Somali region organized COVID 19 testing in Jijiga University Laboratory facility for COVID 19 virus testing organized the Jijiga University, in Somali regional state, is launched on Saturday in the presence of the region’s acting president, Mustafa Mohammed Omar. State-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) reported that the facility could test up to 240 samples per day. Samples from individuals showing COVID 19 related symptoms used to be sent to Addis Ababa where there is a testing facility, and had to wait for days to get results. A month or so ago, Ethiopia had to send samples from individuals to South Africa to determine if they have contracted COVID 19 virus. Now it is a different story. Ethiopia tests hundreds of people every day. As of April 11, 3500, people have been tested. Apart from the Federal government, regional governments are conducting tests on their own. Amhara regional state and Somali regional have become the latest to organize testing for COVID 19. So far, no individual from the Somali region is confirmed to have contracted the pandemic. On Saturday, Addis Ababa City Administration and Tigray regional state announced that a house-to-house screening would be conducted starting from next week.

Two in critical condition in Mogadishu as Health Minister warns of ‘gradual spread’ of COVID-19 Two COVID19 patients at Mogadishu’s De-Martini hospital are in critical condition, the Ministry of Health has said warning of ‘gradually spread’ of the disease in the country. Health Minister Fawziya Abikar said Sunday the two patients were under intensive care following a deterioration of their situation. She however noted the rest of the patients are ‘progressing well’. “The disease is gradually spreading within the population as individuals with no travel history have tested positive,” the minister said calling for observance of protocols and measures set out by the ministry. Noting the elderly were more vulnerable, the minister urged Somalis to play a greater role in securing and supporting them. The minister also called on the public to be vigilant and report any cases by dialing the number 449 for emergency support. Somalia has since recorded 25 cases after four more people tested positive Saturday. Two people have recovered from the disease. Xigasho

Rabi ha u raxmado xildhibaan goboleedka. Ingiriiska ayuu ka tagay amuuba asaga geeyey dalka. Rabiyoow ummadda Soomaaliyeed ka haay cudurkaan dilaaga ah - aamiin.

Wasiiru dowlihii cadaaladda HirShabelle oo u geeriyooday cudurka CORONAVIRUS Wasiiru dowlihii Cadaaladda maamul goboleedka HirShabelle Xildhibaan Khaliif Muumin Tooxow ayaa maanta magaalada Muqdisho ugu geeriyooday cudurka Coronavirus oo ku dhacay. Khaliif Muumin ayaa ka mid ahaa 9 qof oo wasaaradda caafimaadka Soomaaliya ay Jimcihii shaaca ka qaadday in laga helay cudurka Coronavirus. Mas’uuliyiin ka tirsan maamulka HirShabeelle oo dhowr ah, kuwaas oo la hadlay Caasimada Online ayaa xaqiijiyay geerida Khaliif Muumin. Xildhibaan Khaliif ayaa todobaadkii hore loo soo qaaday magaalada Muqdisho, kadib markii uu ku xanuunsaday magaalada Jowhar, laguna arkay astaamaha lagu garto cudurka Coronavirus. Waxa uu noqonayaa qofkii labaad ee inta la ogyahay gudaha Soomaaliya ugu geeriyooda cudurka Coronavirus. Khaliif ayaa cudurka ku qaaday gudaha dalka, mana jirin wax safar dibadeed ah oo uu dhowaanahan galay. Wasaaradda caafimaadka Soomaaliya ayaa horey u sheegtay inuu billowday faafitaanka cudurka ee bulshada dhaxdeeda (community spread), waxaana laga cabsi in cudurka uu gaaray dad badan oo ku sugan gudaha magaalada. Waxaa jirta cabsi xooggan oo la xiriira inay jiraan dad aan laga war-hayn oo cudurka uu gaaray ama u dhintay ayaga oo aan la diiwaan-gelin. Shacabka Muqdisho qaarkood ayaa werinaya dad dhintay oo lagu arkay caalamadaha cudurkan balse ma jirto cid xaqiijin karto maadaama aan tijaabo la marin. Xigasho

Alloow ka badbaadi cudurkaan ummadda Soomaaliyeed iyo Muslimiinta adigaa waaxid ahee.

