The Indian Weekender - 03 December 2021
Disappointing start for One-off resident visa applications as INZ website crashes
Disappointing start for One-off resident visa applications as INZ website crashes
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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, <strong>December</strong> <strong>03</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
NEW ZEALAND 3<br />
Who is the new National Party<br />
leader Christopher Luxon?<br />
RUSSELL PALMER, RNZ<br />
Christopher Luxon is considered both an<br />
unknown quantity and something of a<br />
messiah for the National Party.<br />
A first-term MP who won the National<br />
stronghold Botany electorate in the 2020<br />
election after the departure in disgrace of Jami-<br />
Lee Ross, Luxon has kept a relatively low<br />
political profile since.<br />
He is an evangelical Christian - though he<br />
does not like the label - and is perhaps best<br />
known for leading Air New Zealand as its chief<br />
executive for six years.<br />
Politics and business<br />
At 51 years old, Luxon had long been<br />
hailed as a potential future leader, including<br />
by the likes of National’s former prime<br />
minister John Key.<br />
“We both share very similar economic views,<br />
we’re economically conservative but we’re<br />
internationalists - we want to see New Zealand<br />
engage with the world and trade with the world<br />
and have a harmonious, multi-cultural society<br />
operating in New Zealand,” Key said in April<br />
last year after Luxon announced his candidacy<br />
for the Botany seat.<br />
<strong>The</strong> two have been often compared (including<br />
by Key himself) including for their casual but<br />
businesslike manner. While Luxon said he<br />
was not “John Key 2.0” when he went for the<br />
Botany seat, he admitted Key had encouraged<br />
him to stand.<br />
However, while Key had four years to get to<br />
grips with politics and Parliament before taking<br />
the leadership, Luxon has succeeded to the role<br />
in just over a year, after a tumultuous period for<br />
the National Party.<br />
Luxon is the party’s fifth leader in four years,<br />
with infighting and low ratings prompting<br />
several leadership spills.<br />
Having spent months of his year so far of<br />
politics in lockdown, he could be forgiven for<br />
a limited impact on three of his four portfolios<br />
- Land Information; Research, Science and<br />
Manufacturing; and Associate Transport.<br />
He has been more successful with his local<br />
government portfolio.<br />
With just 17 media releases in his name on<br />
the National Party website, almost all of them<br />
dedicated to his biggest hot-button issue - three<br />
waters reforms - and he has proved effective at<br />
criticising the government on that.<br />
He has also largely evaded controversy<br />
except when Air New Zealand was revealed<br />
to have been contracted for repair work by the<br />
Saudi Arabian military.<br />
Luxon was in charge at the time, though it<br />
was not revealed until he had left.<br />
He said he had no idea about the contract at<br />
the time, but admitted it was a mistake not to<br />
establish a process in which the chief executive<br />
would be told about all military contracts.<br />
“I’ve no recollection of that, no, none<br />
whatsoever. I wasn’t aware of the issue,” he<br />
said. He was backed on this by his successor<br />
Greg Foran, who said it was a small $3 million<br />
contract that - had he been in charge - would not<br />
have reached his desk.<br />
His leadership of the company has otherwise<br />
received plaudits, delivering record profits and<br />
customer satisfaction scores.<br />
He has said New Zealand needs to have<br />
many more companies that operate on a<br />
global scale, and expressed concerns about<br />
productivity in New Zealand, and the potential<br />
to boost it through investment in research and<br />
development and infrastructure.<br />
Economics was a theme he returned to today<br />
in his opening statements as National’s leader -<br />
targeting supermarket and petrol prices - along<br />
with Covid-19 and the rural-urban divide.<br />
His political philosophy is also very much in<br />
the mould of the National Party - as espoused<br />
in his very first speech to Parliament, in March.<br />
“I believe in tackling inequality and working<br />
hard to find that balance between encouraging<br />
hard work and innovation while always<br />
ensuring there is social mobility and a safety<br />
net.”<br />
Personal life and faith<br />
Luxon also spoke about his personal<br />
life in that speech, including his faith<br />
- perhaps partly in an attempt to<br />
ameliorate the potential damage of<br />
being labelled “evangelical”.<br />
“It has anchored me, given<br />
my life purpose, and shaped<br />
my values, and it puts me in<br />
the context of something bigger<br />
than myself,” he said, but<br />
he also tempered that<br />
with an affirmation<br />
of his belief in<br />
the separation of<br />
church and state.<br />
• Continued on<br />
Page 7
4 NEW ZEALAND<br />
INZ website<br />
crash frustrates<br />
visa applicants<br />
Friday, <strong>December</strong> <strong>03</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
IWK Exclusive<br />
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH<br />
<strong>December</strong> 1 was the date that migrants<br />
who were eligible for phase 1 of<br />
the One-off resident visa had been<br />
waiting for since it was announced in<br />
September this year.<br />
<strong>The</strong> application process was to start at 6 am<br />
on Wednesday, with everyone wanting to be<br />
ahead in the queue and get their application<br />
lodged. Immigration New Zealand expected<br />
about 15,000 applications in Phase 1.<br />
It may be noted that Phase 1 opened only<br />
for those applicants who have already applied<br />
for residence under the Skilled Migrant or<br />
Residence from Work categories on or before<br />
September 29, <strong>2021</strong>, or have submitted a Skilled<br />
Migrant Category Expression of Interest, and<br />
have included their dependent child in the<br />
Expression of Interest aged 17 years or older on<br />
September 29’ <strong>2021</strong>. In Phase 2, which opens<br />
on March 1, 2022, all other eligible applicants<br />
can apply.<br />
However, the website faced technical<br />
issues due to the expected surge in traffic and<br />
didn’t let the applications go through. This<br />
created a lot of anxiety and stress among those<br />
waiting to lodge their applications and the<br />
immigration advisors.<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> spoke to migrants<br />
and immigration experts to know their<br />
experience or at least to say ‘worst nightmare’<br />
since this morning.<br />
One of the immigrants, Gaurav, is<br />
frustrated that he has not been able to lodge<br />
his application even after hours of waiting.<br />
“It’s absolutely frustrating sitting online<br />
since 5:45 AM and refreshing every minute<br />
and not even able to get into the system.<br />
Maybe Immigration didn’t forecast the<br />
traffic accurately. I thought the lesson from<br />
the Ministry of Health website last week for<br />
vaccine pass would have been learned, but<br />
nothing. I can’t tell you the stress that I am<br />
undergoing now. INZ needs to have a better<br />
system to handle the volumes.”<br />
Sailing in the same boat is another immigrant,<br />
Manreet Kaur, who spent hours refreshing<br />
the page this morning but in vain. She says:<br />
“Like many migrants, I had been waiting for<br />
<strong>December</strong> 1 to get my application lodged. I<br />
took the day off to apply, but the system is not<br />
working.<br />
"<br />
It’s a good example of how<br />
the trust in INZ has been<br />
eroded to zero. SMC applicants<br />
who applied two years ago<br />
were told processing times<br />
would be seven months. Two<br />
years later, they were still<br />
waiting, and the Minister of<br />
Immigration lied to the NZ<br />
public repeatedly by blaming<br />
delays on Covid.<br />
I’ve tried logging in since 6 AM. I spent the<br />
next few hours refreshing the login page to<br />
even get into my account with no luck. Imagine<br />
there is just 15000 application in this phase, and<br />
Immigration New Zealand’s website crashed on <strong>December</strong> 1 due to overload leading to stress and<br />
anxiety of applicants as the application process for phase 1 of the One-off resident visa commenced.<br />
still, the INZ website can’t handle it; now just<br />
imagine how phase two is going to go in March<br />
when the numbers are far higher!”<br />
Even immigration experts have been feeling<br />
the brunt of the crash as they have been under<br />
pressure to get their clients’ applications<br />
through as soon as possible.<br />
Immigration lawyer Alastair McClymont<br />
of McClymont & Associates says, “It’s a good<br />
example of how the trust in INZ has been eroded<br />
to zero. SMC applicants who applied two years<br />
ago were told processing times would be seven<br />
months. Two years later, they were still waiting,<br />
and the Minister of Immigration lied to the NZ<br />
public repeatedly by blaming delays on Covid.<br />
“So, knowing that trust levels were at<br />
zero, it was self-evident that at 6 AM, there<br />
would be a mad rush to apply. How did INZ<br />
seek to mitigate this? Managers told advisors<br />
and lawyers, ‘please don’t all apply at once.’<br />
This shows the total disconnect between INZ/<br />
Minister and the migrant community. A refusal<br />
to accept responsibility for their own failures.”<br />
Himang Bhardwaj from Counsel One<br />
Immigration Services NZ and former<br />
warranted Immigration Officer and People<br />
Leader at MBIE maintains that he wasn’t<br />
surprised by the technical glitch and somehow<br />
expected it to happen.<br />
He says, “<strong>The</strong> system issues with the INZ<br />
website do not surprise me at all. <strong>The</strong>re is only<br />
so much traffic and user logins the system can<br />
handle at any given point in time. Immigration<br />
New Zealand is using the Immigration Global<br />
Management System (IGMS) platform for<br />
these applications.<br />
“Since its introduction in 2015, the system<br />
has never been used and/or tested to deal with<br />
thousands of applicants applying for a particular<br />
visa at the same time. We expect these issues<br />
to continue, and I expect we will face even<br />
more issues in March next year given that more<br />
than 80% of the applications under the new<br />
resident visa category will be lodged in March<br />
(Phase 2).”<br />
He further advises that applicants should<br />
focus on providing the appropriate information<br />
on the forms rather than rushing through the<br />
application.<br />
“It is better for you to lodge your application<br />
a little late rather than provide incorrect answers<br />
on your application form to avoid further<br />
delays in the processing of the application.<br />
<strong>The</strong> benefits of lodging the application before<br />
others are likely going to be limited and does<br />
not guarantee a quicker outcome and, in my<br />
opinion, is not worth the stress.”<br />
Sarfraz Shaikh of Immigration Advice<br />
NZ also predicted the INZ system crashing<br />
and made most of his clients aware of this<br />
possibility.<br />
“Most of my team members were ready and<br />
set to go at 5:55 AM Wednesday morning to<br />
submit applications for the <strong>2021</strong> Resident Visa<br />
category. At 6:01 AM, one staff member could<br />
get into the system and fill out the first two<br />
Tips to get you going<br />
pages of the <strong>2021</strong> Resident Visa application,<br />
and when clicking “Next” there was an error<br />
on INZ’s website. Since then, most of us have<br />
tried multiple times to log in to INZ’s online<br />
portal and realise the INZ system has crashed.<br />
Based on our experience, we had predicted the<br />
INZ system crashing, and most of our clients<br />
had been made aware of this possibility,”<br />
Shaikh said.<br />
He believes that it would have been better if<br />
INZ had invited applicants in batches between<br />
<strong>December</strong> 1 and March 1 rather than opening<br />
the system out to thousands of applicants on the<br />
same day and at the same time.<br />
“It was a well-known fact when Silver<br />
Fern visas or working holidays visas opened<br />
which had merely 200-300 applicants trying<br />
to submit applications simultaneously, INZ’s<br />
systems had crashed.<br />
I dread to think what will happen when the<br />
Phase 2 applications open on March 1, 2022.”<br />
When <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> contacted<br />
Immigration New Zealand, they gave a standard<br />
reply of telling the applicants to “be patient.”<br />
Confirming the technical glitch Geoff Scott,<br />
General Manager, Immigration New Zealand,<br />
said, “Immigration New Zealand can confirm<br />
there have been some issues with our website<br />
overloading this morning due to high demand<br />
with people applying for the new <strong>2021</strong> Resident<br />
Visa. This has resulted in the system operating<br />
slower than usual; however, the application<br />
form is still working, and people are still able<br />
to submit applications.<br />
“We ask that people be patient while we are<br />
experiencing this high demand. Applicants<br />
have plenty of time to apply for their <strong>2021</strong><br />
Resident Visa, with applications open until<br />
July 31, 2022. We encourage people to submit<br />
their applications and make sure they have all<br />
the required documents and evidence to submit<br />
their applications. This will reduce the time it<br />
takes to process their application, as we will not<br />
need to request further information from them<br />
during the assessment process.”<br />
Some lucky ones like Jignesh Patel, who managed to lodge his application online with his<br />
partner, shared some tips to get lucky on the Migrants NZ group on Facebook.<br />
1. Please be patient<br />
2. Do not panic if your page says wait for the form to process<br />
3. Wait for additional tabs to be open after clicking the Bullets; otherwise, you need to repeat the<br />
section.<br />
4. This is still a question where it asks for confirmation that you have been living with your<br />
partner for more than 12 months<br />
5. Please submit the evidence for living to gather for more than a year, even if it’s not required,<br />
like timeline and lease agreements. <strong>The</strong>re is no harm in doing it.<br />
