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EATERIES in Penang are doing their bit to help frontliners who are working tirelessly to protect the people during the movement control order (MCO) by preparing free food and drinks for them.

A nasi kandar chain has invited all government uniformed personnel on duty during the MCO to visit its eateries and pick up rice packets and iced lemon tea for free.

Its chief executive officer Datuk Sihabutheen Kirudu Mohamed said this was their way of giving thanks to the frontliners.

We want to ease their burden, those who may find it difficult to get food.

They can drop by our nearest restaurant and collect the food packs.

All they need to do is show their identifi-cation card and that they are a frontliner.

This is a difficult moment for all of us, its the least we can do, he said, adding that the restaurant was also delivering free food to personnel at local hospitals and health clinics.

Meanwhile, a pasembur restaurant has given out free food not only to frontliners, but to the homeless as well.

Its director Rais Ahmad Mohd Hussain said he started giving out food from March 19.

The homeless do not have access to food or money. We must look out for them. We have been delivering food and water since the MCO started.

We are looking for face masks and hand sanitisers to give them.

We are also delivering food to the police, volunteers, hospitals, council workers and deliver riders.

So far, 300 packs of food and water have been given out and there will be more, he said.

A food-related company chief executive officer SK Sundram said they have been giving out 1,000 packets of free food and water bottles each day since the MCO was announced.

There are many needy families in the Bukit Mertajam area and some work for us.

The Alma area where our factory is located has many B40 communities and the MCO will definitely disrupt their lives.

Many people may not receive their daily income and the least we can do is to help out, he said.

Other fast food eateries have also embarked on efforts to provide free food to frontliners.

The public have also shown their gratitude with one post on social media depicting a group of people dropping off 200 coconut jelly packs at the Beach Street police station in George Town.

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Businesses helping people in need during movement control order - The Star Online

THESE are extraordinary times. As we take refuge in our homes to slow the spread of the coronavirus, life as we know it has drastically changed.

The Movement Control Order (MCO) was announced by the Prime Minister on March 16, imposed under the Control of the Spread of Infectious Disease Act 1988 and the Police Act 1967 from March 18 to April 14.

This partial form of lockdown has seen all places of learning, from kindergartens to higher institutes, and vocational schools closing for the duration of the MCO, with higher education institutes transitioning to online lectures in some cases.

All mass gatherings in the country, including religious, sporting, social and cultural events, have been (and should be, if they havent already) postponed or cancelled. All places of worship and businesses, excluding essential services, have been closed as well.

Through the MCO, the government has established a form of mitigation of flattening the epidemic curve to lower the odds of a spike in infected numbers which are even at this stage overwhelming the healthcare system.

As terrifying though the coronavirus may be, it can be turned back. China, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan have demonstrated that, with furious efforts, the contagion can be brought to heel.

For Malaysia to repeat her successes will take extraordinary levels of coordination and money from the countrys leaders, and extraordinary levels of trust and cooperation from her citizens. It will also require international partnerships in an interconnected world.

So how does that affect us? We. Need. To. Stay. At. Home. As limiting as it may feel, and while some of us may be experiencing a bad case of cabin fever, this may be our only chance of combating the spread of this pandemic.

With people being told to work from home and stay away from others, the pandemic has deepened reliance on services from the tech sector, with an array of lifestyle solutions making social distancing easier.

But more than that, now is the time we need to also spare a thought about how we can make the lives of the underprivileged easier. There are ways to do this, and there are new ways organisations are trailblazing to reach out to those in need.

Here are some examples of how people, organisations and businesses are spearheading and turning to ways into bringing services to the masses while observing the necessary precautions that have been set to protect people.

Theres a chance to stop the coronavirus. And we have a role to play in this.

DAILYMUSCLE GYM

Kimbeley Yap conducting one of Daily Muscle's virtual classes.

With the MCO announcement on March 18, gyms, fitness centres and even public parks are closed, making at-home workouts the only option if you wanted to get some exercise in.