In Afmaay - also in the original proto-Soomaali - gaal means geel, a camel. Waxaa arkaaye some folks in Waqooyi Laasgaal magaca ka badaleen thinking it has to do with 'gaalo' markee magaca u badaleen Laasgeel.

Feysal Dhurwaa quuqdiisa waa inuu asagana dhiibtaa. Faysal Cali Waraame oo si adag uga horyimid qorshihii uu Abiy u weeciyay Khayre Guddoomiyaha xisbiga mucaaridka ah ee Ucid, Eng Faysal Cali Waraabe ayaa maanta ka hadlay qorshaha cusub ee la sheegay in Abiy Ahmed uu mas’uuliyada wada-hadalada DF iyo Somaliland dusha ugu saaray Ra’iisal wasaaraha Soomaaliya, Xasan Cali Khayre. Faysal Cali Waraabe ayaa sheegay in Somaliland aysan marnaba ogoleyn wada-hadalo uu qeyb ka yahay Khayre, midaasi noqoneysa fashilkii labaad ee ku yimaada qorshayaasha Abiy Ahmed. Faysal ayaa ka horyimid aragtida uu aaminsan-yahay Abiy, kaasi oo ahaa in Somaliland aysan rabin Farmaajo balse ay Khayre macquul tahay inay aqbalaan, maadama aysan xasaasiyad weyn ka qabin sida Madaxweynaha. Guddoomiyaha ayaa banaanka keenay in qorshaha Abiy Ahmed ee wada-hadalada uu yahay mid uu ku wiiqayo jiritaanka Somaliland, isla markaana uu ku rabo inay midoobaan Soomaaliya iyo Somaliland oo sheegata inay ka madax-banaantahay Jamhuuriyada. Faysal Cali ayaa gebi ahaanba diiday in wada-hadalada Somaliland iyo Soomaaliya ay qeyb ka noqdaan dalal ay kamid tahay Itoobiya, oo uu sheegay inay u xaglinayaan dhanka Soomaaliya. Lamana oga in mowqifka Faysal ay ka wada socdaan Madaxweynaha Somaliland oo isagu ka gaabsaday ka hadalka arrinkaasi, balse si guud u sheegay inay diyaar u yihiin in wada-hadalo la furaan dowladda Soomaaliya, marka laga baxo xaalada ka dhalatay Corona ee dunida saameysay. Xigasho

Somalia Trademarks Office resumes operations after almost 30 years The Somalia Trademarks Office resumed its operations at the end of 2019, when Ministerial Decree 1/2019 was issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, stipulating that trademark registrations are once again possible in this former Italian colony and British Protectorate. Background Following the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991, Somalia entered into civil war and the northwestern region declared its independence, becoming the Republic of Somaliland. In the following years several attempts to restore a central government in Somalia failed, with powers shifting from local administrations to warlords and business and religious leaders. In 2006 the Transitional Federal Government gained control of zones that had been in the hands of the Islamic Courts Union. Only in 2012 was there sufficient stability to establish democratic institutions. In August 2019 a provisional constitution was passed and the Federal Government of Somalia was constituted. Since then the country has been trying to re-establish several institutions, which culminated, with regard to IP rights, in the decree that resumed operations at the Trademarks Office in late 2019. The previous trademark situation Trademark registrations did not exist in Somalia for 28 years. In more recent years a solution for protecting trademarks was adopted in the form of cautionary notices. These were advertisements in a local newspaper, preferably a leading one, in which a specific entity described an IP asset and claimed ownership of it. The aim was to acquire sufficient public recognition of ownership. This is a standard proceeding in many jurisdictions where IP rights are not provided by law or specific means to acquire such rights are not determined. The new trademark situation Thanks to the decree it is now possible to file trademark applications at the Trademarks Office, which was established under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. However, the decree does not provide much more detail than the fees for trademark registration ($1,000) – it appears that the Trademarks and Patents Law (1975) still governs this area. While trademarks registered before 1990 appear to no longer be valid, previous registrations may be taken into account by courts in some cases. Because the 1975 law is being followed, the Trademarks Office is classifying applications using the old Italian system of 49 classes. Only single-class applications are being accepted. One of the major concerns is that applications are not being published in a trademark gazette and, consequently, there are no opposition proceedings. It is understood that the office is conducting examinations on absolute and relative grounds before granting applications. It also appears that proceedings are fast, with registration certificates being issued within one month. Registration is then valid for 10 years after the filing date. While it may be true that Somalia is still to approve much-needed trademark laws, the decree is an important first step in establishing a functioning IP system in a country that has many more important problems to solve. Xigasho