6. Fill out INZ1242 before or while making an application. Just signature required of you and<br />
your partner if applying by yourself in Section A<br />
7. Pages will take time to load; please wait for the whole page to be visible, and the buffer goes<br />
away.<br />
8. Do not refresh.
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, <strong>December</strong> <strong>03</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
NEW ZEALAND 5<br />
IWK Exclusive<br />
Fix the website now, Minister<br />
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH<br />
<strong>The</strong> technical issues and crash of the<br />
Immigration website have been<br />
frustrating and stressful for many<br />
migrants who hoped to have their application<br />
for Phase 1 under the historic One-Off resident<br />
program lodged on Wednesday.<br />
It may be noted the application process for<br />
Phase 1 opened on <strong>December</strong> 1 at 6 AM only<br />
for those applicants who have already applied<br />
for residence under the Skilled Migrant or<br />
Residence from Work categories on or before<br />
September 29, <strong>2021</strong>, or have submitted a Skilled<br />
Migrant Category Expression of Interest, and<br />
have included their dependent child in the<br />
Expression of Interest aged 17 years or older on<br />
September 29’ <strong>2021</strong>.<br />
However, the INZ website faced technical<br />
issues, and hence many migrants were unable<br />
to get their applications through. In Phase<br />
2, which opens on March 1, 2022, all other<br />
eligible applicants can apply.<br />
<strong>The</strong> crash once again highlighted the<br />
unpreparedness of Immigration New Zealand<br />
as Immigration New Zealand expected about<br />
15,000 applicants to apply under Phase 1 and<br />
mostly today on the very first day.<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> spoke to politicians<br />
who took expressed their frustration over the<br />
website fiasco:<br />
Erica Stanford, National Party MP and<br />
spokesperson for Immigration<br />
“<strong>The</strong> Government and the Immigration<br />
Minister seem to be making a habit of<br />
damaging the reputation of New Zealand’s<br />
immigration system. Under their watch, we’ve<br />
had unprecedented backlogs of residency<br />
Erica Stanford<br />
applications, entirely avoidable labour<br />
shortages in some of our most crucial sectors,<br />
and valuable migrants leaving because they had<br />
no path to residency or they couldn’t reunite<br />
with their families."<br />
"<br />
<strong>December</strong> 1 embarrassment<br />
only adds more fuel to the<br />
fire. <strong>The</strong> Government and the<br />
Immigration Minister should<br />
have had a plan in place that<br />
would stagger applications<br />
overtime to ensure this didn’t<br />
happen."<br />
"<strong>December</strong> 1 embarrassment only adds<br />
more fuel to the fire. <strong>The</strong> Government and the<br />
Immigration Minister should have had a plan in<br />
place that would stagger applications overtime<br />
to ensure this didn’t happen.”<br />
“This is another embarrassment for the<br />
Ricardo Menéndez March<br />
Government and the Immigration Minister. Our<br />
immigration system has already been tarnished<br />
enough under the watch of this Government.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Immigration Minister must take immediate<br />
action to ensure this doesn’t happen again in<br />
March 2022 when 90 thousand applicants all<br />
try to lodge their resident applications.”<br />
Ricardo Menéndez March, Green Party<br />
MP and spokesperson for Immigration<br />
“It’s frustrating that the Government’s<br />
systems are not coping with the expected<br />
demand for the R21 visa.<br />
"Migrants have been facing uncertainty<br />
and today is a day where many will hope to<br />
finally start a process to put down roots in their<br />
community. We are urging the Government to<br />
improve its systems to cope with the expected<br />
demand for the R21 visa, particularly as we<br />
head into the second batch of applications.”<br />
“We continue committed to fighting to<br />
expand the eligibility criteria of the R21 visa<br />
James McDowall<br />
to support all migrants who have had roots in<br />
the community, including those stuck offshore.<br />
"<strong>The</strong> Minister still has time before the second<br />
batch of applications begins to expand the<br />
eligibility criteria, so we hope that he is actively<br />
reviewing the systems and settings to ensure<br />
they reflect the needs of migrant communities.”<br />
James McDowall, ACT Party MP and<br />
spokesperson for Immigration<br />
“As expected, the online application form<br />
for phase one of the <strong>2021</strong> Resident Visa, which<br />
opened at 6 AM on <strong>December</strong> 1 crashed. Now<br />
just imagine how phase two is going to go in<br />
March when the numbers are far higher! Hon<br />
Kris Faafoi MP, your website sucks.”<br />
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6 NEW ZEALAND<br />
Friday, <strong>December</strong> <strong>03</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
Explainer story: What do temporary<br />
migrants need to know about New<br />
Zealand’s border opening?<br />
IWK Exclusive<br />
SANDEEP SINGH<br />
<strong>The</strong> New Zealand government’s<br />
decision of eventual resumption of<br />
international travel in a staged manner<br />
from early next year has expectedly created<br />
more anxiety than certainty for temporary<br />
migrants (visa holders).<br />
Here is an explainer of what this latest<br />
announcement by Minister of Covid-19<br />
Response Chris Hipkins on Wednesday,<br />
November 24, means to different categories of<br />
temporary visa holders.<br />
Let’s understand who are temporary migrants<br />
in the context of this story<br />
Generally, the term temp migrants has been<br />
used as a sweeping term to cover all foreign<br />
nationals with a valid New Zealand visa living,<br />
working, studying, visiting, or planning to do<br />
any of these activities in the country.<br />
However, after the NZ government’s historic<br />
decision of border-closure on March 28, 2020,<br />
then new words have emerged to describe the<br />
situation of people.<br />
According to very early estimates last year,<br />
around tens of thousands of temporary migrants<br />
(with valid NZ visas) were caught on the wrong<br />
side of border closure and have been since then<br />
locked out of NZ borders. <strong>The</strong>y have been<br />
loosely defined as “temporary migrants stuck<br />
overseas,” or “temporary migrants ordinarily<br />
resident of NZ and stuck overseas.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> other category is of the remaining<br />
temporary visa holders who were living onshore<br />
when the Covid pandemic began and have<br />
since then continued to live, work and hope to<br />
work towards their residency under different<br />
available options, despite all roadblocks and<br />
delays in Immigration NZ visa processing.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y are continued to be categorized as<br />
“temporary migrants.”<br />
Clearly, the situation of the former is more<br />
desperate than the latter, in terms of pursuing<br />
their dream of living in NZ permanently yet<br />
both categories of temporary migrants are<br />
equally desperate with the closed borders and<br />
international travel restrictions.<br />
Thousands of temporary migrants living<br />
onshore also have to bear the pain of not having<br />
the ability to return back to NZ, if they have<br />
to choose to travel overseas for any family<br />
emergency or important life events.<br />
<strong>The</strong>refore, it is completely natural that<br />
this category of temporary migrants, along<br />
with those stuck overseas for the last<br />
eighteen months, can also find solace and<br />
excitement from Wednesday’s decision by<br />
Minister Chris Hipkins.<br />
Was the latest announcement primarily<br />
directed toward ‘temporary migrants’?<br />
Despite the notable excitement evident on<br />
social media groups of temporary migrants<br />
of all strips (stuck overseas and currently<br />
onshore), it is pertinent to understand that this<br />
latest announcement of reconnecting NZ to<br />
the rest of the world was NOT directed toward<br />
temporary migrants.<br />
<strong>The</strong> announcement was primarily<br />
directed toward NZ citizens, residents, and<br />
permanent residents.<br />
<strong>The</strong> case in point that there was only one<br />
reference to visa holders in Step – 3, which<br />
talks about opening to fully vaccinated<br />
foreign nationals (possibly staged by visa<br />
category), from April 30 onwards – and<br />
the word “possibly” clearly reveals the<br />
government’s state of thinking on temporary<br />
migrants of any stripe.<br />
It means there is no firm commitment from<br />
the government for visa holders (previously or<br />
currently held and any future visa holders).<br />
It remains up in the air.<br />
Moreover, Minister Chris Hipkins was quoted<br />
somewhere else, in a different context though,<br />
that nothing about Wednesday’s decision was<br />
written on stone yet, and the government will<br />
continue to keep thinking and evolving their<br />
decisions based on broader Covid management.<br />
So, the point is that the announcement was<br />
primarily meant for citizens and residents only,<br />
and it will be advisable for all categories of<br />
temporary migrants to take the information<br />
with a bit of caution.<br />
<strong>The</strong> decision was more focused on the MIQ<br />
system than on ‘border control’<br />
A lot of excitement has been noted on several<br />
social media groups of temporary migrants who<br />
seem to be misunderstanding the decision as a<br />
decision on the removal of “border control.”<br />
What is Community Supported Isolation and Quarantine (CIQ) system?<br />
SANDEEP SINGH<br />
In the light of a new report released by Northern<br />
Region Health Coordination Centre (NRHCC)<br />
affirming that the two deaths of self-isolating<br />
people in Auckland could have potentially been<br />
prevented, it is important that everyone has a better<br />
understanding about the new Community Supported<br />
Isolation and Quarantine (CIQ) system.<br />
Is it one and the same thing as a general home<br />
isolation or is it a something different?<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> reached out to the office of<br />
the Ministry of Health to get a better understanding<br />
of the term.<br />
Responding to the <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong>’s query, an<br />
official spokesperson of the Ministry of Health said,<br />
“Home isolation is playing an increasingly important<br />
role in supporting the health system to better manage<br />
COVID-19 cases in the community.<br />
“A Medical Officer of Health undertakes a health<br />
risk assessment to assess the person’s suitability for<br />
home isolation. This assessment considers whether a<br />
referral is required for additional services to assist with<br />
disability supports, social and welfare needs, safety<br />
and compliance.<br />
"<br />
A health professional makes an<br />
initial medical assessment to<br />
make sure they are well enough to<br />
isolate at home. A Welfare Team<br />
receives referrals and co-ordinates<br />
any essentials, such as food,<br />
medication and personal cares, the<br />
person may need.<br />
“A health professional makes an initial medical<br />
assessment to make sure they are well enough to<br />
isolate at home. A Welfare Team receives referrals and<br />
co-ordinates any essentials, such as food, medication<br />
and personal cares, the person may need.<br />
“People isolating at home can also contact a health<br />
professional on a dedicated 0800 number any time<br />
for advice about their COVID-19 illness. If a person<br />
I<br />
t is to be reminded to all<br />
temporary migrants that<br />
this decision was about<br />
getting rid of the MIQ system<br />
progressively and allowing<br />
Kiwi citizens (including<br />
Kiwis living overseas) the<br />
opportunity to unrestricted<br />
travel.<br />
isolating at home with COVID-19 has concerning<br />
symptoms such as chest pain or shortness of<br />
breath we ask they dial 111 to get immediate<br />
help. People with COVID-19 who need to call an<br />
ambulance will not be charged.<br />
“In some instances, it may be determined that<br />
it is not appropriate or possible for someone to<br />
isolate at home.<br />
"<strong>The</strong> Community Supported Isolation and<br />
Quarantine Service (Community-SIQ) was<br />
originally designed to provide a communitybased<br />
option for those community cases/close<br />
contacts where transferring them to a MIQ facility<br />
for isolation/quarantine is not the safest or most<br />
feasible option.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> intent of the service is to provide<br />
wrap-around support and small numbers of<br />
alternative accommodation to enable cases/<br />
close contacts with higher needs to safely isolate<br />
in the community.<br />
It is to be reminded to all temporary migrants<br />
that this decision was about getting rid of the<br />
MIQ system progressively and allowing Kiwi<br />
citizens (including Kiwis living overseas) the<br />
opportunity to unrestricted travel.<br />
To put it the other way, the main issue for<br />
temporary migrants is of “border closure,”<br />
which prohibits them from entering NZ. <strong>The</strong><br />
issue of MIQ is more of inconvenience, stress,<br />
and cost-escalation.<br />
You all will note that hundreds of temporary<br />
migrants (particularly newly granted<br />
partnership visas with exceptions to enter NZ)<br />
have been able to enter NZ when they have<br />
been lucky to find a place in MIQs.<br />
However, those temporary migrants who had<br />
a valid visa but do not have a critical purpose<br />
to enter NZ under the currently closed border<br />
regime are not allowed to enter NZ – even if<br />
they can find a place and pay for MIQ.<br />
It is therefore advisable for all temporary<br />
migrants making plans of traveling overseas<br />
for long-pending family reunions or attending<br />
postponed life events such as marriage, etc after<br />
April 30, based on this latest announcement, to<br />
be extra careful and not leave shores in haste.<br />
I am a temp visa holder can I fly out and<br />
return back after April 30 without MIQ?<br />
<strong>The</strong> answer to this question is that no one<br />
knows with absolute certainty.<br />
MIQ might not be a problem for you,<br />
but borders will certainly remain closed<br />
for you unless there comes a new and clear<br />
announcement from the government about<br />
border closure.<br />
All other subsidiary questions related to this,<br />
such as I have applied for a Skilled Migrant<br />
Category Visa (Resident Visa) and will I lose<br />
my place in the queue, are meaningless –<br />
because since you will not be allowed to return<br />
back onshore, the Immigration New Zealand<br />
will stop processing your visa application as<br />
per current visa processing regime.<br />
Covid-19 traffic light system comes into effect today<br />
• Continued on Page 7
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD<br />
Krishna Temple said.<br />
to dance and have fun.<br />
RIZWAN MOHAMMAD<br />
February 13, for the community.<br />
intervals.<br />
Chandra a ded.<br />
enjoy the even to its fu lest.<br />
event,” Mr Chandra a ded.<br />
b en made a the venue.<br />
a ded.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, <strong>December</strong> <strong>03</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
NEW ZEALAND 7<br />
• Continued from Page 6<br />
“This might be required if for example the<br />
person lives too far from an existing Managed<br />
Quarantine facility. DHBs have secured small<br />
numbers of various accommodation options<br />
including on-site hospital accommodation,<br />
motels and private rentals.<br />
However, the government is envisaging that<br />
as we move to the traffic light system, reduce<br />
restrictions and remove the Auckland boundary,<br />
people will be travelling around the country in<br />
the months to come and we will potentially see<br />
more cases across the country.<br />
Care in the Community model<br />
This system is already in place (set up by the<br />
Ministry of Health and having recently received<br />
government’s additional $300 million funding)<br />
and supporting self-isolating people.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Covid Care in the Community model<br />
provides the framework for how the end-to-end<br />
community support will be provided as cases<br />
increase throughout the country, and sets out the<br />
expectations of health and welfare providers.<br />
For someone with Covid-19 who can isolate<br />
at home, Care in the Community will include<br />
the following:<br />
An initial contact from a healthcare provider<br />
within 24 hours of a positive result notification,<br />
to discuss any health, accommodation and<br />
wellbeing requirements.<br />
Household contacts will also need to isolate,<br />
they’ll be supported with health advice and<br />
getting tested as well.<br />
A designated point of contact, most likely<br />
from a local healthcare provider, who will be<br />
responsible for looking out for the person’s<br />
health and wellbeing needs, including making a<br />
plan for checking in regularly while the person<br />
is infected.<br />
A health pack tailored to the individual’s<br />
health needs delivered within 48 hours to help<br />
the person manage recovery.<br />
Ongoing clinical monitoring over the<br />
duration of the isolation period to make sure<br />
the person is coping with symptoms and is safe<br />
to continue being cared for in the community.<br />
A health assessment on Day 10 to<br />
determine whether the person can safely end<br />
time in isolation.<br />
At this point, household contacts will<br />
need to stay at home for at least 10 days, to<br />
make sure they remain free from the virus.<br />
<strong>The</strong> household’s dedicated health contact will<br />
continue to check in on them during this time.<br />
• Continued from Page 3<br />
"My faith is personal to me. It is not in itself<br />
a political agenda. I believe no religion should<br />
dictate to the State, and no politician should<br />
use the political platform they have to force<br />
their beliefs on others. As MPs, we serve the<br />
common cause of all New Zealanders-not one<br />
religion, not one group, not one interest.”<br />
It was a sentiment he repeated in his first<br />
statements as National’s leader.<br />
He told Newstalk ZB in May he reacted badly<br />
to the evangelical label “because I kind of to be<br />
honest just think of myself as a Christian rather<br />
than being a certain type - this or that type - of<br />
Christian”.<br />
“It’s never been an issue for me in my past...<br />
I wasn’t a Christian CEO, I was a CEO who<br />
just happened to be a Christian and the same<br />
thing here.”<br />
He seemed to lament the association of<br />
evangelical Christianity with the supporters of<br />
Donald Trump.<br />
“Evangelical supporters, I guess, have not<br />
been speaking up enough around the cruel and<br />
dehumanising language which he’s using or the<br />
bullying manner in which he’s going about it,”<br />
he said.<br />
Outside of his faith, Luxon today described<br />
himself as a man who loves country music and<br />
water skiing, and as an extrovert who knows<br />