Despite the availability of workouts on the Internet, lets be honest, its hard to stay motivated when you exercise alone at home and there are plenty of distractions.

Noel Maniraj Chelliah and Kimbeley Yap-Chelliah, the husband-and-wife team who run the DailyMuscle gym at Glomac Damansara, realised that their members would be missing out on staying active so they established [emailprotected], a series of live-stream group exercise classes run over video-conferencing.

Each class is 30-45 minutes long and capped at 30 people so that everyone gets individual attention, live feedback and coaching. The classes are designed so that they can be done in limited space, with zero equipment and at any time. Those who missed them can watch the class recordings to follow along.

I finally got around to work out at home when I saw that these classes were available. I appreciate the efforts of Noel, Kim and their team to keep us connected while were all quarantined at home. Even my two kids joined in the classes and they loved it! says Charlotte Robert, one of the class participants.

Since the launch of [emailprotected], DailyMuscle has gained over 30 new online members from around the globe, and Noel and Kim are eager to spread the happiness of fitness around.

Weve opened the classes to all so even if youre not an existing DailyMuscle member, we still want you to be able to work out with a community, says Noel.

BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT YOUR WELLBEING

Exercise aside, being deliberate about daily routines and habits during the MCO period is also key to maintaining good physical and mental health.

The extra time that we have at home now can be used to eat mindfully, move more when doing errands (such as walking to your TV remote), drink more water, and catch up on sleep. Our bodies fare best with structure, so we can use this time to train ourselves to build better habits, advises Noel.

Adding, he says: Its normal to feel more down than usual because our routine has been disrupted. Eating nourishing foods and keeping a daily gratitude journal help me stay focused and to serve our 400-plus member gym community who are all staying at home now, yet connected virtually, so we can come out of this season feeling like weve achieved something instead of just wasting time.

[emailprotected] is priced at RM97 for 14 days of unlimited classes, however it is now being offered for free to everyone who wishes to join. For more information, contact Noel at [emailprotected] or send him and Kim a DM on Instagram at @dailymuscle and @kimbeleyyap.

C3 (CHRISTIAN CITY CHURCH) RELIGIOUS ORGANISATION

C3 Senior Pastor Joseph Ramayah recording his sermons with the help of his wife Pastor Stella Ramayah.

GROWING THE FAITH VIRTUALLY

We had to be crystal clear when the MCO was given. We wanted to hear it from reliable sources as speculations were aplenty which only created fear. We want to work with wisdom and prudence, says senior pastor, Joseph Ramayah.

The leaders of his churches were assembled and put their heads together to figure out how to reach and encourage their many members spread throughout Malaysia. They used technology and social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and emails, and ensured that none were left out.

Some of the steps included counselling via phone calls and WhatsApp calls, and mobilising members to help the elderly in doing their shopping for them while observing the necessary social distancing and sanitising.

Encouraging messages on social media are posted almost every day, including devotions and prayer. Sermons are pre-recorded from the pastors and leaders, and broadcast via YouTube and other platforms on Sundays.

Were focusing on building faith in God while respecting and obeying the instructions given by authorities. As this has never happened in our country before and everything is new, touching base with our members is important as we want our people to know that the church isnt a building but a community of people who are precious and important to God and to us, says Joseph.

The social recession, he points out, will hit certain groups especially hard older people, people with disabilities, people who live alone. But well all feel isolated to some degree. And as long as it remains unwise to gather in physical spaces, well need to create virtual spaces that can encourage and build our faith.

BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT YOUR SPIRITUALITY

Attending Sunday service online.

Plagues of global proportions might seem biblical, but coronavirus is creating new challenges for faith leaders. Many mosques, churches and temples have decided proactively to cancel their normal gatherings.

Resist panic. This isnt to say there isnt any reason to be concerned, or that we should ignore the sound advice of medical professionals and public health experts, says Joseph, adding: Panic and fear are not from God. Peace and hope are. And its possible to respond to a crisis seriously and deliberately while maintaining an inner sense of peace and hope.