Perhaps he should rename himself Saleebaan Gaal Gaaldhalay. Perhaps then internashinal kamyuuniti gaalada ka buuxo might give a look.

Maxaa jidkaan ku luggeeye habeen iyo maalin oo aan fadhiistay daarahaan bilooyin ka hor. Daarta nalalka badan waa maqaayadda Liido Beach. Nabad la'aan waa nolol la'aanee, Eebboow Xamar nabadeeda u siyaadi - aamiin.

DF oo shaacisay in cudurka Coronavirus uu bulshada Muqdisho ku dhex faafayo iyo kiisas cusub oo la helay War-Saxaafadeed kasoo baxay wasaaradda Caafimaadka iyo Daryeelka Bulshada ee xukuumadda Soomaaliya ayaa lagu shaaciyey in cudurka Coronavirus uu ku faafayo gudaha dalka, gaar ahaan magaalada caasimadda ah ee Muqdisho. Ilaa afar kiis oo cusub ayey shaacisay wasaaraddu “Waxay wasaaraddu xaqiijisay maantay 4 xaaladood oo cusub oo la xariirta caabuqa COVID-19, taas oo tirada guud ee xaaladahada caabuqa COVID-19 ka dhigaysa 12 kiis” ayaa lagu yiri warkan oo goor dhaw kasoo baxay wasaaradda caafimaadka. Qoraalka wasaaradda waxaa lagu sheegay bulshadu aysan ka digtooneyn cudurka, taas oo ka liftay in si fudud ay isku qaadsiiyaan. “ Waxay Wasaaraddu cadaynaysaa in uu bilowday faafitaanka cudurka ee bulshada dhexdeeda (community transmission)” Afarta ruux ee maanta laga helay cudurka Coronavirus ee wasaaraddu shaacisay dhamaantood waxaa lagu sheegay war-saxaafadeedka in aysan dalka meelna uga bixin. Sidoo kale qoraalka wasaaradda ayaa lagu xaqiijiyey in laba ka mid ah shaqaalaha caafimaadka ee wasaaradda ay ka mid yihiin dadka laga helay xanuunkan. “Waxaa kamid ah dadka laga helay cudurka 2 Sarkaal oo kamid ah shaqaalaha Wasaaradda Caafimaadka taas oo qasab ka dhigaysa dhammaan dadkii la shaqaynayay ama xariirka la lahaa inay karantiil galaan inta laga xaqiijinayo baaritaankooda”ayaa lagu yiri qoraalka. Sidoo kale wasaaradda caafimaadka waxa ay qoraalkan ku xaqiijisay in qofkii ugu horeeyey uu galabta cudurka Coronavirus ugu geeriyooday gudaha dalka, gaar ahaan magaalada Muqdisho, kaas oo aan dalka meel uga bixin. “Waxaa sidoo kale geeriyooday Allaha u naxariistee xaaladdii ugu horraysay ee la xariirta caabuqa COVID-19, Somali 58 jir ah, kaas oo noqnaysa dhimashadii ugu horraysay wadanka gudihiisa”ayaa lagu yiri qoraalka Wasaaradda caafimaadka waxay sheegtay in ay ku mashquulsantahay raadinta dadka ay xariirka la sameeyeen dadkan cusub ee laga helay cudurka, iyaga oo ku sugan gudaha dalka oo aan sameyn wax safarro dibadda ah. “ Wasaaraddu waxay bulshada Soomaaliyeed mar kale ku adkaynaysaa inay guryohooda ku ekaadaan kana taxadaraan caafimaadkooda iyo badqabkooda. Fadlan inagala qayb-qaata xakamaynta cudurka oo raaca tilmaamaha caafimaad ee sida joogtada ah idiinla wadaagayso Wasaaradda Caafimaadka” ayaa lagu soo gaba-gabeeyey qoraalka wasaaradda caafimaadka Soomaaliya. Xigasho

It looks nice. Tolka ayaa degan miyaa degmadaan?