how to lead people.<br />
He was born in Christchurch and raised in<br />
Howick, Auckland before attending schools<br />
in Botany including Cockle Bay Primary<br />
and Howick College. He met his future wife<br />
Amanda when he was just 15 years old, and<br />
they have two children.<br />
“She is my best friend ... quite simply, the<br />
most extraordinary person I know: strong, wise,<br />
smart, and funny.”<br />
He told Parliament his father Graham had<br />
worked his way up from sales rep to general<br />
manager. His mother Kathleen meanwhile<br />
became a psychotherapist later in life, studying<br />
for a diploma in the same year Luxon himself<br />
began at University of Canterbury.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re, he studied a bachelors and masters<br />
in commerce (business administration), before<br />
beginning an 18-year career at multinational<br />
consumer goods company Unilever, where<br />
he rose to become President of its Canadian<br />
branch before his stint heading up Air NZ.<br />
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NEW ZEALAND<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, February 12, <strong>2021</strong> 11<br />
Over a ton of colour to be used at<br />
Krishna Holi <strong>2021</strong> event in Kumeu<br />
T<br />
he bi gest Holi event in the country<br />
on Sunday, February 14 at ISKCON<br />
Temple in Kumeu wi l put over one<br />
ton of colours for 10, 0 visitors to play with<br />
celebrating the a nual Hindu festival.<br />
Holi is one of the most popular and widely<br />
celebrated festivals for the <strong>Indian</strong> community<br />
after Diwali that is celebrated by the diaspora<br />
and the adjoining communities acro s the globe.<br />
<strong>The</strong> a nual festival of colour fa ls on March<br />
28-29 this year, and the religious element of the<br />
festival signifies the triumph of g od over evil.<br />
It is observed a the end of winter and advent of<br />
spring month (in the <strong>Indian</strong> subcontinent), and<br />
spiritual part of the festival starts with Holika<br />
Dahan (burning demon Holika) also known as<br />
C hoti Holi and the fo lowing day as Holi.<br />
In its 9th year, Krishna Holi event at the<br />
iconic Hare Krishna Temple in Kumeu, West<br />
Auckland a tracts thousands of people from a l<br />
walks of life, di ferent ethnicities and faiths to<br />
be a part of a colourful and joyous event.<br />
Speaking with the <strong>Indian</strong> W ekender,<br />
Krishna Chandra from the temple said they are<br />
excited to s e the festive season of Holi back<br />
after a gl omy year of Covid-19 in the country.<br />
“Holi at the Krishna Temple is one of the<br />
most vibrant events in our calendar- we s e<br />
families dre sed white clothing visi the temple<br />
and then dance and drench in dry and wet<br />
colours from n on ti l early evening,” Krishna<br />
Chandra, secretary and spokesperson of Hare<br />
<strong>The</strong> temple spread over 1 0 acres start the<br />
fr event at 1 a.m. and wi l have sta ls that<br />
distribute at least ten to 12 colours, and there<br />
wi l also be watercolours for the visitors.<br />
A giant LED scr en is also insta led on the<br />
stage with a DJ and live music for the a tend es<br />
“It’s a family-friendly- toba co and alcoholfr<br />
event. People of a l ages can have fun as<br />
there wi l be colour sta ls, water stations, f od<br />
sta ls, changing r oms, showering stations for<br />
people drenched in colour,” Mr Chandra said.<br />
He a ded tha the temple stocks colours to be<br />
used at the festival at least 2-3 years at a time.<br />
<strong>The</strong> temple wi l be used over a ton of colour at<br />
the event both in its dry form and with water.<br />
“We have given 2 0 kgs of colour to fire<br />
brigade who wi l mix it in their water tank<br />
and then splash it on the visitors at di ferent<br />
“Since this year’s event coincides with<br />
Valentine’s Day, we have kept valentine theme<br />
gifts and gift station t o at the venue for the<br />
public to celebrate the o casion there,” Mr<br />
Mr Chandra says a l a rangements in<br />
terms of Covid QR Code sca ning and hand<br />
sanitisers are in place for people, a rangements<br />
for children activities, so that everyone gets to<br />
“We have volunt ers, security to usher<br />
vehicles to park in the a propriate places,<br />
manage the oncoming and returning traffic,<br />
and make sure visitors f el comfortable at the<br />
<strong>The</strong> event organisers have a pealed the<br />
visitors to come in white dre s as colours tend<br />
to exhibit its vibrancy on white clothing, get<br />
spare clothing to change after playing with<br />
colour and f od and water a rangements have<br />
“Hol is always a fun event and Krishna Holi<br />
event like previous years wi l be high octane,<br />
fu l of energy and g od vibes,” Mr Chandra<br />
ISKCON Temple is located on 1 29<br />
Coatesvi le-Riverhead Highway, Kumeu, West<br />
Auckland, and the event starts at n on to 5 p.m.<br />
Hare Krishna temple to host ‘Saatvik food festival’<br />
T<br />
he Hare Krishna Temple in Kumeu, West Auckland<br />
is hosting its a nual f od festival event on Saturday,<br />
More than 3 0 people are expected to a tend the event<br />
where they wi l be served s atvik vegetarian f od, tour the<br />
temple premises and have a relaxing family-fun day.<br />
“Our Hare Krishna F od Festival is very popular amongs the<br />
wider Kiwi community in Auckland, people from a l faiths and<br />
ethnicities come to the temple, take a tour of the place knowing<br />
abou the deities, the ISKCON establishment, its works for the<br />
community and have snacks and f od during the day,” Krishna<br />
Chandra, secretary and spokesperson for Hare Krishna temple<br />
told the <strong>Indian</strong> W ekender.<br />
<strong>The</strong> event is said to be quiet, and exhibit a relaxing<br />
environment where people get to m et new people, make<br />
friends, experience the calmne s being with nature, have<br />
S atvik (pure) vegetarian f od and have g od family day.<br />
“This event is ha pening just one day before our most<br />
popular Krishna Holi event which is wi l be loud, fu l of energy,<br />
playfulne s, music and dance,” Mr Chandra a ded.<br />
<strong>The</strong> events wi l start at 2 p.m. and end at seven in the evening.<br />
Besides the f od festival, Krishna Temple organises lunch<br />
event every Sunday at its premises where 3 0-4 0 people<br />
come, chant mantras, meditate, spend some time with nature<br />
and dine with the community members.<br />
“It is a s othing atmosphere a the temple, chanting mantras<br />
with the community, knowing more about the religion, what<br />
can they do a the temple and how can they make a di ference in<br />
the community by serving others and the le s privileged.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>re are also children’s activities<br />
organised so that they engage themselves<br />
and also have a g od time at the temple,” Mr<br />
Chandra said.<br />
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IWK Exclusive<br />
Friday, <strong>December</strong> <strong>03</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
IWK’s advocacy results in businesses acquired<br />
in lockdown to get Resurgence Payments<br />
SANDEEP SINGH<br />
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson’s recent<br />
announcement of new one-off financial support for<br />
businesses to move to the traffic light system has a<br />
welcome relief of including the previously left out category of<br />
pre-existing businesses sold during lockdown after the <strong>Indian</strong><br />
<strong>Weekender</strong>’s persistent reporting and advocacy.<br />
On Monday, November 29, Finance Minister Robertson<br />
announced a transition payment of up to $24,000 to help<br />
businesses move into the traffic light system.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> new one-off transition payment will be activated through<br />
the Resurgence Support Payment (RSP) system criteria and be<br />
available on <strong>December</strong> 10,” Grant Robertson said.<br />
This payment is at a higher base rate than the current RSP and<br />
will be $4,000 per business plus $400 per FTE up to a cap of 50<br />
FTEs – a maximum payment of $24,000.<br />
A small new category of businesses now eligible for<br />
one-off transition payment<br />
In this announcement, the Minister included a small new<br />
category of pre-existing businesses purchased during lockdown<br />
– a category previously not supported by the government despite<br />
experiencing significant financial woes because of restrictions<br />
imposed by the government.<br />
“Cabinet has also agreed to change the rules so recently<br />
acquired businesses can access the Resurgence Support<br />
Payment,” Grant Robertson said.<br />
“This issue arose because the RSP rules required the applicant<br />
to have been operating as a business for at least one month before<br />
August 17 so businesses acquired after July 17 have not been<br />
eligible for any payment. I estimate very few businesses have<br />
will been in this situation, but for those that are, it will have been<br />
a difficult time. <strong>The</strong> test will now be that the business itself must<br />
have been in operation for at least one month prior to August 17<br />
and the business must be carrying on the same or similar activity<br />
as before the change in ownership.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> revenue decline test also needs to be amended to allow<br />
the applicant to use the revenue received by the previous owner<br />
over the comparator period<br />
in order to demonstrate the<br />
necessary revenue decline<br />
during the affected period,”<br />
Grant Robertson said.<br />
Govt assured review<br />
after IWK first raised<br />
this issue<br />
In an exclusive story,<br />
earlier this month, the<br />
T<br />
he revenue decline<br />
test also needs to<br />
be amended to allow<br />
the applicant to use<br />
the revenue received<br />
by the previous owner<br />
over the comparator<br />
period in order to<br />
demonstrate the<br />
necessary revenue<br />
decline during the<br />
affected period<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> had raised the important issue of a large<br />
number of pre-existing businesses that have been operational<br />
for many years and were going through a sales process when<br />
the Delta outbreak and lockdown descended suddenly causing<br />
significant disruption and confusion and putting the new business<br />
owners under considerable financial stress. <strong>The</strong> IRD had then<br />
been declining all applications of the government’s Resurgent<br />
Support Payment on the grounds that the new business owner did<br />
not meet the eligibility criteria of owning the business one month<br />
before August 17, despite the obvious fact that the businesses<br />
have been operational for a much longer period (only under a<br />
different owner).<br />
One such new business owner, Nirmal Gupta (name changed)<br />
with whom the <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> had then spoken, told how<br />
exasperated they were as a struggling business owner when IRD<br />
declined their Resurgence Support Payment application on the<br />
grounds that it did not meet the eligibility criteria despite the<br />
restaurant business being in operation for more than a decade.<br />
“We have ventured out (as a new business owner) despite the<br />
lockdown only to find ourselves in the deep end of the lockdown<br />
and were denied government’s Resurgent Support Payment that<br />
was otherwise available to other eligible businesses.<br />
“Resurgence Support Payment is technically government’s<br />
only cash support scheme for businesses (other than wage<br />
subsidy which is meant to support employees) and ideally should<br />
be meant to help businesses and not person or individuals.”<br />
“RSP contributions are used to pay overhead costs of businesses<br />
such as rent, bills, insurance etc when no or insignificant<br />
commercial activity is happening and therefore any support<br />
should be targeted to businesses and not person or individuals.”<br />
“This is unfair and not right,” Gupta had then said.<br />
When the <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> raised that issue with different<br />
government authorities, the office of the Finance Minister Grant<br />
Robertson has assured a “review.”<br />
“We are aware of this issue, and it is currently under review.<br />
I recognise there are concerns about the difficulties faced by<br />
some recently acquired businesses in meeting the criteria of the<br />
Resurgence Support Payment. This needs to be balanced against<br />
ensuring that the integrity of the scheme is maintained,” Minister<br />
Robertson said.<br />
New announcement a welcome step<br />
Expressing a sigh of relief Gupta thanked the <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
for identifying and raising this important issue of the plight for<br />
a category of small business owners who were otherwise falling<br />
through the cracks and raising with the government, said, “I am<br />
thankful to the <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> for raising our issue and to the<br />
government for not turning their back on us during such a tough<br />
business environment.”<br />
Notably, the change will come into effect on <strong>December</strong> 10,<br />
and recently acquired businesses would then be eligible for RSPs<br />
made on and after October 29.<br />
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• PO BOX 23445, Hunters Corner, Papatoetoe, Auckland. 2025 (Above Bank Of India) | www.legalassociates.co.nz<br />
CONTACT US AT: RAJ:raj@legalassociates.co.nz / ASHIMA: ashima@legalassociates.co.nz<br />
LEGAL CLINIC<br />
FREE 2-hour legal consultation.<br />
Saturday - 10 am to 12 pm
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, <strong>December</strong> <strong>03</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
NEW ZEALAND 9<br />
Tough lending restrictions leave<br />
first home buyers out of pocket<br />
Banks have already put a pause on low-deposit loan applications for aspiring homebuyers<br />
PRITI GARUDE-KASTURE<br />
“Average property in the Auckland market is very close to<br />
$900,000 to a $1million. A first home buyer doesn’t have a<br />
20 percent deposit to put forward for that,” says Ishan Sikka,<br />
Licensed Sales Consultant at realty firm Century-21, bringing<br />
into context the stark reality faced by many first homebuyers as<br />
they grapple with the tough lending criteria put in by the Reserve<br />
Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ).<br />
Since November 1, banks are only able to lend 10 percent of<br />
their new lending to homebuyers wanting to borrow more than<br />
80 percent of a house’s value. <strong>The</strong>se restrictions were brought in<br />
by RBNZ to curb house price inflation, with Governor Adrian<br />
Orr calling prices unsustainable in a speech in November.<br />
With these restrictions, banks have already put a pause on lowdeposit<br />
loan applications for aspiring homebuyers.<br />
Prateek Malhotra, Loan Market Mortgage Adviser says, “Most<br />
banks have stopped lending to new clients, although they are<br />
doing it for their own customers but even that is restricted to less<br />
than 20 percent.”<br />
In November, Kiwibank warned some customers that they<br />
will not honour pre-approvals for low deposit home loans, while<br />
ANZ, ASB and Westpac have stopped accepting applications<br />
from customers from other banks. BNZ announced that it will<br />
not lend money to owner-occupiers who do not have at least a<br />
20 percent deposit.<br />
This has meant that many first home buyers have been<br />
left out of pocket.<br />
Rupinder Kaur, Director and Licensed Sales Consultant with<br />
Century-21 said, “Every time the government introduces any<br />
changes, could be interest rates or OCR hike, the market does<br />
slow down. It’s because people are not sure what’s happening,<br />
and they want to take the time to observe everything and then<br />
find solution. That’s what’s happening in the market right now.<br />
But there are definitely buyers out there in the market.”<br />
Her sentiments were shared by Malhotra who said that there<br />
are plenty of home buyers looking to buy but they are being<br />
regulated by the restriction placed by banks. He said, “<strong>The</strong><br />
restrictions have hindered the first home buyers’ ability to borrow<br />
money. Banks are lending at less than 20 percent, and not every<br />
first-time home buyer can buy with that.<br />
“We have already seen a couple of cases where loans have<br />
not been approved or have not been renewed and people don’t<br />
know when they’ll be able to come back in the market, and I<br />
assume that will have a flow on effect on a lot of other buyers in<br />
the market.”<br />
Real Estate agents that <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> spoke to concurred<br />
that first-home buyers do not have the money for a 20 per cent<br />
deposit and are choosing to let go off their preferred properties,<br />
sometimes in lieu of new builds.<br />
Sikka said, “We had an apartment block where the buyers were<br />
super keen to buy, but nobody wanted to put an offer because<br />
they were asked for a 20 percent minimum deposit or even more,<br />
in some cases. So, if you’re looking at a $700,000 apartment,<br />
first home buyers are being asked to put in a $140,000 –first<br />
home buyers don’t have that kind of money.”<br />
Brijesh Patel, Associate Salesperson Otahuhu Branch with<br />
Barfoot and Thompson said, people still prefer to have their own<br />
house but in Auckland, it’s difficult to find a balance between<br />
budget and location or area, car parks or even school zones.<br />
“If a buyer’s income is $120,000 and he’s been given a<br />
maximum loan approval of $700,000 with a condition that he<br />
needs to buy a three-bedroom house, where will he find a house<br />
like that in that price,” he asked.<br />
Over the past few months, investors have also been busy<br />
in the housing market, selling off old builds in favour of<br />
new ones as they look to manage their investments against<br />
changes to tax rules.<br />
“Homebuyers are being forced to go for new builds, which<br />
means they are in competition with the investor category.<br />
Investors are favouring new builds because of the lower period<br />
for bright line tests and the interest deductibility that’s allowed,”<br />
said Malhotra.<br />
“So, these first home buyer with less than 20 percent deposit,<br />
who are being forced to look at new builds, are suddenly in<br />
competition with investors who can afford to throw in an extra<br />
$20,000 – $30,000 more than the asking price, which throws the<br />
first home buyer entirely out of the market,” he added.<br />
Patel said that investors prefer to not buy old properties,<br />
like cross-lease or smaller properties, with no sub-division<br />
potential, but rather are bargaining for big sections and brandnew<br />
properties. So, how long should the buyers expect this<br />
uncertainty to last? Malhotra reassures not for too long.<br />
“It’s a matter of banks readjusting their books. By end of Jan,<br />
the restrictions will slightly ease up, and we should see banks<br />
relaxing for less than 20 percent deals for existing properties and<br />
then it’ll be interesting to see how many enquiries we get from<br />
existing buyer and first home buyers.”<br />
Kaur agrees, “I believe in a few weeks or maybe the New<br />