Care for the sick and underprivileged. This pandemic may be a long haul. Do what you can to help others, especially the elderly, disabled, poor and isolated. Take the necessary precautions; dont be reckless and dont risk spreading the disease, but also dont forget that its our fundamental human duty to help others, he advises, before concluding: Well move through this together, with Gods help.

THE LOST FOOD PROJECT NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION

The Lost Food Project practices social distancing when delivering food to their charities.

The Lost Food Project (TLFP) is still in operation as theyre deemed essential service, i.e. TLFP provides food for our charities. However, it is forced to minimise its operations due to food shortage as a result of the closing of Pasar Borong Kuala Lumpur, which was one of its main sources of fresh ingredients.

Usually the charities receive their vegetables weekly, however, this is no longer possible as they have to respect the actions taken by the government.

TLFP has 55 charities under its care that receive food and other goods weekly, but TLFP doesnt have enough right now to provide for all. Weve decided to focus on our most vulnerable charities; the ones with little support and rely mainly on donations for sustenance, says general manager Mohd Syazwan Rahimy, adding: The good thing is that were receiving lots of calls and people sounding out their support in wanting to donate food to our charities.

The support TLFP gets from people, points out Syazwan, is tremendous, be it from those who want to donate financially or want to contribute their time and energy for their cause.

This crisis has shown us that humanity isnt lost, and this is best exemplified by our volunteers, many of whom would go to great lengths to help us even during these trying times, says Syazwan.

A lot of their deliveries are still being conducted by their volunteers. Of course, he says, theyre reminded to always take precautions when carrying out their tasks, and theyre more than willing to follow advice given by (WHO) the World Health Organisation and the Health Ministry.

We realise this is a difficult time for everyone, especially for the underprivileged who are sometimes unable to provide for themselves in the best of times, let alone during a global pandemic crisis, says Syazwan.

As such, TLFP will continue to provide sustenance for the most economically-vulnerable members of the community and help alleviate some of the burden felt by the charities.

BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT YOUR RESOURCES

For anyone whod like to support this cause, TLFP is in need of essential foods like rice, noodle, cooking oil, milk products, canned goods and others, including vegetables, onions, potatoes, etc. which can be delivered to its warehouse located at Persatuan Bulan Sabit Merah Malaysia, 54 Lengkok Belfield every Monday and Thursday (9.30-11.30am).

You can email to [emailprotected]@gmail.com if youd like to identify the charities that you can deliver directly to. Donations are also welcomed so that they can continue operating during this crisis and after. Donations can be made to its Maybank account The Lost Food Project 514897068927.

There can be a temptation during times of crisis to think of oneself and ones family first; and depending on your situation, you may not have the resources to do more. But for people who do have the ability to support others, its a crucial time to do so, says Syazwan, concluding: You can still help and make a difference.

PIT STOP COMMUNITY CAFE SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

With the help of RELA members, Pit Stop Community continues to feed the homeless and the urban poor.

Malaysias my home, and this is my home improvement, Joycelyn Lee declared in an earlier interview, while explaining the start of the social initiative called Pit Stop Community Cafe.

Together with co-founder Andrew Tan, Pit Stop Community is a social enterprise focusing on homelessness, urban hunger, urban poverty and those with food security issues.

The social enterprise runs as a commercial eatery by day; by night, it turns into a soup kitchen of sorts where it serves between 130 and 180 people and up to 250 portions of food six days a week.

After a year of feeding the homeless (or street clients as Lee and Tan refer to them) and the urban poor, the cafehas now become a known place of refuge and respite among the community.

We also function as a food rescue facilitator, rescuing food for both our own use and for our partners and beneficiaries, including food banks, soup kitchens and other grassroot organisations dealing with marginalised communities, explains Lee.

