,” said 47-year-old
EMPLOYEES IN APRIL Kupriyanov, sporting a salt-and-pep-
DESPITE THE SHUTDOWN. per beard and a small silver ring in his
left ear.
“This has been an ordeal and unfor-
tunately for many companies it has
the think-tank said. become fatal,” he added.
While authorities have unveiled The crisis has dealt a major blow to
measures to prop up the economy, Falanster — a treasure trove of intel-
including tax payment deferrals and lectual literature including small print-
interest-free loans, many small and run books by little-known authors.
medium-sized businesses complain Before the coronavirus struck, busi-
they pale in comparison with meas- ness had flourished and the shop had
ures extended to enterprises in the just moved to bigger premises on
West. Tverskaya Street in the heart of
Vladimir Gimpelson, head of the Moscow. — AFP
www.omanobserver.om MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 17
SPORTS

JABER SHARES EXPERIENCE

AT YOUTH OLYMPICS
ADIL AL BALUSHI channels in mid of 2019 knowledge of volunteers supported me to boost
to be one of participants through top events. the sports knowledge as
MUSCAT: It was a at the sports “I had gone through well as to develop my
unique volunteering educational programme different fields during friendship network.
experience that Jaber al which is part of Youth my practical sports Moreover, I was the only
Shabibi had during his Olympic Games. “I had educational programme Omani and Arab
participation at the third received the approval period including volunteer and I took this
edition of the Winter from the organising Olympic Solidarity opportunity to promote
Youth Olympic Games in committee to take part Programmes, my country,” Al Shabibi
Lausanne in January in a six weeks online workshops on anti- said.
2020. The Omani training programme doping, safe sports and As an official
youngster is a keen prior to the Youth identifying abuse and sportsman working in
follower of Olympic Olympic Games event. I harassment in sports different domestic
Movement programmes managed to complete careers. I was lucky to sports associations and
run by International this training which be part of this committees, Jaber
Olympic Committee (IOC). helped me understand programme as more affirmed that he can
Al Shabibi, who was the many values of the IOC than 10,000 applications share the expertise in
only Omani and Arab and the main messages were submitted to the the upcoming top sports
representative among of the Olympic organising committee to events in the Sultanate.
the 3,700 volunteers Movement. Later, I was join as volunteers. “My objective is to
from different parts of selected to volunteer in Another advantage of enrich the domestic
the world at the Youth St Moritz Olympic village the third Winter Youth sports entities in hosting
Olympic Games, shared which is ranked as Olympic Games is that it the high-profile events.
his learning experience historical Olympic city was held in Lausanne, The exposure which I
with Oman Daily as it had hosted the the headquarters of IOC. had should go a long
Observer. winter Olympic Games Definitely, this adds a lot way in developing our
The vice-chairman of in 1928 and 1948,” he to the winter Olympic sports events with
Oman Bowling added. games. Participation of implementation of high
Committee said he had According to Jaber, volunteers from international standards,”
applied through official IOC aimed to raise the different nations he concluded.
18 MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020
SPORTS
The first major event is expected to be the 2000 Guineas
Stakes horse race at Newmarket on June 6
Elite sport in England
to resume today
LONDON: After a near three-
month shutdown, elite
competitive sport in England can
resume from Monday behind
closed doors provided strict
conditions are met, the
government said on Saturday.
The first major event is
expected to be the 2000 Guineas
Stakes horse race at Newmarket
on June 6, although horse race
meetings will be staged, without
any spectators, starting on
Monday at Newcastle and
Tuesday at Kempton Park.
Competitive sport was
suspended in Britain in March in
response to the coronavirus
pandemic that has killed more
than 38,000 people in the UK to
date. Guidelines published on
Saturday by the Department for
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
(DCMS), outlined a lengthy list of
criteria that must be met to allow
elite athletes and professional
sportsmen to resume
competition.
“The wait is over. Live British
sport will shortly be back on in
safe and carefully controlled
environments,” Culture Secretary
Oliver Dowden said in a
statement.
“This guidance provides the
safe framework for sports to
resume competitions behind
closed doors. It is now up to
individual sports to confirm they
can meet these protocols and
decide when it’s right for them to
restart.”
Dowden confirmed that
preparations were being finalised
for the Premier League and
English Football League to return
to action in June. Premier League
shareholders this week agreed a
return to contact training with a
provisional restart date of June
17, provided safety requirements
are in place.
“The Premier League welcomes
the government’s announcement
today,” an EPL statement said.
“We have provisionally planned to
www.omanobserver.om
restart the Premier League on
June 17, but there is still much
work to be done to ensure the
safety of all involved.”
DCMS said a “significant
proportion” of the remaining 92
Premier League matches will be
shown on free-to-air platforms.
“The British sports bounceback
has begun,” it said on Twitter.
While the Premier League could
resume on June 17, other sports
are in different positions.
Domestic cricket remains
suspended until August 1, while
the Wimbledon tennis
tournament has been cancelled
for the first time since World War
II. Premiership rugby clubs hope
to resume training from June 8.
The government’s latest step
for the resumption of elite level
sport follow its ‘stage two’
guidance published on May 25
which allowed elite athletes to
resume group training under
carefully controlled conditions.
— Reuters
www.omanobserver.om
WO
RL
MIH
D
LO
N
G
A
-J
U
M
P S
MB
O CH
TO
WORK WITH
BERLIN: Reigning world
long-jump champion
Malaika Mihambo
revealed on Sunday that
she plans to move to the
USA to be trained by ath-
letics legends Carl Lewis
and Leroy Burrell.
“I want to develop as an
athlete and as a person,”
Mihambo told German
daily Bild.
“I have the feeling that
now is the right time for
such a big step.
“Carl Lewis and Leroy
Burrell, who will be my
sprint coaches, were
among the best in the
world for years.
“I can learn a lot from
them, that’s irreplaceable.”
German Mihambo won
world gold in Doha in
October with a personal
best leap of 7.30m and was
AM
R V E
CA
PIO
N PLANS TO M
voted her country’s ath-
lete of the year in 2019.
Only former East
German athletics legend
Heike Drechsler, who
managed 7.48m in 1988,
has jumped further for
Germany.
Having got to
know Lewis and
Burell in online
video calls,
26-year-old
Mihambo
plans to quit
Germany in
August — if trav-
el restrictions due
to the coronavirus
allows — for the States.
She wants to move to
Houston, Texas, to be
coached by Lewis, 58, a
nine-time Olympic cham-
pion in long jump and
sprints, and Burrell, 53, a
MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 19
SPORTS
NG
NI
IS
AI
TR
EW
R
O
F
A
LL
U
TO
O
former Olympic and world will train and live, are
100m relay champion. Spanish-speaking”.
Lewis wrote himself into However, news of her
Olympics folklore with plans was greeted with
four gold medals, in the disappointment by the
100m, 200m, 4x100m and German Athletics
long jump, at the 1984 Association (DLV).
Los Angeles Top German female ath-
Games. letes Konstanze
Mihambo says Klosterhalfen, a 5,000m
Lewis has told world bronze medallist,
her he is con- and Gina Lueckenkemper,
vinced of her the reigning European
potential. 100m champion, have
“When the already moved their train-
best long jump- ing to the US.
er in the world “If athletes are looking
says something for a new challenge to
like that, it’s a nice develop further, we can’t
sign and encourages you,” stop them,” DLV president
she added. Juergen Kessing said.
She is part motivated by He wished Mihambo “all
a desire to improve her the best”, but pointed out
Spanish, because “around that “title wins are certain-
40 per cent of the popula- ly achievable within our
tion in Houston, where I support system”. — AFP
20 MONDAY JUNE 1, 2020 www.omanobserver.om