Year’s, things should stablise.”<br />
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10 NEW ZEALAND<br />
(From left to right) : Khushy Watson, Karnail Singh, Nirmal Bhatti, Jagjeet Singh Sidhu and Rana Judge posing with the cars<br />
donated to <strong>Indian</strong> Wardens<br />
<strong>The</strong> community drive<br />
IWK BUREAU<br />
South Auckland, particularly Papatoetoe and<br />
Manukau, has been kept safe by voluntary<br />
community patrol called the <strong>Indian</strong> Wardens for<br />
a few years now.<br />
<strong>The</strong> group, which is founded by Rana Judge, manager<br />
of Ōtara Business Association and Papatoetoe Mainstreet,<br />
is part of an NGO named NZ Council of Sikh Affairs. It<br />
is currently made up of 15 individuals who patrol during<br />
business hours, assisting business owners and shoppers<br />
in the area and reporting suspicious behaviour to the<br />
Police and aims to give back to the community.<br />
<strong>The</strong> group has been recently received a car donated<br />
by Jagjeet Singh Sidhu of Papatoetoe-based immigration<br />
consultancy, Immigration Matters, and Khushy Watson<br />
of car dealer NZ Cars to help them work better.<br />
Talking about the same, Rana says, “<strong>The</strong> main aim of<br />
our organisation and <strong>Indian</strong> Wardens is to help and serve<br />
the community as much as we can. We work in many<br />
areas such as crime watch, providing JP services, helping<br />
the victims of domestic violence, and taking needy<br />
people to the hospital.<br />
“Usually, our wardens would take up public transport<br />
or their own personal car for the same, but now with this<br />
car being donated, we will be able to serve the community<br />
even better. I can’t thank Jagjeet and Khushy enough for<br />
the same.”<br />
Sharing the same sentiment, Karnail Singh, mentor of<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> Wardens as well as a JP himself, says, “With this<br />
car coming in the organisation, we will be able to help the<br />
wider community. I think it is great and helps us achieve<br />
our mission of helping the community even better.”<br />
Moving on, Jageet feels that he thought there was a<br />
need for a car to help <strong>Indian</strong> Wardens motivated him to<br />
give the car.<br />
He says, “As I see our elders contributing to the<br />
community as <strong>Indian</strong> Wardens by patrolling our streets,<br />
helping other elders taking to doctors and WINZ and<br />
other appointments. I thought it was better to provide a<br />
vehicle to them to have better movability. <strong>The</strong>y are our<br />
heroes and are doing great for the community.”<br />
Khushy says, “Donations are part of life, and I feel<br />
proud to be able to donate a vehicle for our community<br />
and be able to do my bit for the community wardens who<br />
work so hard for us.”<br />
Friday, <strong>December</strong> <strong>03</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
India puts NZ in new<br />
'At risk' category in<br />
response to Omicron<br />
SANDEEP SINGH<br />
<strong>The</strong> government of India has put New Zealand along with<br />
eight other countries in a new “At risk” category along<br />
with European countries and the UK, South Africa,<br />
Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, Singapore,<br />
Hong Kong and Israel.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Union Health Ministry on Sunday revised the guidelines for the<br />
international arrivals in the wake of new Covid variant, Omicron – designated<br />
as a Variant of Concern (VOC) by the World Health Organization (WHO).<br />
<strong>The</strong> new guidelines will be effective from <strong>December</strong> 1. <strong>The</strong> Health Ministry,<br />
in a statement, said: “<strong>The</strong> existing guidelines have been revised in view of<br />
reporting of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.1.529; named Omicron)<br />
which has been now classified as VOC by the WHO.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> government said that international arrivals will now have to upload their<br />
14-day travel history and valid negative RT-PCR test reports on Air Suvidha<br />
portal before embarking on their journey to India. <strong>The</strong> RT-PCR test report<br />
should not be more than 72 hours old, added the statement.<br />
According to the new guidelines, the passengers travelling from countries<br />
that are categorised as ‘at-risk’ will have to undergo testing on arrival. If the<br />
passengers test positive, their samples will be sent for genomic sequencing,<br />
and they will be sent to institutional quarantine.<br />
If they test negative, they will be asked to remain in home quarantine for<br />
seven days following which they will take a test on the 8th day and continue<br />
monitoring their health for the next 7 days. <strong>The</strong> tests for passengers from ‘atrisk’<br />
nations will be self-paid while the cost of the random tests will be borne<br />
by the Civil Aviation Ministry.<br />
“Travellers from countries excluding the ‘at risk’ countries will be allowed<br />
to leave the airport and shall self-monitor their health for 14 days post-arrival,”<br />
said the statement.<br />
On November 24, South Africa reported the B.1.1.529 variant to WHO.<br />
Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged Prime Minister Narendra<br />
Modi to stop flights from countries that are affected by the new Covid-19<br />
variant.<br />
“I urge Hon’ble PM to stop flights from those countries which are affected by<br />
the new variant. With great difficulty, our country has recovered from Corona. We<br />
should do everything possible to prevent this new variant from entering India,”<br />
CM Kejriwal tweeted.<br />
Interestingly, New Zealand is included in the At-Risk list despite<br />
there being no Omicron variant detected here as yet. Though<br />
it has been found in Australia, the transtasman neighbour has<br />
escaped on the list.<br />
Face to face with a<br />
talented face painter<br />
ADVERTORIAL<br />
Face painting has caught on like wild fire in recent years<br />
especially around celebratory occasions and fun events.<br />
Social media has greatly accelerated its popularity. Let’s<br />
learn more about this art from Neha Poddar who is counted<br />
among the five best face painters in Wellington.<br />
Do please tell our readers a bit about yourself and<br />
how you got into face painting?<br />
I’m originally from New Delhi and moved to New Zealand<br />
in 2013. I’ve always been quite passionate about painting. I got<br />
introduced to face painting in New Zealand as face painting<br />
isn’t common back in India. I find this to be a great way of<br />
keeping my passion alive.<br />
Since how long have you been face painting and how<br />
many faces have you painted so far? Also, what age<br />
groups do you cover?<br />
I sincerely believe that when you do something you love then<br />
it’s no longer a job and time really flies. Can’t believe it has<br />
already been seven years since I started face painting. I would<br />
have painted close to 10,000 faces till date – right from sixmonth-old<br />
babies to 80-year-olds. <strong>The</strong> best part of face painting<br />
is there is no age restriction, anyone can get their face painted.<br />
What are some of your achievements and what are<br />
some of the compliments you’ve received?<br />
I’ve had several achievements and compliments in the<br />
last seven years. Recently I was named in the Top Five Face<br />
Painters in Wellington which is pretty awesome. It also gives<br />
me real satisfaction when I’m able to bring smiles on the faces<br />
of the living canvases I paint.<br />
<strong>The</strong> exposure I get via my face painting is priceless. Through<br />
my work I get to know people from diverse ethnicities and<br />
backgrounds and get to be part of various events, big and small.<br />
What sort of face paints do you use and are there any<br />
side effects in using them?<br />
I only use professional make up based face paints which are<br />
manufactured in the USA. <strong>The</strong>re are no side effects to these<br />
paints and they are skin friendly. I haven’t had any complaints<br />
till date, which speaks highly of the quality of these face paints.<br />
What extra precautions do you take especially in the<br />
current Covid world to keep yourself and everyone<br />
else safe?<br />
I’m fully vaccinated and have been following all the<br />
government mandated Covid protocols in my gigs. I wear face<br />
masks and after every face paint, I apply hand sanitiser and also<br />
clean my brush thoroughly.<br />
What sort of bookings / events you cover and how do<br />
you charge?<br />
I do all sorts of events big and small ranging from birthday<br />
parties, Christmas galas, Halloween to corporate and community<br />
events and big matches. I normally charge on an hourly basis<br />
but can charge per person as well depending on the requirement.<br />
What’s your busiest time?<br />
Halloween, Summer and Christmas time are my busiest, I get<br />
booked out months in advance for them. So, if you would like<br />
to book a face painter in these times, better to not leave it to the<br />
last minute.<br />
How do you recommend someone cleans their face<br />
after painting?<br />
Face paint colours are water based and are very easy to wash<br />
off, just use some warm soapy water and it’ll come off easily.<br />
What is your advice if someone wants to get into face<br />
painting?<br />
A) I would say start painting on your hand/ thigh first. When<br />
you get bit confident then do some volunteer work that way<br />
you’ll get good exposure and understand what areas you need to<br />
improve on. Be patient, good things take time. Keep practising<br />
and never give up... then sky will be the limit!<br />
You can reach Neha through her Facebook page “Face<br />
Painting by Neha” (https://www.facebook.com/<br />
facepaintingbyneha/) or send a message/ call / text /<br />
Whatsapp on 02102857597 or email facepaintingbyneha@<br />
gmail.com
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, <strong>December</strong> <strong>03</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
NEW ZEALAND 11<br />
After Google, Microsoft, IBM and<br />
Adobe, an <strong>Indian</strong> now helms Twitter<br />
AVINASH SEN<br />
firm’s bio fund across therapeutics,<br />
diagnostics, and digital health,<br />
Twitter has officially joined<br />
with a focus on companies that<br />
the tech company bandwagon<br />
are leveraging unique datasets to<br />
of those being led by<br />
improve drug development and<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> CEOs.<br />
Jack Dorsey, co-founder of the<br />
patient care delivery.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> two are also raising a threeyear-old<br />
popular social media platform<br />
boy.<br />
Twitter, has stepped down from his<br />
During his time as CTO,<br />
role as CEO and has passed the torch<br />
on to his Chief Technology Officer<br />
Parag Agrawal. <strong>The</strong> tech giant made<br />
their announcement on Monday,<br />
taking many by surprise.<br />
Parag Agrawal has joined the<br />
ranks of other notable <strong>Indian</strong> CEOs<br />
who are in charge of big tech<br />
companies such as Sundar Pichai,<br />
CEO of Google since 2015; Satya<br />
Nadella, CEO of Microsoft since<br />
2014; Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM<br />
(International Business Machines)<br />
since 2020; Nikesh Arora, CEO of<br />
Palo Alto Networks since 2018 and<br />
Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe<br />
since 2007.<br />
Sundar Pichai<br />
Agrawal took on some high-profile<br />
problems, such as a large-scale<br />
password security issue, as well as<br />
bolder company initiatives such as<br />
Project Bluesky, a research project<br />
launched by Twitter with the goal of<br />
establishing open and decentralized<br />
standards for social media platforms.<br />
Agrawal was tasked with finding a<br />
leader for Bluesky, and while it had<br />
been radio silent for some months,<br />
in August, cryptocurrency developer<br />
Jay Graber was finally put in charge<br />
of the project.<br />
As CEO, it is presumed Bluesky<br />
will continue to be a major project<br />
for Agrawal. That, as well as the<br />
Besides these well-known<br />
I<br />
newly founded Twitter Crypto<br />
companies, there are a host of other<br />
’ve decided to leave<br />
team, which was announced in<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> origin CEOs helming global<br />
Twitter because I<br />
November, and is being led by Tess<br />
tech and fintech companies across Parag Agrawal<br />
believe the company<br />
Rinearson, will also report directly to<br />
the world. It is clear that the world Likewise, Elon Musk Tweeted, is ready to move on<br />
the new CEO.<br />
is recognising the potential of “USA benefits greatly from from its founders.<br />
It is not far-fetched to think that the<br />
<strong>Indian</strong>s as major business leaders in<br />
Satya Nadella<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> talent!”<br />
My trust in Parag as<br />
trend of <strong>Indian</strong>-led tech companies<br />
the tech industry.<br />
Speaking about Agrawal Dorsey<br />
He worked his way up the ladder,<br />
Twitter’s CEO is deep.<br />
will continue to grow in the future.<br />
Patrick Collison, CEO of stripe said, “I’ve decided to leave Twitter<br />
starting out as an engineer and<br />
His work over the past<br />
While Agrawal has not spent that<br />
tweeted, “Google, Microsoft, because I believe the company is<br />
eventually securing a position as one<br />
10 years has been<br />
much time in the public eye until<br />
Adobe, IBM, Palo Alto Networks, ready to move on from its founders.<br />
of the company’s top executives.<br />
transformational.<br />
now, we can be sure to see more of<br />
and now Twitter run by CEOs My trust in Parag as Twitter’s<br />
He began serving as the company’s him in the future.<br />
who grew up in India. Wonderful CEO is deep.<br />
CTO in 2017.<br />
Hearty congratulations to you<br />
to watch the amazing success of "His work over the past 10 years same age as Meta’s (formerly Agrawal’s wife, Vineeta, is a Parag Agrawal! We look forward to<br />
<strong>Indian</strong>s in the technology world and has been transformational. I’m Facebook) CEO Mark Zuckerberg. venture capitalist and a physician. where you will lead Twitter in the<br />
a good reminder of the opportunity deeply grateful for his skill, heart and He joined Twitter back in October According to her bio, she is a “General coming future and we wish you the<br />
America offers to immigrants. soul. It’s his time to lead.”<br />
2011, meaning he has been with Partner at Andreessen Horowitz best of luck and success for what is<br />
(Congrats, @paraga!)”<br />
Agrawal is 37 years old, the the company for just over a decade. where she leads investments for the to come.<br />
‘NZ can benefit from India-Israel style cyber security cooperation’<br />
IWK BUREAU<br />
Amidst the Covid pandemic, India<br />
and Israel have been increasing their<br />
cooperation on Cyber Security over<br />
the past year, having signed a Memorandum of<br />
Understanding to cooperate and learn lessons<br />
from each other.<br />
Remote working, because of the Covid<br />
pandemic, has produced a whole new set of<br />
cyber dangers. <strong>The</strong>re are vulnerabilities and<br />
gaps when home users log onto their corporate<br />
networks. For criminals who know what they<br />
are doing these potentially are rich pickings.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y infiltrate vulnerable networks, access<br />
sensitive information and use ransomware to<br />
extort it or on-sell.<br />
As well as criminal activity, there are statesponsored<br />
attacks. Some governments are<br />
known to be using these methods to undermine<br />
other countries, and to harvest state secrets.<br />
Recently, the increase in volume and complexity<br />
of these attacks has been significant.<br />
India and Israel learn<br />
from each other<br />
In 2010 the Israeli Government commissioned<br />
a report to see how it could be amongst the top<br />
five Cyber Security nations. <strong>The</strong> next year, that<br />
report became a government resolution. And for<br />
the past decade they have been implementing it.<br />
<strong>The</strong> aim has been to create human capital<br />
– to equip and train a vast pool of people<br />
with expertise in digital security – a highly<br />
specialised and technical skill set. Cyber<br />
research units were established in seven Israeli<br />
universities. And these units have partnered<br />
with Israeli private companies in research and<br />
development.<br />
And international investors have followed<br />
these developments. From 18 percent in 2018,<br />
Israel has received 45 percent of the worldwide<br />
investment in cyber security in the first<br />
six months of this year alone.<br />
Microsoft, IBM and Cisco, have also<br />
recognised where the expertise lies and have<br />
set up research centres in Israel.<br />
Similarly, India has made big progress –<br />
through its own initiatives, and in partnership<br />
with Israel. At the signing of the MOU last<br />
year India said that the understanding consists<br />
of a “multilayer cooperation of sharing<br />
"<br />
<strong>The</strong> emerging India-Israel-<br />
NZ Friendship grouping<br />
here in NZ recognises the<br />
leadership provided by India<br />
and Israel in cyber security.<br />
And that they have partnered<br />
to enhance their expertise,<br />
methodologies, best practices, and capacity<br />
building know-how.”<br />
In India the Data Security Council is a<br />
not-for-profit, industry body. Its purpose is<br />
to ensure data protection. It “engages with<br />
governments and their agencies, regulators,<br />
industry sectors, industry associates and think<br />
tanks” to create a culture of cyber space safety.<br />
It promotes standards, best practices, policies,<br />
capacity building, industry development and<br />
transborder data flow.<br />
Before 2013 India had no laws against<br />
cyberattacks. Following the Edward Snowden<br />
leaks of NSA surveillance, the National Cyber<br />
Security Policy was put in place.<br />
Today, India’s cybersecurity regime is<br />
continually being strengthened. ‘Cert-In’<br />
(the <strong>Indian</strong> Computer Emergency Response<br />
Team) advises that it constantly issues “alerts<br />
and advisories regarding cyber threats and<br />
vulnerabilities and countermeasures to protect<br />
computers and networks”.<br />
India – Israel – New Zealand<br />
<strong>The</strong> emerging India-Israel-New Zealand<br />
Friendship grouping here in NZ asks if there are<br />
things NZ can learn from their approach.<br />
Ian Dunwoodie representing this grouping,<br />
wants key New Zealanders – government<br />
policy and decision makers, industry leaders<br />
and education institutions – to consider this<br />
ecosystem model.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> emerging India-Israel-NZ Friendship<br />
grouping here in NZ recognises the leadership<br />
provided by India and Israel in cyber security.<br />
And that they have partnered to enhance their<br />
expertise,” he says.<br />
“At a time when New Zealand has to look<br />
overseas to recruit cyber security specialists, it<br />
would seem strategic to explore putting in place<br />
this kind of ecosystem model. This creative<br />
culture might also spin off into other High Tech<br />
research and development,” he adds.