But with the Covid-19 outbreak and with dozens of new cases confirmed every day, Lee knows theyd have to make changes. For decades, soup kitchens have relied on a cadre of volunteers who quite suddenly arent able to show up. With millions staying home during the pandemic, charities that help the countrys neediest are finding themselves in need.

We got feedback that food on the streets have dried up; no more random drive by groups, no more makeshift soup kitchens on the streets, wrote Lee on the social enterprises Facebook, adding: They were hungry, thirsty, tired, many with their shoulders slumped, some with their heads hanging down.

We have to continue helping, says Lee, pointing out that the social enterprise is now working closely with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, the Federal Territory Ministry and the social welfare department to ensure the continuity of food supply on the street for the homeless and the urban poor.

Social distancing is a major challenge when dealing with hungry people but were managing, with the help of Rela personnel, courtesy of the ministry, says Lee.

BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT YOUR GIVING

For members of the public who want to help, please visit Pit Stop Community Cafes Facebook page at the Pit Stop Community Cafe and find out how you can contribute food/non-food items and even financially.

Furthermore, if you want to help and dont know where to go, visit http://www.kitajagakita.us, where theres a list of organisations there. Choose one closest to you if you want to donate items.

Please, please listen to the authorities, obey the MCO. Stay at home, pleads Lee, adding: Break the chain. We need everyone to be healthy so that we can take care of those who have the least.

[emailprotected]

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How you can make the most of your time and still contribute during the Movement Control Order! - New Straits Times

Religious leaders are suddenly relying on YouTube, Facebook and even the parking lot of a Dirt Cheap bargain store to reach worshippers amid the spread of the coronavirus.

They are holding conference calls for Bible study, hearing confessions by appointment and erecting a virtual synagogue on the fly.

Despite a global pandemic that has rocked Louisiana, churches and synagogues are taking unprecedented steps to stay connected to their congregations.

Gov. John Bel Edwards issued Sunday a statewide "stay at home" order until April 12, requiring Louisiana residents to shelter in place unless

Our parishioners look at the church as the rock in the middle of the storm, and it is comforting to them to hear the voices of our clergy, to see we're doing well and to connect with a community that they already miss, said the Rev. Jamin David, pastor of St. Margaret Queen of Scotland Catholic church in Albany and St. Thomas Chapel in Springfield.

Traditional religious gatherings, like schools, colleges and many workplaces, are on hold just ahead of Easter amid state orders to limit groups to 10 or less.

Despite the closing of public schools statewide because of coronavirus, operators of some early learning centers said Friday they plan to rema

Louisiana has one of the highest per capita rates of the virus in the world, and the New Orleans area accounts for most of them. But denominations across the board say they are still able to deliver traditional religious rites even if the methods are unorthodox.

The website of the Archdiocese of New Orleans lists nearly three dozen churches offering a virtual Mass and prayer opportunities.

Immaculate Conception Church in Scotlandville is livestreaming Sunday and daily masses and employing conference calls to say the Rosary.

"I am just using a laptop and a smartphone and streaming on YouTube and Facebook," the Rev. Tom Clark said in an email. "I think it all helps us feel less isolated."

At Mary, Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Mandeville, the 9 a.m. daily mass, 3 p.m. special devotion and Stations of the Cross on Fridays are all being livestreamed.

In the past week the number of YouTube subscribers has risen from 29 to more than 500, said the Rev. Jared Rodrigue.

"The main struggle, I think, is the initial connection, getting word out to those who are not so tech savvy or who simply have not heard of the exciting things going on," Rodrigue said.

Michael Duca, bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, said he is encouraging people to "raise your head up and be an instrument of hope for someone else."

"If you can reach out and help someone it can be like a medicine," Duca said.

On March 22 St. Alban's Chapel, which is across from the Parade Ground at LSU, used Facebook to livestream its Episcopal service led by the Rev. Andrew Rollins, chaplain, and seven others, with doors locked and social distancing rules in place. The congregation was invited online to say a "Prayer for Spiritual Communion."

"I know that's not perfect," Rollins said. "The clergy are all figuring this out as we go."