Cumar Finish " Waxaan ka digaynaa inay faraha ka baxdo la tacaalida Coronavirus Gudodomiyaha gobolka Banaadir, Cumar Finish ayaa ka digay inay faraha ka baxdo wax ka qabashada cudurka Coronavirus, kadib markii uu cudurka kusii faafay bulshada dhexdeeda, qofkii ugu horeeyayna uu u geeriyooday. Guddoomiyaha gobolka Banaadir ayaa sheegay dad uu garanayo oo gudaha Muqdisho ku nool in ay cudurka u geeriyoodeen, qaar kalena u jiifaan, waxaana uu sheegay inay muuqato inay dadku iska indho tireen qatarta cudurka. “Waxaa niyad jab ah dadku inay weli aaminsan yihiin inuu cudurku yahay wax aan jirin. Waxaan u sheegaynaa dadweynaha in xanuunkii Muqdisho ku jiro oo ay muhiim tahay inaad guryihiina ku ekaataan, haddii kale xaaladda faraha ayay ka baxaysaa,”ayuu yidhi guddoomiyaha gobolka Banaadir. Dhinaca kale, xaaladda magaalada Muqdisho, ayaa ku jirta cabsi weyn oo ka dhalatay markii la shaaciyay in cudurka ku faafay bulshada dhexdeeda. Wasaaradda caafimaadka Soomaaliya ayaa amartay inay la karantiilo dhammaan dadkii uu xidhiidhka la sameeyay bukaankii ugu horeeyay ee cudurka ugeeriyooday. Xigasho

Sh25m miraa haul torched in Lamu Kenya Navy soldiers patrolling Lamu's Indian Ocean waters have intercepted two boats ferrying a consignment of miraa estimated to be worth about Sh25 million. The boats carrying the khat were headed to Somalia before they were nabbed on Tuesday evening at Barakuda area, about 100 kilometres from Lamu Island. Confirming the incident, Lamu County Commissioner Irungu Macharia said the soldiers handed over the sacks of miraa to Kenya Coast Guard officials who then ferried it to Manda Ras Kitau beach where the entire consignment was torched. “The culprits claimed they were transporting the herbs to Kiunga Town which is on the border of Lamu with Somalia. But we’re aware of their secret businesses of ferrying it into Somalia...People should know that we have an active ban on miraa across Lamu County as we try to curb the spread of coronavirus to this region,” said Mr Macharia. He said the miraa ban in Lamu will be in place until Covid-19 is eliminated from the country. Xigasho

Somalia confirms 1st coronavirus death Somalia on Wednesday confirmed its first death from coronavirus. Ismail Mukhtar Orongo, Somali government spokesman, told Anadolu Agency over the phone that the patient succumbed to the deadly virus in the capital Mogadishu. "The patient is a 58-year-old Somali national who had no travel history in the past three years and who died from coronavirus in Martini Hospital in Mogadishu," he said. The Horn of Africa country has so far confirmed (12) cases of coronavirus. On April 1, former Somali Prime Minister Nour Hassan Hussein Nour Adde died from coronavirus in London. The global death toll from coronavirus has crossed 83,600, with more than 1.45 million cases confirmed, according to U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. ____________________ Rabi ayaa waaxid ah ummaddeena Soomaaliyeed cudurkaan dilaaga ah haka badbaadiyo - aamiin.