Editorial<br />
Don't let pandemic,<br />
flight bans disrupt<br />
cordial ties<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a sense of unease within the Kiwi-<strong>Indian</strong> community at the<br />
apparent diplomatic ping-pong playing out in the New Zealand-India<br />
bilateral relationship around flight bans and travel restrictions imposed by<br />
both countries on each other.<br />
Earlier this year, the New Zealand government has, in a historic first, imposed a<br />
flight ban from India, thereby stopping even New Zealand citizens from entering<br />
the country after India was ravaged by a spike in Covid-19 infections.<br />
Subsequently, that decision was amended and replaced with a new ruling that<br />
allowed citizens and their immediate families to enter New Zealand while imposing<br />
a new, cost-prohibitive requirement on resident visa holders to quarantine for<br />
fourteen days in a third Covid-free country.<br />
<strong>The</strong> decision has resulted in significant pain, inconvenience, financial burden,<br />
and the herculean stress of planning their travel through a Covid free third country,<br />
on the members of the Kiwi-<strong>Indian</strong> community only to return to a country that<br />
they long thought was their new home.<br />
Just when the New Zealand government finally responded to long advocacy<br />
by the community, including this newspaper, and removed India from the “Very<br />
High-Risk Category,” bringing some smiles back on the travel-deprived Kiwi-<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> community, the <strong>Indian</strong> government has put New Zealand in “At high risk”<br />
category in response to the new Omicron variant of Covid-19 - causing much<br />
anxiety within the community.<br />
Indeed, the requirements imposed on travel by the <strong>Indian</strong> government’s “atrisk”<br />
category cause far-less inconvenience, less cost-escalation as compared<br />
to what travellers from India to New Zealand had experienced in the last eight<br />
months.<br />
According to the new guidelines issued by India’s Civil Aviation Ministry, the<br />
passengers traveling from countries that are categorized as ‘at-risk’ will have to<br />
undergo testing on arrival.<br />
If the passengers test positive, their samples will be sent for genomic sequencing,<br />
and they will be sent to institutional quarantine.<br />
If they test negative, they will be asked to remain in home quarantine for seven<br />
days, following which they will take a test on the 8th day and continue monitoring<br />
their health for the next seven days.<br />
<strong>The</strong> tests for passengers from ‘at-risk’ nations will be self-paid, while the cost<br />
of the random tests will be borne by the Civil Aviation Ministry.<br />
<strong>The</strong> government authorities on both sides, when probed about the humanmiseries<br />
such travel restrictions cause, maintain the usual diplomatic stance,<br />
putting their respective national interests ahead of any other interests.<br />
However, the Kiwi-<strong>Indian</strong> community – a migrant community that usually<br />
has its heart and soul stretched across the two nations with strong roots and<br />
connections in both, does not find any solace in such diplomatic responses.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y rather want a proactive, pre-emptive, behind-the-scenes diplomacy and<br />
the political camaraderie between the two governments to prevent such seemingly<br />
punitive or knee-jerk travel restrictions.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a sense of intrigue within the Kiwi-<strong>Indian</strong> community about the fact that<br />
Australia could escape India’s “At-risk” category, despite four known Omicron<br />
cases at the time of the announcement, while New Zealand was included in the<br />
list despite no known Omicron cases.<br />
Indeed, there seems to be more in play than what meets the eye that suggests<br />
the bilateral relationship is missing out on the special political nurturing that is<br />
required – from both sides, especially at times like these.<br />
Currently, there seems to be disillusionment within the Kiwi-<strong>Indian</strong> community<br />
– and the community expects more and better - from both governments.<br />
It is important not to let Covid play disruptor to an otherwise well - functioning<br />
bilateral relationship between India and New Zealand.<br />
Thought of the week<br />
"A positive atmosphere nurtures a<br />
positive attitude, which is required<br />
to take positive action."<br />
- Richard M. DeVos<br />
3 <strong>December</strong> - 9 <strong>December</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu<br />
On-and-off<br />
rain and<br />
drizzle<br />
22°<br />
15°<br />
On-and-off<br />
rain and<br />
drizzle<br />
19°<br />
13°<br />
This week in New Zealand’s history<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> : Volume 13 Issue 39<br />
Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited<br />
Editor: Dev Nadkarni | dev@indianweekender.co.nz<br />
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Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher<br />
is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication<br />
Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent<br />
the views of the team at the <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland.<br />
Printed at Horton Media, Auckland<br />
Clouds<br />
and<br />
sun<br />
19°<br />
14°<br />
Clouds<br />
and<br />
sun<br />
20°<br />
14°<br />
3 <strong>December</strong> 1910<br />
First female ascent of Aoraki/Mt Cook<br />
Clouds<br />
and<br />
showers<br />
20°<br />
14°<br />
Copyright 2020. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.<br />
A few<br />
morning<br />
showers<br />
21°<br />
15°<br />
A few<br />
morning<br />
showers<br />
26°<br />
17°<br />
In the cold, dark hours before dawn on 3 <strong>December</strong> 1910, Freda du Faur and her guides Peter<br />
and Alexander (Alec) Graham left their tent and started towards the summit of Aoraki/Mt<br />
Cook. Later that day, du Faur stood on the peak after becoming the first woman to complete the<br />
ascent – in record time.<br />
3 <strong>December</strong> 1960<br />
Bluff Island Harbour opened<br />
<strong>The</strong> 40-ha man-made Island Harbour, which took eight years to construct, is the centrepiece<br />
of the modern port facilities at Bluff, New Zealand’s southernmost commercial<br />
deepwater port.<br />
4 <strong>December</strong> 1928<br />
Luna Park opens in Auckland<br />
Inspired by its famous New York namesake, the amusement park opened to the public<br />
on Auckland’s waterfront (opposite the site of Spark Arena) at 2 pm. Its construction<br />
had employed 250 men for six months, utilising attractions and equipment from Dunedin’s<br />
recent New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition.<br />
4 <strong>December</strong> 1966<br />
Radio Hauraki rules the waves<br />
Pirate station Radio Hauraki broadcast its first scheduled transmission from beyond New<br />
Zealand’s 3-mile territorial limit. <strong>The</strong> MVTiri was anchored in the Colville Channel<br />
between Great Barrier Island and Coromandel Peninsula.<br />
5 <strong>December</strong> 1890<br />
First 'one man one vote' election<br />
New Zealand’s electoral law had been changed so that no one could vote in more than one<br />
general electoral district. This ended the long-standing practice of ‘plural voting’ by those<br />
who owned property in more than one electorate.<br />
6 <strong>December</strong> 1905<br />
Special votes cast in general election<br />
For the first time in NZ’s electoral history, registered voters who were away from their<br />
electorate on polling day were able to cast a ‘special’ absentee vote at any polling booth in<br />
the country; this was posted to their local returning officer to be counted. Prior to election day<br />
in 1905, 3586 electors applied for the necessary absent voter’s permit; 2781 votes were cast in<br />
this way.
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, <strong>December</strong> <strong>03</strong>, <strong>2021</strong> FIJI 13<br />
Fiji entry conditions in<br />
response to Omicron<br />
IWK BUREAU<br />
<strong>The</strong> Fijian Government<br />
has strengthened its strict<br />
conditions for entry<br />
for incoming travelers from<br />
red list countries in response<br />
to the newly-reported Omicron<br />
variant of COVID-19.<br />
“We’re monitoring the Omicron<br />
variant closely as it has been shown to<br />
carry significant mutations that could<br />
spell higher rates of transmissibility<br />
and virulence.<br />
"We commend South Africa on<br />
identifying and publishing the first<br />
information on this new variant.<br />
So far, field evidence does suggest<br />
higher transmissibility.<br />
"However, more study is needed<br />
to determine if transmissibility is<br />
truly increased, if the variant is less<br />
responsive to natural and vaccineinduced<br />
immunity, and if the disease<br />
caused by the variant is more<br />
severe,” said Permanent Secretary<br />
for Health and Medical Services Dr<br />
James Fong.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> process of risk assessment<br />
for our red list and Travel Partner<br />
Countries (TPC) was developed with<br />
the knowledge that new variants of<br />
the virus were highly likely to be<br />
detected. It analyses factors such as<br />
country vaccine coverage and rates<br />
of community transmission. We will<br />
continue to rely on that assessment<br />
process moving forward.”<br />
NZ Covid-19 economic<br />
support for Fiji announced<br />
IWK BUREAU<br />
New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia<br />
Mahuta has announced a further package<br />
of support for Fiji and the Cook Islands for<br />
Covid-19 economic support and recovery.<br />
“Aotearoa New Zealand remains committed to<br />
supporting our Pacific fanau and vuvale to respond to<br />
the impacts of Covid-19 on their economies, and move<br />
towards long-term economic resilience,” Nanaia Mahuta<br />
said. “As the duration of the pandemic lengthens, so<br />
do the economic challenges affecting many countries in<br />
the Pacific, particularly those that have tourism-focused<br />
economies such as the Cook Islands and Fiji.<br />
“While vaccination uptake has been excellent in these<br />
countries, rebuilding tourism will take time. This funding<br />
will help their Governments to continue supporting the<br />
needs of their most vulnerable communities.<br />
“It will also contribute to sustaining livelihoods<br />
through measures such as social support payments,<br />
infrastructure stimulus, and tourism business support,”<br />
Nanaia Mahuta said.<br />
This economic package of $100 million (US$68<br />
million) brings Covid-19 budget support provided to the<br />
Cook Islands and Fiji during the global pandemic to a<br />
Fiji’s international borders<br />
reopen after almost two<br />
years. This has brought in<br />
much excitement for the people of<br />
Fiji as the first tourist flight landed<br />
at the Nadi international airport on<br />
Wednesday, <strong>December</strong> 1 <strong>2021</strong>.<br />
This first flight is a strong<br />
indication of our resilience to get<br />
through the pandemic and a ray of<br />
hope for many employees of the<br />
"<br />
We’re monitoring<br />
the Omicron<br />
variant closely as<br />
it has been shown<br />
to carry significant<br />
mutations that could<br />
spell higher rates of<br />
transmissibility and<br />
virulence.<br />
For Fijians located in red list<br />
countries, which have always<br />
included the Southern African States,<br />
the measures for incoming travelers<br />
are as follows:<br />
1. Travellers must be fully<br />
vaccinated with one of Fiji’s<br />
approved vaccines;<br />
2. Travellers must undergo escalated<br />
pre-departure protocols, which<br />
include self-isolation for the<br />
five days prior to travel under<br />
the oversight of the employer or<br />
sponsor and test negative on day<br />
5 and within 72 hours prior to<br />
departure; and<br />
tourism sector to be reemployed.<br />
Fiji Airways is working closely<br />
with the Ministry of Health to<br />
monitor and minimize the risk of the<br />
3. On arrival to Fiji, the quarantine<br />
period for travelers from red list<br />
countries will increase to 14 days<br />
with a PCR test done on arrival on<br />
day 5 and on day 12.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Fijian Government will<br />
maintain the entry conditions<br />
for all arrivals from Travel<br />
Partner Countries, which include<br />
requirements such as full vaccination<br />
with an approved Covid-19 vaccine,<br />
a negative Covid-19 PCR test result<br />
taken 72 hours prior to departure, a<br />
3-night stay in a Care-Fiji Certified<br />
hotel, and an additional Covid-19 test<br />
on Day 2 after arrival.<br />
<strong>The</strong> preference of the Ministry of<br />
Health and Medical Services is that<br />
travellers from red list countries<br />
go to a listed TPC for ten days<br />
prior to travelling to Fiji. However,<br />
given some international border<br />
restrictions, particularly in Southern<br />
Africa, we understand some Fijian<br />
New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta<br />
combined total of $215 million (US$146 million).<br />
In addition to health and vaccine support, New Zealand<br />
is also supporting other initiatives that contribute to<br />
economic resilience. <strong>The</strong>se include improved access to<br />
advice and finance for small-medium businesses in the<br />
Cook Islands and supporting Fiji to implement reforms to<br />
improve the business and investment climate.<br />
“We know that we all need to play our part in the global<br />
effort to respond and recover from COVID-19, especially<br />
with our close Pacific neighbours. By working together<br />
we are ensuring a stronger, more resilient region that<br />
sees benefits for everyone,” Nanaia Mahuta said. New<br />
Zealand is providing $60 million (US$40 million) to the<br />
Cook Islands, and $40 million (US$27 million) to Fiji.<br />
new Omicron variant of COVID-19<br />
from entering the country.<br />
As an added measure, the airline<br />
says it will introduce an additional<br />
citizens and residents may need to<br />
book travel directly to Fiji.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ministry of Foreign Affairs<br />
will provide advice on a process for<br />
the public to help us by providing<br />
information on citizens in Southern<br />
Africa so those citizens can be<br />
registered and assisted to adhere with<br />
the strict conditions for entry.<br />
“This new variant is a reminder<br />
that for as long as there is a<br />
pandemic, Fiji will continue to face a<br />
threat from the virus and its variants.<br />
<strong>The</strong> most important step every Fijian<br />
can take in response to this variant<br />
is to become fully vaccinated and<br />
encourage others around us to do the<br />
same. We have one of the highest<br />
rates of vaccine coverage in the<br />
world –– but Fiji is safest when we<br />
achieve as close to 100% coverage<br />
as possible. And we must continue<br />
to adhere closely to the other health<br />
protection measures we know can<br />
limit the spread, including good<br />
handwashing, mask wearing, and<br />
physical distancing.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ministry of Health and<br />
Medical Services is currently<br />
establishing genomic sequencing<br />
capacity within the Fiji Centre for<br />
Disease Control to process any<br />
positive samples of concern.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ministry is currently<br />
administering booster doses to front<br />
line health officials and will soon<br />
deploy booster doses of COVID-19<br />
vaccines to vulnerable members of<br />
the public....<br />
Critical<br />
months lie<br />
ahead: Fiji PM<br />
FBC NEWS<br />
Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe<br />
Bainimarama says Fiji now<br />
has the opportunity to mount a<br />
recovery. He said since the pandemic<br />
struck, we have been sailing against<br />
the strongest economic headwinds<br />
ever faced, and battling them without<br />
our tourism sector.<br />
Bainimarama said to succeed, the<br />
government has set sights higher than<br />
simply restoring the Fiji of 2019.<br />
He highlights the reopening of<br />
our international border will create<br />
momentum that will propel us to<br />
greater growth in 2023 and beyond.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>re is a saying: that which does<br />
not kill you will make you stronger.<br />
Well, we refused to roll over and<br />
give in to economic death, and in<br />
some ways, this adversity has made<br />
us stronger. People have gained new<br />
skills. Industries have become more<br />
competitive. And we’ve done our<br />
part as government by easing the<br />
burden on businesses.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Prime Minister is urging<br />
businesses in the tourism industry<br />
to heed President, Ratu Wiliame<br />
Katonivere’s advice to remain a costcompetitive<br />
destination.<br />
“In the critical months that lie<br />
ahead, we will be competing fiercely<br />
for regional and global market share,<br />
and we can take nothing for granted.<br />
We must fight for every tourist<br />
dollar.” Bainimarama said Fiji has<br />
reached this point through a careful<br />
science-based strategy and by taking<br />
decisive steps.<br />
Fiji ready should new variant strike<br />
Most major countries<br />
have now imposed<br />
restrictions on travel, to<br />
try to contain the new COVID-19<br />
variant called Omicron.Minister for<br />
Health, Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete<br />
says Fiji’s internal and external<br />
measures in place are to be able to<br />
mitigate whatever variant Fiji could<br />
be faced with.<br />
Doctor Waqainabete says<br />
public health safety measures and<br />
vaccination is vital in the continuous<br />
fight against the deadly virus.<br />
With international travel set<br />
to resume from Wednesday, the<br />
Minister for Health says Fiji has<br />
carried out a detailed assessment on<br />
travel partners’ countries.<br />
“In these countries, adequate<br />
assessment has been done by our<br />
experts working with WHO and<br />
also international bodies. We know<br />
that these countries are relatively<br />
safe”.Dr Waqainabete says<br />
mechanisms have been put in place<br />
check at the airport today, for all<br />
travellers to declare where they have<br />
been in the last 14 days.<br />
According to the national carrier<br />
the safety protection protocols from<br />
COVID-19 and its potential variants<br />
are included in the border-reopening<br />
framework which was designed to<br />
deal with situations like this.<br />
Fiji Airways has an independently<br />
verified Travel Ready programme<br />
that has several safeguards to<br />
locally and externally to ensure<br />
Fijians are safe.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>re are countries that are<br />
not part of this group. Those are<br />
the countries for which we have<br />
mechanisms in place. We are<br />
ensuring that if they finally do come<br />
in or if we repatriate our people from<br />
there then their time of quarantine<br />
is actually longer than others so we<br />
have those measures in place”.<br />
<strong>The</strong> World Health Organization<br />
has declared that the new<br />
variant has a large<br />
number of mutations,<br />
some of which are<br />
concerning.<br />
Its preliminary<br />
evidence suggests<br />
an increased risk of<br />
reinfection with this<br />
variant, as compared to<br />
other variants.<br />
Omicron was first reported to<br />
the WHO from South Africa on 24 of<br />
this month.<br />
Fiji’s international borders reopen after almost two years<br />
minimize risk, and the carrier has<br />
medically qualified Customer<br />
Wellness Champions onboard to<br />
enforce these measures.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se protections are now further<br />
enhanced with the implementation<br />
of Fiji Airways’ “No Jab, No Fly”<br />
Vaccination Policy, which requires<br />
all adults (over 18 years of age) to be<br />
fully vaccinated with a Fiji-approved<br />
vaccine prior to travel.