Members of Westside Emmanuel Baptist Church in Bogalusa last weekend held a "drive-in" service, with people in cars and trucks in the church parking lot tuning into an FM transmitter to hear the service and a band playing from a gooseneck trailer.

"We have an online presence, but there is just something about gathering together that provides a sense of normalcy and hope," said Pastor Marcus Rosa.

Future services will be held in the more spacious Dirt Cheap parking lot, the former site of a Walmart.

With 104 first cousins, Jacqueline "Jackie" Kessler Wood knew there was going to be a problem when a beloved relative died last week.

In addition to changing regular services, the virus has affected ministries.

St. Margaret Queen of Scotland has suspended its weekly delivery of communion to the homebound and parishioners in nursing homes. Healing Place Church stopped its after-school outreach at several schools and at its Dream Center in North Baton Rouge, but the church plans to reach some of the individuals by phone, email and internet, said the Rev. Johnny Green, an associate pastor.

This is obviously a fearful and confusing time, but we believe it didnt surprise God, Green said. We believe God is in control. We believe God wants to be a part of peoples lives, and were looking for ways to be a part of that process.

First Baptist Church in Baton Rouge has suspended its homeless ministry because the volunteers are senior adults and more vulnerable to the coronavirus.

"The greatest ministry we can provide is to stay healthy and keep other people out of the way of this illness," said the Rev. Oren Conner, pastor of First Baptist.

"I know a lot of the steps being taken seem to be overkill, but the reality is, if we don't do this now, it may be too late later. That's one of the things we have to encourage one another to do."

The Rev. S.C. Dixon, pastor of Greater Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, is fearful that the shutdown of churches, and weekly collections, will especially hurt black congregations.

"When people don't come to church they're not so prone to want to make that financial contribution," Dixon said.

"It's hard when you're at church, let alone not being at church. Most of us are not as financially sound."

Rabbi Natan Trief of Beth Shalom Synagogue in Baton Rouge said members are erecting a "virtual synagogue" using Zoom and other platforms that allows for the delivery of Friday evening and Saturday morning services.

Trief said he senses "a lot of anxiety, a lot of uncertainty" but no panic amid the pandemic.

"A lot of our people, the Jewish people especially, are used to periods of uncertainty and periods of anxiety," he said in an email.

At First Presbyterian in Baton Rouge, the normal three Sunday services have been trimmed to one at 10:30 a.m. that is livestreamed through multiple platforms.

On Sunday the broadcast on Facebook will include an interactive chat, said Pastor Gerrit Dawson.

The Rev. Trey Nelson, pastor of St. Jude the Apostle in Baton Rouge, said aside from livestreaming and other steps, he records a two-minute night prayer for children available on YouTube.

"We have just received so many thank-yous and prayers," Nelson said. "They are just grateful for us staying connected."

The bishop's Sunday Mass at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Cathedral and his weekday 8 a.m. masses are aired on CatholicLife TV, Facebook and other social media platforms and re-aired several times daily.

Duca said he has been calling priests individually and is allowing them to keep churches open for personal prayer as long as they can ensure that only a few people are in the church and meet other rules.

He said livestreaming services and other innovations fill a vital need.

"It keeps the parish together," he said.

If you have questions about coronavirus, please email our newsroom at online@theadvocate.com.

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Louisiana churches using social media, 'drive-in' services, more to reach congregations amid coronavirus - The Advocate

Microsoft says it will no longer invest in third-party facial recognition companies following a controversy around its funding of Israeli startup AnyVision, which critics and human rights activists say powered a surveillance program in the West Bank following an NBC News report about the companys relationship with the Israeli government.

Microsoft now says an independent investigation led by former US Attorney General Eric Holder and his team at international law firm Covington & Burling found that AnyVisions technology has not previously and does not currently power a mass surveillance program in the West Bank that has been alleged in media reports. Had it done so, Microsoft says it would have constituted a breach of the finance portfolios pledge on ethical facial recognition use.