One in every 100 Norwegian Somalis has tested positive for coronavirus One in every hundred Norwegian Somalis has tested positive for covid-19, while more than one in five of all coronavirus cases in the country were seen in people born outside Norway, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health has revealed in a briefing note submitted to the government. According to the note, 290 Norwegian residents of Somali origin have so far tested positive for the virus, a significant number in a community numbering only 28,696, and more than ten times the prevalence within the country as a whole. Somali Swedes also made up a disproportionate number of those hospitalised with coronavirus in Stockholm, something health experts have said reflects how much more common it is for vulnerable elderly members of the community to share accomodation with younger ones. Abdi Said, a Somali origin politician with Norway's Socialist Left party, last week told state broadcaster NRK that he felt the disproportionate number of Somali patients was "sad". "It is a vulnerable group lived cooped up close together with one another. So there is reason to be worried." Tore Steen, a doctor who works as infectious diseases consultant in Oslo municipality, said last week that there had been an increase in infections in Stovner, Gamle Oslo and Alna districts, all of which have high immigrant populations. "In recent weeks we have seen a trend towards more new infection in neighbourhoods with many immigrants, Steen said. Said said it was regrettable that Somali cafés and other meeting places in the Grønland district had not been closed earlier. "Even after the coronavirus deaths in other European countries, you could see groups of Somalis gathering here, and the café was still open. It was the police who shut it down." Xigasho

Waa wax lagu farxo. Wey mahadsanyihiin Marwo Fowsiyo Abiikar iyo dowladda dhexeba.

Halyeey kale dalkeena u soo halgamay cudurkii xumaa u geeriyooday. Eebbe ha u raxmado C/qaadir Cali Boolaay.

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UK: Boy, 13, dies of coronavirus 'without any family close by' Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, believed to be the UK's youngest victim, had no underlying health conditions, family says. Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, a 13-year-old boy from London who tested positive for COVID-19, has died. He is believed to be the United Kingdom's youngest coronavirus victim. "Ismail was only 13 years old without any pre-existing health conditions and sadly he died without any family members close by due to the highly infectious nature of Covid 19," the family said in a statement on Tuesday. "Ismail started showing symptoms and had difficulties breathing and was admitted to King's College Hospital [in London]. "He was put on a ventilator and then put into an induced coma but sadly died yesterday morning. To our knowledge he had no underlying health conditions. We are beyond devastated." By Wednesday morning, a GoFundMe page set up to help the family pay for the child's "janazah", or Muslim funeral, had raised more than 51,000 pounds (about $63,000), with 2,700 people donating - well over the goal of 4,000 pounds (about $4,944). Any extra funds would be given to the family, said a family friend, who set up the page. "Sadly, a 13-year-old boy who tested positive for COVID-19 has passed away, and our thoughts and condolences are with the family at this time," King's College Hospital said in a statement. "The death has been referred to the coroner and no further comment will be made." While the new coronavirus mostly affects older people and people with underlying health conditions, a minority of victims have been younger, including children. La Repubblica, an Italian daily, reported that Luca Di Nicola, an Italian 19-year-old assistant chef, died in a London hospital on March 24. Di Nicola's father told the newspaper that the teenager had no underlying health conditions. In the UK, at least 2,352 people have died after testing positive, according to government figures. The country suffered its worst daily toll on Wednesday, with the number of deaths rising by almost 563 people in a 24-hour period. Aljasiira __________________ Samir iyo iimaan Rabi reerkiisa haka siiyo.