14 INDIA<br />
Friday, <strong>December</strong> <strong>03</strong>, <strong>2021</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
Will double down on India growth<br />
in next 6 months: WhatsApp Pay<br />
WhatsApp India has said that over<br />
significant investments in payments on WhatsApp<br />
the next six months, it will make<br />
across India -- including many more “India-first”<br />
significant investments regarding<br />
features -- that we are sure will accelerate our<br />
digital payments on its platform across the country,<br />
to accelerate its growth in a market where adoption<br />
growth,” he informed.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is an opportunity, he said, for UPI to have<br />
of unified payments interface (UPI)-based<br />
an even greater impact for the country -- especially<br />
payments has exploded.<br />
According to Manesh Mahatme, Director-<br />
Payments, WhatsApp India, as the adoption of<br />
‘payments on WhatsApp’ increases with users<br />
across the country, the company looks forward to<br />
working with the National Payments Corporation<br />
of India (NPCI) to further expand it to all users.<br />
“We thank the NPCI for the increase in our cap<br />
in rural regions where digital and financial<br />
inclusion can significantly improve peoples’ lives.<br />
“We believe that WhatsApp Pay can be a key<br />
partner to the NPCI and RBI as we all aim to scale<br />
adoption of UPI and financial inclusion to those<br />
most in need,” the top company executive noted.<br />
India saw a whopping Rs 7.7 lakh crore (over<br />
$100 billion by value) digital transactions via UPI<br />
to 40 million (from an initial cap of 20 million).<br />
W<br />
in October for the first time, according to latest<br />
Since our initial approval from NPCI, we have e believe that WhatsApp data released by the NPCI.<br />
been working to deliver a simple, reliable, and Pay can be a key partner In the month of October that saw record festive<br />
secure experience for WhatsApp users that we<br />
hope will accelerate adoption of UPI for the “next<br />
five hundred million” <strong>Indian</strong>s,” Mahatme said.<br />
Last week, the NPCI approved increasing the<br />
user cap for WhatsApp’s payment service from the<br />
current 20 million to 40 million users.<br />
to the NPCI and RBI as we all<br />
aim to scale adoption of UPI and<br />
financial inclusion to those most<br />
in need<br />
features in payments on WhatsApp over the last<br />
shopping across e-commerce platforms, digital<br />
payments witnessed 4.2 billion UPI transactions<br />
in total. In September, the NPCI recorded digital<br />
payments worth Rs 6.54 lakh crore via 3.65 billion<br />
UPI transactions.<br />
Currently, PhonePe is the leader in the digital<br />
According to Mahatme, the Meta-owned few weeks and have seen exciting results.<br />
payments space in the country. PhonePe registered<br />
company has introduced several India-specific “Over the next six months, we have planned digital transactions worth Rs 3.06 lakh crore.<br />
India Global Competency<br />
Centre to become second<br />
largest for Volvo Global:<br />
Kamal Bali<br />
With more and more highend<br />
work assigned to its<br />
research and development<br />
(R&D) centre/Global Competency<br />
Centre (GCC) in Bengaluru, Swedish<br />
automotive major Volvo will be<br />
increasing its headcount, said a top<br />
official of Volvo Group India.<br />
"Next year we will be adding about<br />
500 people and the majority of them<br />
will be in GCC. <strong>The</strong> centre is getting<br />
more complex work from Volvo<br />
global. Several patents have been<br />
filed from this centre," Kamal Bali,<br />
President and Managing Director,<br />
Volvo Group India, told the media.<br />
<strong>The</strong> proposed recruits will be<br />
engineers having qualifications<br />
in embedded electronics, electric<br />
mobility and others, he added.<br />
Bali said the Volvo Group India<br />
is now working with start-ups<br />
suppliers, government authorities<br />
for innovation in the areas of future<br />
energy. With a headcount of about<br />
2,500, the centre offers accounting,<br />
information technology (IT),<br />
truck design, and robotic process<br />
automation-related services and<br />
others to Volvo group companies<br />
around the world.<br />
According to Bali, the <strong>Indian</strong><br />
GCC will soon be the second largest<br />
centre for Volvo outside of the home<br />
country Sweden.<br />
As per India Ratings & Research<br />
credit rating report, Volvo Group<br />
India had closed a revenue of Rs<br />
35.6 billion in FY20. <strong>The</strong> company<br />
incurred capex of around Rs 309<br />
million in FY20.<br />
In India Volvo is in the business of<br />
construction equipment, heavy duty<br />
trucks, marine and industrial engines,<br />
GCC, financial services and cars.<br />
Volvo also has a mass market<br />
truck and bus joint venture with<br />
Eicher Motors India - the VECV<br />
Commercial Vehicles. <strong>The</strong> group's<br />
products are sold under the brands of<br />
Volvo, Eicher and SDLG.<br />
Ahmadabad :Members of AIDS Control Society and Lok Sevak Mandal make a red ribbon symbol with candles on the eve of<br />
World AIDS Day in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, October 13,<strong>2021</strong>.<br />
Officials of the <strong>Indian</strong> space sector, both<br />
serving and retired, are of the view<br />
that the space sector's organisational<br />
structure is expected to mirror that of India's<br />
atomic energy sector.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y also said that senior officials of the <strong>Indian</strong><br />
space agency should address the employees on<br />
what is happening in the sector and how it will pan<br />
out so that uncertainty and confusion are addressed.<br />
In the <strong>Indian</strong> atomic energy sector, the<br />
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is at the top,<br />
the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) is<br />
the sectoral regulator while the Nuclear Power<br />
Corporation of India (NPCIL), the Bharatiya<br />
Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd (both power<br />
companies), the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd,<br />
the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd, and IREL<br />
(India) Ltd are public sector units (PSU).<br />
<strong>The</strong> Bhabha Atomic Energy Centre (BARC),<br />
Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research<br />
(IGCAR) are the premier research and development<br />
(R&D) organisations and there are several DAEaided<br />
organisations.<br />
While the DAE is headed by a Secretary<br />
(normally from the R&D units) who is also<br />
the head of the Atomic Energy Commission<br />
(AEC), the R&D centres and PSUs are headed<br />
by different persons.<br />
Similarly, the government that has started the<br />
space sector reforms seems to be replicating<br />
the atomic energy model, several officials<br />
told the media.<br />
"<strong>The</strong> Central government's moves in the space<br />
IT spending<br />
in India to<br />
cross $100<br />
bn in 2022:<br />
Gartner<br />
Driven by a surge in digital<br />
transformation owing to the<br />
pandemic, the IT spending in<br />
India is forecast to total $101.8 billion<br />
in 2022, an increase of 7 per cent<br />
from <strong>2021</strong>, global market research<br />
firm Gartner said on Wednesday.<br />
In 2022, all segments of IT<br />
spending in India are expected to<br />
grow, with software emerging as the<br />
highest growing segment.<br />
Spending on software is forecast to<br />
total $10.5 billion in 2022, up 14.4<br />
per cent from <strong>2021</strong>.<br />
While experiencing a slower<br />
growth rate than <strong>2021</strong>, spending on<br />
software in 2022 is forecast to be<br />
nearly double of what it was prepandemic.<br />
"India has experienced one of the<br />
fastest recoveries despite being one<br />
of the worst hit regions in the second<br />
wave of the pandemic in early<br />
<strong>2021</strong>," said Arup Roy, research vice<br />
president at Gartner.<br />
As hybrid work adoption increases<br />
in the country, there will be an uptick<br />
in spending on devices in 2022,<br />
reaching $44 billion, an increase of<br />
7.5 per cent from <strong>2021</strong>.<br />
"<strong>The</strong> growth in devices is a<br />
combination of two components –<br />
hybrid work and pent-up demand<br />
from 2020 for device upgrades," said<br />
Roy. "Spending on devices will make<br />
up 43 per cent of total IT spending<br />
next year."<br />
Next year, <strong>Indian</strong> CIOs are<br />
prioritising a move away from<br />
rigid and monolithic ways of doing<br />
business to a more composable<br />
business and IT architecture where<br />
they will be able to better respond to<br />
disruptions.<br />
"In 2022, CIOs in India will build<br />
on renewed interest in technology<br />
from the business to gain funding for<br />
new IT projects," said Roy.<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> space sector's organisational<br />
structure likely to mirror of atomic energy<br />
sector seems to replicate the atomic energy model,"<br />
an official said. Currently, the Department of<br />
Space (DOS) is at the top and below that, comes<br />
the private sector space regulator <strong>Indian</strong> National<br />
Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-<br />
SPACe), the <strong>Indian</strong> Space Research Organisation<br />
(ISRO) with various R&D-cum-production<br />
(rockets, satellites and others) units.<br />
<strong>The</strong> sector has two PSUs - Antrix Corporation<br />
Ltd and NewSpace India Ltd. Unlike the atomic<br />
energy sector, the Secretary of the DOS and<br />
Chairman of the Space Commission is also the<br />
Chairman of the ISRO.<br />
As part of the space sector reform measures, the<br />
government has set up IN-SPACe as a regulator for<br />
the private sector players.<br />
"Ultimately there will be only one sectoral<br />
regulator. <strong>The</strong>re cannot be two regulators - one for<br />
the private sector and other for the public sector.<br />
Who will be the regulator if there is a company<br />
that is floated in public-private partnership,"<br />
an official aske
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, <strong>December</strong> <strong>03</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
WORLD 15<br />
Blanket travel bans will<br />
not prevent int'l spread<br />
of Omicron variant: WHO<br />
<strong>The</strong> World Health Organization (WHO) has<br />
warned that blanket travel bans will not prevent<br />
the international spread of the Covid-19 Omicron<br />
variant, even as dozens of countries have already<br />
introduced such restrictions.<br />
Although Omicron has been labeled a "variant of<br />
concern" by the WHO, it said on Tuesday that blanket<br />
travel bans will only place a heavy burden on lives and<br />
livelihoods, while also "disincentivizing countries to<br />
report and share epidemiological and sequencing data."<br />
<strong>The</strong> Omicron variant was first reported to the WHO<br />
by South Africa last week. So far, several countries and<br />
regions have confirmed cases of infection with Omicron.<br />
Dozens of countries have already tightened travel<br />
measures, and even suspended flights, Xinhua news<br />
agency reported.<br />
At a member states session on the Omicron variant<br />
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus<br />
on Tuesday, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom<br />
Ghebreyesus thanked Botswana and South Africa for<br />
"<br />
Persons who are unwell or at risk<br />
detecting and reporting this variant so rapidly. It is deeply<br />
of developing severe Covid-19<br />
worrying that these countries were being penalised by<br />
disease and dying, including people<br />
others for doing the right thing, he said.<br />
60 years of age or older or those with<br />
He called the "blunt, blanket measures" introduced<br />
comorbidities such as heart disease,<br />
by some member states "not evidence-based or effective<br />
cancer and diabetes."<br />
on their own." He urged countries to take "rational,<br />
proportional risk-reduction measures, in keeping with the<br />
international health regulations."<br />
and dying, including people 60 years of age or older or<br />
Meanwhile, the WHO advises that "persons who are those with comorbidities such as heart disease, cancer and<br />
unwell or at risk of developing severe Covid-19 disease diabetes," should postpone travel plans.<br />
Australia<br />
commits<br />
to Covid<br />
suppression<br />
amid Omicron<br />
concerns<br />
Australia's leaders have<br />
committed to the country's<br />
coronavirus "suppression"<br />
strategy amid concerns over the<br />
Omicron variant. Prime Minister<br />
Scott Morrison and state and<br />
territory leaders agreed to continue<br />
to pursue a strategy of suppression at<br />
a meeting of national cabinet.<br />
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Paul<br />
Kelly told the meeting that there was<br />
"insufficient evidence" that vaccines<br />
are less effective against Omicron<br />
and advised no immediate change<br />
to Australia's border restrictions or<br />
quarantine requirements, Xinhua<br />
news agency reported.<br />
"<strong>The</strong> variant, over the next few<br />
weeks, we'll learn a lot more about<br />
it, and I think that will give us the<br />
confidence to keep moving forward<br />
because that's what we want to do,"<br />
Morrison said in a press conference<br />
"<br />
<strong>The</strong> variant, over<br />
the next few weeks,<br />
we'll learn a lot more<br />
about it, and I think<br />
that will give us the<br />
confidence to keep<br />
moving forward<br />
because that's what we<br />
want to do."<br />
on Wednesday.<br />
Australia reported more than<br />
1,300 new locally-acquired Covid<br />
cases, one of which has been<br />
confirmed to be infected with the<br />
Omicron Covid-19 variant, and six<br />
deaths, as the country continues to<br />
battle the third wave of infections.<br />
<strong>The</strong> majority of new cases were in<br />
Victoria, the country's second-most<br />
populous state with Melbourne as<br />
the capital city, where 1,179 cases<br />
were reported.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Northern Territory (NT)<br />
reported three new cases including<br />
two flight crew members who were<br />
in isolation and an infant from the<br />
Binjari community, which remains in<br />
a hard lockdown until next Tuesday.<br />
Also in NT, three teenagers who<br />
scaled a fence to escape from the<br />
Howard Springs Covid quarantine<br />
facility near Darwin in the early<br />
hours of Wednesday morning have<br />
been arrested.<br />
<strong>The</strong> teenagers aged 15, 16 and<br />
17 were in quarantine after being<br />
deemed close contacts of positive<br />
cases. NT Chief Minister Michael<br />
Gunner said that while the teenagers<br />
posed a low public health threat they<br />
would face consequences for their<br />
escape including restarting their<br />
quarantine time.<br />
As of Tuesday 92.5 per cent of<br />
Australians aged 16 and over have<br />
received one vaccine dose and 87.2<br />
per cent have had their second dose,<br />
according to the Health Department.<br />
Nepal suspends issuing<br />
visas to African visitors<br />
Nepal on Monday suspended<br />
issuing visas to visitors<br />
from African nations after<br />
emergence of new Covid variant<br />
Omicron, believed to be lethal than<br />
existing ones.<br />
Nepal' Ministry of Home Affairs<br />
has directed the Department of<br />
Immigration, Tribhuvan International<br />
Airport office in Kathmandu and<br />
administration offices of districts<br />
bordering India not to issue visas<br />
on arrival to people coming from<br />
African countries.<br />
"To mitigate the risk of spread<br />
of the new virus variant, we have<br />
directed agencies concerned not to<br />
issue visas on arrival to the people<br />
from African countries," Home<br />
Ministry spokesman Phanindra Mani<br />
Pokhrel said. "Nepalis returning<br />
from those countries can stay in<br />
home quarantine," he added.<br />
Similarly, the Health Ministry has<br />
intensified caution in view that new<br />
variant Omicron (B.1.1.529) first<br />
reported in South Africa could spread<br />
to Nepal, said Dr Samir Kumar<br />
Adhikari, joint spokesperson for the<br />
Ministry of Health and Population.<br />
Although the variant has not yet<br />
been reported in Nepal, risks still<br />
prevail, Adhikari said.<br />
"<strong>The</strong>re is a high probability of the<br />
variant transporting to Nepal. But<br />
we are all prepared to prevent its<br />
spread here."<br />
NASA is aiming to fly its<br />
massive next-generation<br />
rocket, the Space Launch<br />
System (SLS), for the first time in<br />
February 2022, a critical test flight<br />
on the US space agency's journey to<br />
send people back to the Moon.<br />
However, plenty of tests still need<br />
to go well before the much-delayed<br />
vehicle can finally take flight, <strong>The</strong><br />
Verge reported on Friday.<br />
Confirmation of the new target<br />
date, which was rumoured in August,<br />
comes a day after engineers fully<br />
stacked the SLS inside NASA's<br />
massive hangar at Kennedy Space<br />
Center in Florida.<br />
Standing at 322 feet high, the SLS<br />
rises taller than the Statue of Liberty.<br />
On top of the stack is NASA's Orion<br />
crew capsule, a new spacecraft that's<br />
been developed to carry people into<br />
deep space.<br />
However, when the SLS flies for<br />
the first time in 2022, there won't be<br />
any people on board, the report said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> test mission will send an empty<br />
As part of the drive to prevent<br />
the variant as classed by the World<br />
Health Organisation as "of concern",<br />
help desks at the border areas with<br />
neighbouring India and Tribhuvan<br />
International Airport, the country's<br />
sole international airport, have<br />
increased vigil, he said.<br />
Restricting direct flights from the<br />
disease-hit countries, banning entry<br />
to foreigners, and testing all people<br />
at the international border points are<br />
among the measures governments<br />
around the world have taken to<br />
prevent possible transmission of the<br />
highly mutant coronavirus variantdubbed<br />
Omicron.<br />
<strong>The</strong> key arsenal for fighting<br />
against the Covid pandemic is to<br />
speed-up the vaccination drive but<br />
several countries have still do not<br />
have required numbers of doses. As<br />
of Monday, Nepal's total vaccination<br />
is around 27 per cent and rest of the<br />
population including children are<br />
desperately waiting even as single<br />
dose of Covid vaccine.<br />
Orion capsule on a four to six-week<br />
long trip around the Moon. SLS'<br />
debut flight is known as 'Artemis<br />
I', the first major flight in NASA's<br />
Artemis program. If the flight is<br />
successful, the SLS and Orion's next<br />
mission will be Artemis II, which<br />
will carry NASA astronauts on a<br />
similar trajectory around the Moon.<br />
<strong>The</strong> programme will culminate<br />
with landing the first woman and<br />
the first person of colour on the<br />
surface of the Moon.<br />
During the administration of<br />
former President Donald Trump, Vice<br />
President Mike Pence had challenged<br />
NASA to make this landing happen<br />
as early as 2024.<br />
That timeline has since been called<br />
into question, given the complexity<br />
of the mission and numerous delays.<br />
Originally, NASA envisioned the<br />
SLS flying for the first time back<br />
in 2017, but its debut has been<br />
consistently pushed back again and<br />
again due to improper management<br />
and cost overruns.<br />
'Vax' is Oxford English Dictionary's <strong>2021</strong> word of the year<br />
'Vax' has been chosen as the word of the year<br />
by the Oxford English Dictionary (OED),<br />
the media reported. Due to the ongoing<br />
Covid-19 pandemic, words related to vaccines<br />
spiked in frequency in <strong>2021</strong>, with doublevaxxed,<br />
unvaxxed and anti-vaxxer all seeing<br />
a surge in use, the BBC reported. Vax was an<br />
obvious choice as it has made "the most striking<br />
impact", OED senior editor Fiona McPherson<br />
was quoted as saying.<br />
"It goes back at least to the 1980s, but<br />
according to our corpus it was rarely used until<br />
this year," she said. "When you add to that its<br />
versatility in forming other words - vaxxie,<br />
vax-a-thon, vaxinista - it became clear that vax<br />
was the standout in the crowd", he said.<br />
Vax and vaxx are both accepted spellings but<br />
the form with one x is more common.<br />
In September usage of the word "vax" was<br />
up more than 72 times from its level last year,<br />
OCED said. <strong>The</strong> word, and others related to<br />
NASA aims to launch next-gen<br />
rocket on debut flight in early 2022<br />
vaccination, had also been broadened into<br />
a wider range of contexts including "fully<br />
vaxxed" and "vax cards", the Guardian reported.<br />
Use of the word 'pandemic' has also increased<br />
by more than 57,000 per cent this year, the<br />
report said.<br />
Vax derived from the Latin word vacca,<br />
which means cow, was first recorded in<br />
English in 1799. Its derivatives vaccinate and<br />
vaccination both first appeared in 1800.<br />
According to the OED, this is due to English<br />
physician and scientist Edward Jenner's<br />
pioneering work on vaccination against<br />
smallpox in the late 1790s and early 1800s.<br />
Oxford Languages and Collins each decide<br />
their own word of the year, and in 2020 Collins<br />
chose "lockdown".<br />
But Oxford decided it was an unprecedented<br />
year with too many contenders, so expanded<br />
its award to encompass a handful of newly<br />
key words including lockdown, bushfires<br />
and Covid-19, as well as Black Lives Matter,<br />
WFH (working from home), keyworkers and<br />
furlough, the report said.<br />
Oxford Languages says its corpus, or<br />
language resource, gathers news content, which<br />
is updated daily and contains over 14.5 billion<br />
words for lexicographers to search and analyse.