Regardless, Microsoft says it is divesting from AnyVision and will no longer make minority investments in any facial recognition firms. For Microsoft, the audit process reinforced the challenges of being a minority investor in a company that sells sensitive technology, since such investments do not generally allow for the level of oversight or control that Microsoft exercises over the use of its own technology, reads an announcement on the website of the companys M12 venture arm.

By making a global change to its investment policies to end minority investments in companies that sell facial recognition technology, Microsofts focus has shifted to commercial relationships that afford Microsoft greater oversight and control over the use of sensitive technologies, the announcement goes on to say.

While Microsoft is stepping away from funding facial recognition firms, it does still have a facial recognition technology of its own through its Azure cloud computing platform. The Face API, as its called, allows any developer to embed facial recognition into your apps for a seamless and highly secured user experience. However, the companys chief legal officer, Brad Smith, said last year that Microsoft would never sell facial recognition for surveillance purposes, and Smith has gone on the record saying its denied law enforcement access to the technology over concerns it would contribute to civil and human rights abuses.

Its unclear if Microsofts new investment stance means it can still acquire facial recognition firms or whether it is making any adjustments to its own use of internal facial recognition software as a result of the change in direction. Microsoft was not immediately available for comment.

Facial recognition, specifically the variety of the technology powered by advanced machine learning and other artificial intelligence tools, has come under a spotlight in recent years. At the same time, concern grows among politicians and activists that it could be used by law enforcement and governments to surveil citizens without their consent and in ways that violate privacy and human rights laws.

In January, Facebook was hit with a $550 million fine as part of a settlement for a class action lawsuit over its use of facial recognition without clear opt-in provisions for users of its social networking products. Tech leaders like Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who helped oversee the formation of the companys AI ethics principles in 2018, has said a temporary ban on the technology might be warranted in response to the European Unions ongoing efforts to more aggressively regulate it.

One notable provider, Clearview AI, has found itself at the center of the growing controversy around the tech, as its database of billions of photos scraped largely from social media sites is already in use by thousands of private companies and law enforcement agencies. As a result of the Clearview story, more attention is now being paid to lesser-known facial recognition firms, and especially whether they have deals with local law enforcement groups or under-the-radar relationships with big tech firms.

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Microsoft to end investments in facial recognition firms after AnyVision controversy - The Verge

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Gov. Jay Inslee announced additional guidance today related to the "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" proclamation to slow the spread of COVID-19. Inslee also sent a government-to-government letter to Washington's tribal communities.

In partnership with the governor's office, the Washington State Department of Licensing sent additional guidanceto funeral homes and cemeteries today.

The letter from DOL reads, in part:

"As your licensing agency for mortuary services, we provide the following guidance. Licensed funeral homes and cemeteries may conduct funeral services in a funeral home or graveside under the following conditions:

"We have also received questions about embalming. The governor's proclamation does not prohibit embalming."

Read the full letter.

Inslee alsosent a letter that provides further guidance on real estate transactions today. The letter reads, in part:

"While real estate activities along with mortgage lending activities have been approved asessential activities under the Proclamation, such activities shall only be permitted under thefollowing restrictions and limitations:

Read the full letter.

The governor sent a letter to tribal governments throughout the state yesterday, as part of government-to-government communications. The letter reads, in part:

"First, none of my Emergency Proclamation orders apply to conduct on tribal lands. Tribal governments, as sovereign nations, are making their own decisions in response to the current COVID-19 emergency.

"Second, constituents have presented several questions to my office regarding individuals who commute to tribal lands or Washington businesses that work on tribal lands. While I have defined essential activities (for purposes of Emergency Proclamation 20-25) in Washington, tribal leaders maintain sovereignty to define essential activity on tribal lands."

Read the full letter.

Public and constituent inquiries | 360.902.4111Press inquiries | 360.902.4136

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Inslee issues additional guidance on funerals and real estate transactions, letter to tribal governments - Access Washington