SPORTS

MUNICH: Bayern Mathias ested in statis-

Munich striker
Robert
Lewandowski
ended a personal
Joergensen own
goal and a
Benjamin Pavard
header opened
FIVE-STAR tics, it’s about
being successful
and it was impor-
tant for us after
BUNDESLIGA
RESULTS ON
SATURDAY:
jinx when he the floodgates. the Dortmund
opened his
account against
Fortuna
Duesseldorf by
It also meant
the Pole had net-
ted against every
current
BAYERN game not to let
up”, he said,
referring to
Bayern’s 1-0 win
Hertha Berlin 2
(Dilrosun 23,
Piatek 90+3)
Augsburg 0
scoring twice in Bundesliga team, at their closest
a 5-0 win on
Saturday as the
holders moved
closer to a
having failed to
score in five
league meetings
versus Fortuna
CLOSE IN rivals on
Tuesday.
Left back
Alphonso Davies,
Mainz 0
Hoffenheim 1
(Bebou 43)
record-extend- either with who also got on
ing 30th
Bundesliga title.
The thumping
victory left lead-
Bayern or his
previous club
Dortmund.
The prolific
ON TITLE the scoresheet
with the fifth
goal, added:
“After our game
Schalke 0 Werder
Bremen 1
(Bittencourt 32)
ers Bayern, who striker’s brace with Dortmund
are chasing an took his season’s we wanted to go Wolfsburg 1
eighth succes-
sive league title,
tally in all compe-
titions to 43 goals
LEWANDOWSKI out and show the
same attitude”.
(Mbabu 58)
Eintracht Frankfurt
top of the stand- and equalled his 2 (Silva 27-pen,
ings on 67 points personal best, LEWANDOWSKI
Kamada 85)
from 29 games,
10 ahead of sec-
which was set in
the 2016/17 cam-
HITS BRACE SHINES
France defender
ond-placed paign. Pavard took cen- Bayern Munich 5
Borussia Bayern coach tre stage when (Joergensen
Dortmund who
visit bottom team
Hansi Flick, who
became the AS BUNDESLIGA his scuffed shot
led to
15-og, Pavard 29,
Lewandowski 43,
Paderborn on club’s first coach Joergensen’s 50, Davies 52)
Sunday. to win 22 of his own goal after 15
Lewandowski opening 25 minutes before Fortuna
snapped his goal games in charge LEADERS GO he made it 2-0 Duesseldorf 0
drought versus and surpassed just before the
Fortuna when he Pep Guardiola’s half-hour with a PLAYED FRIDAY
scored for the record of 21, header which
first time against stressed he only 10 POINTS keeper Florian Freiburg 0 Bayer
them to give cared about fill- Kastenmeier got Leverkusen 1
Bayern a 3-0 ing the trophy a hand to but
lead in the first cabinet. could not keep (Havertz 54)
half after a “I am not inter- CLEAR out. — Reuters