16<br />
FEATURES<br />
Friday, <strong>December</strong> <strong>03</strong>, <strong>2021</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
When we don’t eat breakfast and have<br />
no time for lunch then brunch is the best<br />
option. It is also longer and more relaxed,<br />
a good opportunity to sit and have a good<br />
conversation with your friends and family.<br />
CHICKEN FRY<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
• 500gm - boneless chicken, thigh<br />
• 3tbsp - oil<br />
• 1/2tsp - cumin seeds<br />
• 1tsp - ginger, chopped<br />
• 1tsp - garlic, chopped<br />
• 1tsp red chilli powder<br />
• 1tsp - coriander powder<br />
• 1/2tsp - cumin powder<br />
• 1/2tsp - turmeric powder<br />
• 3/4tsp - garam masala powder<br />
• 1tsp - salt<br />
• 2 - tomatoes<br />
• 2tsp - ginger, julienned<br />
• 2 - green chillies<br />
• 1tsp - dry fenugreek leaves<br />
(Kasuri methi)<br />
• 1/2cup - fresh coriander leaves<br />
METHOD:<br />
• Heat oil in a heavy base saucepan<br />
over medium flame.<br />
• Add cumin seeds, when they<br />
start to splatter then add chopped<br />
garlic, stir, add chopped ginger<br />
and sauté for few seconds.<br />
• Wash and clean chicken, then cut<br />
into small<br />
pieces;<br />
fry for 3-4<br />
minutes<br />
or until it<br />
changes its<br />
colour.<br />
• Add red chilli powder,<br />
coriander powder, cumin<br />
powder, turmeric powder, garam<br />
masala powder and salt, mix well<br />
with a splash of water.<br />
• Cook chicken with its masala<br />
for 2-3 minutes while stirring<br />
continuously.<br />
• Wash and slice the tomatoes<br />
then add them to the chicken,<br />
mix well, cover and cook for 2-4<br />
minutes stirring in between (Add<br />
1 tablespoon of water if chicken<br />
starts to stick to the bottom of<br />
the pan).<br />
• Meanwhile wash and julienne<br />
ginger and chop green chillies.<br />
• Add julienned ginger, chopped<br />
green chillies and fenugreek<br />
leaves to the chicken, mix well.<br />
PANEER BHURGI<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
• 400gm - cottage cheese ( Paneer)<br />
• 3tbsp - oil<br />
• 1/2tsp - cumin seeds<br />
• 2 - onions, large<br />
• 2-3 - green chillies<br />
• 1/4tsp - turmeric powder<br />
• 1tsp - red chilli powder<br />
• 1/2tsp - coriander powder<br />
• 1/4tsp - garam masala powder<br />
• 2 - tomatoes, medium<br />
• 1tsp - salt or according to taste<br />
• 1/2cup - fresh coriander leaves for<br />
garnishing<br />
METHOD<br />
• Add cottage cheese to the medium size<br />
bowl and then crumble it with your<br />
hand, cover and keep aside for later use.<br />
• Heat oil in a heavy base fry pan over<br />
medium flame.<br />
• Add peeled, washed and<br />
chopped onions, fry until<br />
translucent.<br />
• Add washed and<br />
chopped green chillies,<br />
sauté for few seconds.<br />
• Lower the flame then<br />
add turmeric powder,<br />
red chilli powder,<br />
coriander powder and<br />
garam masala powder, stir<br />
well with a splash of water.<br />
• Add washed and chopped<br />
tomatoes and sauté until the tomatoes<br />
are soft over medium flame.<br />
• Add salt, mix, add cottage cheese to the<br />
onion masala, mix everything together<br />
until well combined.<br />
• Cover and cook cottage cheese on low<br />
flame for 1-2 minute ( do not cook<br />
• Cover<br />
and cook for<br />
another few minutes or<br />
until the chicken is done.<br />
• Garnish with chopped coriander.<br />
• Serve with plain paratha or sliders<br />
TIP; sliders or pav buns also go very<br />
well with this chicken.<br />
• Make a pocket in sliders with a<br />
knife, spread butter on both the<br />
inside of the slider, then with<br />
butter side down place them onto<br />
the hot skillet.<br />
• Grill sliders until they are crisp<br />
and brown in colour.<br />
• Serve with chicken fry or paneer<br />
bhurgi.<br />
• Serves - 4<br />
cottage<br />
cheese for a<br />
long<br />
time as they harden<br />
and loose their softness ).<br />
• Garnish with fresh chopped coriander.<br />
• Serve with plain paratha or sliders.<br />
• Serves - 2-3<br />
PLAIN PARATHA<br />
INGREDIENTS:<br />
with your fingers. Fold the right<br />
• 2cups - wheat flour ( Atta )<br />
side towards the centre. Lastly<br />
• 1/2cup - warm water or as<br />
fold the left side on top of the<br />
required<br />
right side to make a small square.<br />
• Oil for basting<br />
• Roll out with the rolling pin to<br />
make approximately a 16cm<br />
METHOD<br />
square paratha ( Dust the work<br />
• In a large bowl add sieved flour surface or rolling board with flour,<br />
and then gradually add water, while rolling so that the paratha<br />
while kneading to form a smooth, does not stretch or stick ).<br />
soft dough.<br />
• Place the paratha on the hot tawa<br />
• Cover with a damp tea towel or cast iron skillet; when the top<br />
and leave it to rest for at least 15 surface of the dough starts to dry<br />
minutes.<br />
out, flip it over, spread some oil<br />
• Heat a tawa or cast iron skillet on over the surface of the paratha.<br />
medium flame.<br />
When the second side is about<br />
• Pinch a medium size portion ( A half - cooked, flip again. Spread<br />
bit bigger then a golf ball ) from some oil on the upper surface of<br />
the dough and roll it into a ball the paratha and flip it over a third<br />
then flatten it between your palms. time.<br />
• Using a rolling pin, flatten the ball • Cook until brown specks appear<br />
into a 14cm round circle.<br />
on both the sides and paratha is<br />
• Spread some oil on it with your cooked evenly.<br />
fingers, then bring the top of the • Make all parathas following the<br />
circle to the centre and press same technique.<br />
lightly. Fold the bottom of the • Serve hot with chicken fry, paneer<br />
circle to the top of the folded part bhurgi or preferably any curry.<br />
to make three layers. Press lightly • Serves - 4<br />
Mint Raita<br />
INGREDIENTS:<br />
• 11/2cup - mint<br />
leaves, fresh<br />
• 2 - green chillies<br />
• 1cup - yoghurt<br />
• tsp - dry mango<br />
powder<br />
• Salt to taste<br />
METHOD<br />
• Wash mint<br />
leaves and green<br />
chillies. Grind<br />
them into a paste<br />
and keep aside.<br />
• Tip yoghurt into a medium size serving bowl, whisk a little<br />
then add the mint paste, mix well.<br />
• Add mango powder and salt and mix well again with the<br />
fork.<br />
• Serve.<br />
BRUNCH; serve chicken fry, paneer bhurgi, plain paratha,<br />
mint raita and sliders with a cup of tea in the end.