Somalis Over-Represented Among Coronavirus Victims in Stockholm, as COVID-19 Reaches Blighted Areas Members of the Somali community complained that the authorities' information about the spread of coronavirus was insufficient and came too late. To rectify this, materials in 15 languages are now being distributed. The city of Stockholm has reported a rise in COVID-19 cases, noting that residents of so-called vulnerable areas are over-represented among the newly-infected. At least six of the 15 who died from the coronavirus have a Somali background, national broadcaster SVT reported. At the same time, a spread of the infection was reported in the Järva area, which includes the districts of Kista-Rinkeby and Tensta. Up to 90 percent of the population of these communities have an immigrant background, and they feature in Sweden's list of vulnerable areas. A local doctor suggested to the Expressen newspaper that the virus could have spread several weeks ago, during the Friday prayer at a local mosque. “When [coronavirus] spread to Sweden, there was not so much information in Somali, and many continued living as usual,” doctor Jihan Mohamed, board member of the Swedish Somali Medical Association, told SVT. Mohamed suggested crowded conditions as one of the explanations to the over-representation of COVID-19 cases among fellow Somalis. “Many live in crammed quarters there. Several generations can live in the same apartment,” Mohamed suggested. She also believed that cultural aspects may have played a role in the spread of the disease. “In Somali culture, it is important to socialise, support and visit each other, especially if someone is ill,” she said. Somali imam Hussein Farah of Rinkeby's Islamic Cultural Centre suggested that the authorities' information on coronavirus in languages other than Swedish was insufficient and came too late. Mohamed Nuur, chairman of the Social Democrats in Tensta, called the lack of information “heartbreaking”. Amid the spread of the coronavirus in the blighted areas, the authorities are at pains to distribute information material in 15 languages, including Somali. Residents are reminded about the importance of social distancing and staying at home. To better reach to the growing migrant community, national broadcaster SVT has started texting their news broadcasts in Arabic. SVT cited “the great need for information due to the coronavirus epidemic”. Several other media, including Expressen, also produced Arabic and Somali material to accommodate non-Swedish readers. Sweden's Arab-speaking community has by some estimates grown to become the country's largest, surpassing the speakers of Finnish at some point after the 2015 migrant crisis, when 163,000 asylum seekers from predominantly Arab-speaking nations entered the country. Sweden's Somali diaspora has been rising since the 1990s, bolstered by refugees from the Somali Civil War. Today, it is estimated at over 60,000, with over half of them retaining their Somali citizenship as well. Their vast presence earned Rinkeby the colloquial nickname “Little Mogadishu”. According to official statistics, Sweden had a total of 2,272 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The average age of the infected was 54, with men constituting 54 percent.

And now Sweden: Swedish Coronavirus deaths increase, with concerns about Somali-Swedes in particular Twelve new deaths connected to the Coronavirus were confirmed in Sweden on Monday, and there is particular concerns about Swedish-Somalis, as at least six of 15 people to die from the virus in the Stockholm area so far are of Somali background according to the Swedish-Somali medical association. They believe a lack of information in Somali during the early stages of the pandemic may have played a role.

Gooni, Reer Khaliijka aad naga daba wadid xee tahay? At least dalka Muslimka Soomaaliya daneeyo ee Turkiga sida ba'an ugu haayo kiiskooda keen, Carabtaan caloosha weyn naga daayee. Haddaa u soo noqdo Soomaalideena dibadaha ku nool, now Reer Norway ayuu si xun ugu haayaa. At least 200 Soomaali ku dhacay. Coronavirus Spreading in Norway's Migrant Areas, Somalis Hit Hardest Almost one in four hospitalised immigrants in Norway is Somali, despite the diaspora there constituting only 0.8 percent of the Norwegian population. This has been attributed to cramped living conditions and their insufficient knowledge of the Norwegian language. While the share of immigrants admitted to Norwegian hospitals with COVID-19 roughly corresponds to their proportion in the general population, there is one group that is strongly over-represented in the statistics. Despite accounting for only 0.8 percent of the Norwegian population, Somalis constitute over 20 percent of immigrants treated for Covid-19, according the Norwegian Public Health Instutute (FHI). More than 829 immigrants are being treated for coronavirus; over 200 are Somalis, national broadcaster NRK reported. Oslo chief epidemiologist Tore Steen noted a “disturbing increase” in the number of infections in the districts of Stovner, Gamle Oslo and Alna, all of which have a strong immigrant presence. He noted a paradigm shift in infection patterns. While in the first weeks, most new cases stemmed from people returning from skiing holidays in Italy and Austria, in recent weeks the virus has been spreading in immigrant-heavy areas. He says that the first weeks were the most contagious in western districts, a good proportion were people who had been on skiing holidays in Italy and Austria. “It's true that among the immigrants, there seems to be extra many infections among Somalis”, Steen admitted. So far, the reason for this over-representation remains unclear. However, Trude Margrete Arnesen, a specialist in community medicine at the Department of Infection Protection and Vaccine at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI), ventured to news outlet Resett that cramped living conditions and worse access to information among the Somalis could be the cause. Arnesen also referred to Sweden's example, where a “higher mortality” among this group was recorded. Earlier, Nasreen Begum, the leader and founder of Local Mothers Norway, expressed concern about immigrant women and housewives who do not take the authorities' advice on the coronavirus seriously enough, citing low confidence in the Norwegian authorities and poor knowledge of the Norwegian language. To raise awareness, Local Mothers, an NGO, started an outreach door-to-door information campaign, NRK reported. FHI head of department Line Vold stressed that more detailed information campaigns are underway. “We see that there are some groups that may be over-represented. To reach them to an even greater extent, measures are being implemented, including on social media”, Vold told the newspaper Dagbladet. Largely owing to Norway's immigration policy and demographics, its Somali diaspora numbers some 40,000 and is estimated to be one of country's largest, after Poles and Lithuanians. A total of 4,655 proven COVID-19 cases have been reported in Norway. A total of 32 patients have died; their average age is 84 years. Xigasho