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, <strong>December</strong> <strong>03</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
WORLD 17<br />
FreeDailyCrosswords.com<br />
CROSSWORD NO: 94<br />
ACROSS------------,<br />
1) Life of_ (carefree<br />
existence)<br />
6) Flat-bottomed open boat<br />
11) "Shogun" sash<br />
14) Apparently amazed<br />
15) Country of over 1 billion<br />
16) Car tracking digits (abbr.)<br />
17) Gain experience<br />
20) Doubter's outbursts<br />
21) Like most NBA players<br />
22) Calorie-rich pastry<br />
23) 67.5 degrees, on a compass<br />
24) Retail center<br />
25) Fence repairer<br />
26) Bronco catcher<br />
28) Deafening noise<br />
29) Find in a mine<br />
30) Hole in your head<br />
34) Bums of documentaries<br />
35) Provider of wide-angle<br />
shots<br />
KEEP WATCH<br />
37) One way to get the gravy<br />
38) Former or previous<br />
39) Affectionate utterance<br />
40) Cape_ (cottage style)<br />
41) Olympic prize<br />
45) Greyhound alternative<br />
4 7) Crossing the Atlantic<br />
50) Day before a holiday<br />
51) Dutch shoe<br />
52) "_ go bragh"<br />
53) Hai ry jungle creatures<br />
54) Maryland state flowers<br />
57) Be in pain<br />
58) Model of perfection<br />
59) "Beetle Bailey" character<br />
60) "2001" mainframe<br />
61) From Oslo, e.g.<br />
62) More likely<br />
28th February<br />
DOWN<br />
1) "Friends" female<br />
2) Big lizard<br />
3) Woodworker's machines<br />
4) Classic poetry<br />
5) Japanese currency<br />
6) Twine fiber<br />
7) Bell sound<br />
8) Short poem (var.)<br />
9) "Fee_ foe furn"<br />
10) Enrich<br />
11) Goes too far<br />
12) Marsh heron<br />
13) "Psst!" follower<br />
18) Airport stat.<br />
19) Billion years<br />
24) Cow sounds<br />
25) Prefix meaning "one thousandth"<br />
27) Quick cut<br />
28) Attempt to lose weight<br />
31) Prepared Bond's martini<br />
32) Work the bar<br />
33) "<strong>The</strong> Catcher in the _"<br />
34) Santa's seat?<br />
35) Gridiron game<br />
36) Mme. Bovary<br />
37) Hom of Africa nation<br />
39) "Rock the_" (<strong>The</strong> Clash hit)<br />
40) Birch tree spike<br />
42) Make an exit<br />
43) Exact retribution<br />
44) Not as great<br />
46) Legendary elephant eater<br />
4 7) Vicinities<br />
48) Move like a crab<br />
49) Coast Guard officer (abbr.)<br />
52) You right now, theme-wise<br />
53) " ... and make it fast!"<br />
55) Tokyo, long ago<br />
56) Place with a president<br />
ANSWERS CROSSWORD NO: 94<br />
FreeDailyCrosswords.com<br />
ACROSS------------,<br />
1) Life of_ (carefree<br />
existence)<br />
6) Flat-bottomed open boat<br />
11) "Shogun" sash<br />
14) Apparently amazed<br />
15) Country of over 1 billion<br />
16) Car tracking digits (abbr.)<br />
17) Gain experience<br />
20) Doubter's outbursts<br />
21) Like most NBA players<br />
22) Calorie-rich pastry<br />
23) 67.5 degrees, on a compass<br />
24) Retail center<br />
25) Fence repairer<br />
26) Bronco catcher<br />
28) Deafening noise<br />
29) Find in a mine<br />
30) Hole in your head<br />
34) Bums of documentaries<br />
35) Provider of wide-angle<br />
shots<br />
KEEP WATCH<br />
1R 21 3L 4E S y<br />
1A G A<br />
1i: u T<br />
,.. A<br />
N<br />
AB<br />
LA<br />
I L<br />
,.. A L<br />
58<br />
1<br />
37) One way to get the gravy<br />
38) Former or previous<br />
39) Affectionate utterance<br />
40) Cape_ (cottage style)<br />
41) Olympic prize<br />
45) Greyhound alternative<br />
47) Crossing the Atlantic<br />
50) Day before a holiday<br />
51) Dutch shoe<br />
52) "_ go bragh"<br />
53) Hai ry jungle creatures<br />
54) Maryland state flowers<br />
57) Be in pain<br />
58) Model of perfection<br />
59) "Beetle Bailey" character<br />
60) "2001" mainframe<br />
61) From Oslo, e.g.<br />
62) More likely<br />
N<br />
E<br />
-------<br />
D E A<br />
6<br />
N OR s<br />
HITORI NO: 94<br />
I N<br />
T H<br />
T E<br />
E R<br />
N E<br />
s lJ SAN s<br />
5<br />
SARGE<br />
6<br />
hP TE R<br />
28th February<br />
DOWN<br />
1) "Friends" female<br />
2) Big lizard<br />
3) Woodworker's machines<br />
4) Classic poetry<br />
5) Japanese currency<br />
6) Twine fiber<br />
7) Bell sound<br />
8) Short poem (var.)<br />
9) "Fee_ foe furn"<br />
10) Enrich<br />
11) Goes too far<br />
12) Marsh heron<br />
13) "Psst!" follower<br />
18) Airport stat.<br />
19) Billion years<br />
24) Cow sounds<br />
25) Prefix meaning "one thousandth"<br />
27) Quick cut<br />
28) Attempt to lose weight<br />
31) Prepared Bond's martini<br />
32) Work the bar<br />
33) "<strong>The</strong> Catcher in the _"<br />
34) Santa's seat?<br />
35) Gridiron game<br />
36) Mme. Bovary<br />
37) Hom of Africa nation<br />
39) "Rock the_" (<strong>The</strong> Clash hit)<br />
40) Birch tree spike<br />
42) Make an exit<br />
43) Exact retribution<br />
44) Not as great<br />
46) Legendary elephant eater<br />
47) Vicinities<br />
48) Move like a crab<br />
49) Coast Guard officer (abbr.)<br />
52) You right now, theme-wise<br />
53) "... and make it fast!"<br />
55) Tokyo, long ago<br />
56) Place with a president<br />
Eliminate numbers until there are no duplicates in any row or<br />
column. Eliminate numbers by marking them in Black. You are<br />
not allowed to have two Black squares touching horizontally or<br />
vertically (diagonally is ok). Any White square can be reached<br />
from any other (i.e. they are connected).<br />
SUDOKU SOLUSIONS AND ANSWERS NO: 94<br />
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE<br />
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS<br />
1. Which planet has the most moons?<br />
Saturn<br />
2. What part of a plant conducts<br />
photosynthesis? Leaf<br />
3. How many elements are in the periodic<br />
table? 118<br />
4. Where is the smallest bone in the<br />
human body located? Ear<br />
5. How many hearts does an octopus<br />
have?3<br />
6. Who discovered penicillin? Alexander<br />
Fleming<br />
7. Queen Elizabeth II is the longest<br />
reigning monarch of the UK, followed<br />
by Queen Victoria – but who is third?<br />
George III<br />
8. Which two houses were involved in the<br />
War of the Roses? York, Lancaster<br />
9. Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced,<br />
beheaded, survived – who was Henry<br />
VIII’s last wife? Catherine Parr<br />
10. Which year did the European Union<br />
first introduce the Euro as currency?<br />
1999<br />
11. What is the capital of Bulgaria? Sofia<br />
12. What is the capital of New Zealand?<br />
Wellington<br />
13. Beirut is the capital of which country?<br />
Lebanon<br />
14. What is the capital of Canada? Ottawa<br />
15. Hanoi is the capital of which country?<br />
Vietnam<br />
16. What is the capital of Argentina?<br />
Buenos Aries<br />
17. <strong>The</strong> capital of Iceland is? Reykjavik<br />
18. Slovakia’s capital is? Bratislava<br />
19. What’s the capital of Belgium?<br />
Brussels<br />
20. What is the capital of Brazil? Brasilia<br />
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18 ENTERTAINMENT<br />
Friday, <strong>December</strong> <strong>03</strong>, <strong>2021</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong><br />
Most popular movies on Netflix right now<br />
T<br />
THE WITCHER: NIGHTMARE OF THE extraordinary adventures. Starring: Sean Hayes, he Chair is too short to achieve all of its<br />
WOLF (<strong>2021</strong>)<br />
Gary Cole, David Harbour, Patti Harrison<br />
ambitions, but spot-on observations about<br />
BRAND NEW CHERRY FLAVOR (<strong>2021</strong>)<br />
academia and a sturdy ensemble led by an<br />
empathetic -- and hilarious -- performance from<br />
Sandra Oh ensure it's never less than watchable.<br />
Starring: Sandra Oh, Jay Duplass, Holland<br />
Taylor, Nana Mensah. Directed By: Sandra<br />
Oh, David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Bernadette<br />
Caulfield<br />
Focusing on the adventures of a strapping<br />
young Vesemir, Nightmare of the Wolf is a<br />
fluidly animated addendum to the Witcher story<br />
that will delight fans with its swashbuckling<br />
action. Starring: <strong>The</strong>o James, Lara<br />
Pulver, Graham McTavish, Mary McDonnell<br />
MANIFEST<br />
Though definitely not for all tastes, Brand<br />
New Cherry Flavor is a delightfully<br />
deranged trip anchored by another incredible<br />
performance from Rosa Salazar. Starring: Rosa<br />
Salazar, Eric Lange, Catherine Keener, Manny<br />
Jacinto<br />
SWEET GIRL (<strong>2021</strong>)<br />
WORTH (2020)<br />
MONEY HEIST (<strong>2021</strong>)<br />
Manifest's attempts to balance supernatural<br />
mystery and melodrama largely work<br />
thanks to its well-chosen cast -- though it could<br />
use a few more distinguishing characteristics.<br />
Starring: Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas,<br />
Athena Karkanis, J.R. Ramirez<br />
Q-FORCE (<strong>2021</strong>)<br />
handsome secret agent and his team<br />
A of LGBTQ superspies embark on<br />
Burdened with action clichés and tripped<br />
up by a late plot twist, Sweet Girl wastes a<br />
potentially resonant story and some solid work<br />
from its well-matched leads. Starring: Jason<br />
Momoa, Isabela Moner, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo,<br />
Raza Jaffrey<br />
THE CHAIR (<strong>2021</strong>)<br />
It isn't as hard-hitting as one might expect,<br />
but Worth remains a powerfully performed<br />
and rewardingly complex dramatization of reallife<br />
events. Starring: Michael Keaton, Stanley<br />
Tucci, Amy Ryan, Laura Benanti<br />
HE'S ALL THAT (<strong>2021</strong>)<br />
Hobbled by a lack of chemistry between<br />
its stars, He's All That comes up short<br />
on numerous opportunities to improve upon its<br />
gender-swapped source material.<br />
Must-watch movies on Disney Plus<br />
An unusual group of robbers attempt to<br />
carry out the most perfect robbery in<br />
Spanish history - stealing 2.4 billion euros from<br />
the Royal Mint of Spain.<br />
CLICKBAIT (<strong>2021</strong>)<br />
With an array of flashy, half-formed ideas<br />
and thin characterizations, Clickbait is<br />
more akin to its namesake than the deeper show<br />
it aspires to be. Starring: Adrian Grenier, Zoe<br />
Kazan, Betty Gabriel, Pheonix Raei<br />
Soul<br />
Soul is about aspiring jazz pianist Joe (voiced<br />
by Jamie Foxx) who is accidentally sent to<br />
the "Great Before" after an accident on Earth.<br />
In a bit of a hiccup, Joe, mistaken as a mentor<br />
for baby souls, is assigned to help 22, a young<br />
soul who has lost their spark for life.<br />
Mulan<br />
Black Is King<br />
In this film, Beyoncé pays a tribute to African<br />
art and culture by exploring the meaning<br />
of blackness through connecting to one's<br />
ancestral roots. This visual album tells the story<br />
of a young king and his transcendent journey<br />
through betrayal, love, and his own identity.<br />
<strong>The</strong> film is based on the music of <strong>The</strong> Lion<br />
King: <strong>The</strong> Gift.<br />
Coco<br />
Lady & <strong>The</strong> Tramp<br />
A remake of this 1955 classic that will melt<br />
your heart, this tale follows the dog Lady who<br />
has a warm home with owners Love and Jim.<br />
However, when they have a baby, she feels left<br />
out. On the street she meets the Tramp, with<br />
whom she experiences a great adventure.<br />
10 Things I Hate About You<br />
On the very first day at his new school,<br />
Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) becomes<br />
smitten with Bianca (Larisa Oleynik ), the girl<br />
of his dreams. <strong>The</strong> only problem is that Bianca<br />
is not allowed to date until her moody and<br />
utterly disinterested older sister Kat (Julia<br />
Stiles) does.<br />
Folklore: the Long Pond Studio Sessions<br />
<strong>The</strong> Greatest Showman<br />
P<br />
.T. Barnum (played by Hugh Jackman)<br />
is a visionary who works his way up<br />
from nothing to becoming the brains behind<br />
one of the world's most successful circuses,<br />
an enchanting spectacle and a triumph of his<br />
living fantasy. His performance appealed to a<br />
worldwide audience and enraptured everyone.<br />
Secret Society of Second Born Royals<br />
<strong>The</strong> story follows Sam, a second-born child<br />
in a royal family. She is not a typical highborn<br />
child and she doesn'tt really fit into the<br />
world she lives in.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Princess Diaries<br />
In this live-action remake, Mulan is a young<br />
woman who lives in China with her father.<br />
She wants nothing more than to replace him in<br />
the army as he is not physically strong enough<br />
to fight. To secure a place in this army and help<br />
save her family, she pretends to be a man.<br />
Miguel dreams of becoming a successful<br />
musician. He would love to become<br />
as famous as his idol Ernesto de la Cruz, but<br />
anything related to music has been banned by<br />
his family.<br />
Together with her co-producers Aaron<br />
Dessner and Jack Antonoff, Taylor<br />
Swift plays her album Folklore live. This<br />
intimate performance was recorded in the<br />
renowned Long Pond Studios, a setting that<br />
enhances the nostalgic, melancholic atmosphere<br />
of this album.<br />
A<br />
cademy Award winner Julie<br />
Andrews, Anne Hathaway and Hector<br />
Elizondo form a "courteous" team in <strong>The</strong><br />
Princess Diaries, a heartwarming and modern<br />
take on Cinderella.
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong> Friday, <strong>December</strong> <strong>03</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
FEATURES 19<br />
COVID-19… Naam toh suna hoga?<br />
(Questions about the Vaccine & more)<br />
UCHIT GANGOLI (MBCHB IV,<br />
MIGRANT HEALTH GROUP)<br />
As world-famous as SRK and his iconic<br />
lines are, there is one thing that I am<br />
sure is even more well-known by<br />
now… COVID-19.<br />
<strong>The</strong> word itself brings about a lot of mixed<br />
emotions for people and has indeed shaken up<br />
the way we live.<br />
May it be back in India, elsewhere overseas<br />
or here in our beautiful New Zealand – everyone<br />
has had their struggles.<br />
Asamanjas. Uncertainty. Probably the most<br />
frustrating aspect of this pandemic for many of<br />
us. Although no-one has all the answers to our<br />
many questions, there is one thing that we do<br />
know we can do to get back to somewhat of a<br />
normal life. Get Vaccinated.<br />
As of 8 Nov <strong>2021</strong>, 78% of NZ’s eligible<br />
population are fully vaccinated; most of<br />
Auckland is over 80% fully vaccinated and<br />
nearing the 90% mark!<br />
Our Asian communities have been doing<br />
especially well with over 90% fully vaccinated,<br />
which is something to be proud of.<br />
Nonetheless, I understand there are still<br />
many concerns around the COVID Vaccine.<br />
Kyun le? Kya hai?<br />
Kaun le sakta hai? Kaise le? Konse side<br />
effects ho sakte hai?<br />
(Why should we get it? What is it? Who can<br />
get it? How do we get it? What side effects can<br />
we get?) I will try my best to answer these very<br />
valid questions and alleviate any concerns.<br />
Kyun Le? (Why should we get it?)<br />
To protect your family, friends, yourself, and<br />
the broader NZ community.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Delta variant of COVID-19 should<br />
especially not be taken lightly – it spreads<br />
more easily, and it causes more severe illness in<br />
unvaccinated people. But the vaccine continues<br />
to hugely help prevent hospitalisation, death &<br />
spread from this variant too.<br />
Studies show that 95% of people with both<br />
doses of the vaccine are protected against<br />
COVID-19 symptoms.<br />
To get back to doing what we love. It means<br />
we can get the Traffic Light system in place<br />
sooner, which means fewer restrictions and<br />
more quality time with those we love.<br />
For many, it means to regain their livelihoods.<br />
Business owners have faced a lot of hardships<br />
through the pandemic, but with high enough<br />
vaccination rates – businesses can re-open, and<br />
our communities can flourish again.<br />
Although we are awaiting more information<br />
regarding borders, like for the rest of the world<br />
– it is likely that more overseas travel will be<br />
permitted after high enough vaccination rates<br />
are achieved.<br />
Kya Hai? (What is it?)<br />
<strong>The</strong> COVID-19 Vaccine available to us in<br />
NZ is the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.<br />
Simply put: It is a harmless piece of protein,<br />
mixed with a small amount of salt, fat & sugar –<br />
that teaches our body how to fight off the virus<br />
that causes COVID-19. ALL of the ingredients<br />
are safe and nearly all of the ingredients are<br />
found in many of the foods we eat normally too.<br />
<strong>The</strong> vaccine is vegetarian friendly and does<br />
NOT contain egg, preservatives, antibiotics nor<br />
metals.<br />
How is it given: By a well-trained health<br />
professional, with a very small (painless)<br />
needle – an injection in the muscle by your<br />
shoulder/upper arm.<br />
When: You are given 2 shots, 3 weeks apart.<br />
(More information regarding booster shots will<br />
be provided by the Government at a later date.<br />
As of now – 2 shots are enough.)<br />
Kaise organise karu? (How will I sort<br />
out my vaccination?)<br />
Book your FREE vaccine via “Book My<br />
Vaccine” on Google OR calling 0800 28 29 26<br />
(Translators available) OR calling your Doctor/<br />
Pharmacy OR if you CANNOT book – using a<br />
Walk-in and Drive-through vaccination centre.<br />
Kaun Le Sakta hai? (Who can get it?)<br />
EVERYONE in NZ aged 12 and over.<br />
Your Visa/Citizenship status does NOT<br />
matter – as long as you are in the country, you<br />
can get the free vaccines.<br />
You CAN have it even if you are pregnant or<br />
breastfeeding.<br />
You CAN & SHOULD have it if you have a<br />
health condition (please talk to your doctor if<br />
any concerns).[3]<br />
If you have had a severe allergic reaction to<br />
the vaccine – consult with your doctor.<br />
You can book on behalf of someone too.<br />
Konse side effects ho sakte hai? (What are<br />
the side effects?)<br />
Mild side effects are not to be worried about;<br />
in fact, they show the body is learning how to<br />
defend against the virus.<br />
Common side effects were reported only in<br />
1-10% of people.<br />
Minor pain, swelling or redness at the site of<br />
injection.<br />
• Feeling tired.<br />
• Headache<br />
• Muscle aches.<br />
• Chills<br />
• Nausea<br />
• Fever<br />
Whilst you may have heard of more severe<br />
side effects like facial drooping or heart<br />
problems, they are very uncommon (0.01-<br />
0.1%).<br />
In fact, you are more likely to get that heart<br />
problem (myocarditis) due to COVID-19, than<br />
the Pfizer vaccine.<br />
Although extremely rare; if you have a severe<br />
allergic reaction to the vaccine or have had one<br />
in the past, please let your vaccinator know.<br />
Summary<br />
Overall, I have faith that if we all keep<br />
working together to follow the rules, spread<br />
correct information and get vaccinated – we can<br />
come closer to a safer, happier, and healthier<br />
NZ. I send my prayers, blessings, and love to<br />
all of the readers and your families.<br />
Disclaimer: This article was written by<br />
a student doctor from the University of<br />
Auckland Migrant Health Group. <strong>The</strong><br />
information and opinions expressed in<br />
the article are not a reflection of the views<br />
held by <strong>Indian</strong> <strong>Weekender</strong>, University, our<br />
employers or any DHB. We hope that you<br />
find them useful. Always chat to your GP or<br />
specialist if you have any concerns.<br />
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