Wives rejoice and traders despair as Coronavirus halts khat supply to Somalia (Reuters) - Before the coronavirus hit, Muna Nur Farah had started to hate her husband. He'd slink into their home in the Somali capital Mogadishu at 3:00am with empty pockets, his money squandered on the narcotic leaf khat. That changed a little over a week ago, as the pandemic spread through East Africa. To curb the disease, the government banned international flights - including those importing khat from Kenya - depriving men like Farah's husband of the addictive drug. "This week every day, he brings home money, vegetables, mangoes, meat, food," she said happily. "I love him now. Life is superb." Some Somalis, especially women and children, say coronavirus handed them an unexpected boon through the ban on khat flights. "Women say a man who chews khat has another wife - called khat," Farah's husband, Abdullahi Ahmed said. "It is true." More than 10 million people globally use khat, according to the Kenya Medical Research Institute. In Somalia, men gather in groups to chat and chew the leaf, a mild stimulant, into the early hours. Kenya exports about 50 tonnes of khat to Somalia daily, said Kimathi Munjuri, the chairman of Kenya's largest khat trade association. Khat is sold to Somalia - which is mostly too hot and dry to grow the water-intensive crop - at $5 a kilo, making Kenyan growers around $250,000 a day. "Now we're not able to ship anything," he said. "We are looking at a total devastation." Importers sell to dealers in the 'khat garden' - Mogadishu's typically busy khat market. Now it's deserted apart from boys playing football and soldiers comparing guns. Bunow Hussein Aden, 60, is the market's chief cleaner, but now there's no one to pay him his daily fee of $15 so he is just lying on a polythene sack as litter blows past. "I have not received a coin since khat was banned," he complained. "I just see people I know, ask them for few dollars." Khat is highly perishable. It's usually driven from airfield to market at breakneck speed. Some khat sellers like Sabir Mohamed Shiqalow have started shipping the leaf in, but prices have shot up: a kilo worth $20 before coronavirus now fetches $200 to $300. Shiqalow, an enterprising 21-year-old, has been selling khat half his life. Now he and other sellers go to the beach nightly with two dozen well-armed private guards to collect their slightly withered haul. One night last week, the guards repelled a group of soldiers trying to steal their shipment. Shiqalow hopes things will settle down soon. "Khat is my only source of income," he explained. In Farah's household, the women pray the ban stays. "Now we get meat, food and money. Thank you, coronavirus!" said Sumeya Nur Farah, Muna's 9-year-old sister. "But do not kill us please," she said, addressing the virus. Even Farah's father Mohamed Nur Farah has stopped chewing, after 20 years. He's spending time with his family instead - to general astonishment. "I am helping my wife in cooking," he said proudly. "I never helped her in household chores before." New York Times (Reuters)