People have been paying it forward with kindness amid the coronavirus pandemic by feeding pets, handing out supplies and paying wages of those affected.
People have been paying it forward with kindness amid the coronavirus pandemic by feeding pets, handing out supplies and paying wages of those affected.
People have been paying it forward with kindness amid the coronavirus pandemic by feeding pets, handing out supplies and paying wages of those affected.
People have been paying it forward with kindness amid the coronavirus pandemic by feeding pets, handing out supplies and paying wages of those affected.

Acts of kindness in the wake of coronavirus: 8 ways people have been paying it forward


Emma Day
  • English
  • Arabic

As the coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, with cities in lockdown and travel restrictions imposed, it feels like every day brings despairing new headlines.

The total number of Covid-19 cases worldwide reached 169,387 on Monday, with more than 77,000 recoveries. The death toll sits at 6,513.

However, amid the pandemic, many across the world have been finding ways to help those affected by the virus.

Below, we've rounded up eight ways in which people have been paying it forward.

Two Hollywood stars stump up $1 million

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have donated to two food bank organisations
Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have donated to two food bank organisations

Actors Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively have announced they will donate $1 million (Dh3.67m) to two organisations to help older adults and low-income families. The celebrity couple will split the amount between Feeding America and Food Banks Canada, they revealed on social media.

"Remember the love that can travel through all this. Communities are stepping up, shopping for the elderly, making lunches for children," wrote Lively." We can all do something for one another, even if that's simply staying home."

Supermarkets start dedicated shopping hours for the vulnerable

Woolworths supermarkets have introduced elderly-only shopping time slots. AFP
Woolworths supermarkets have introduced elderly-only shopping time slots. AFP

With the elderly one of the most at risk groups when it comes to the coronavirus, many are facing self-isolation. However, in a bid to keep them safe while allowing them to carry out essential errands, supermarkets around the world have launched dedicated shopping hours for the elderly only. Woolworths in Australia, Iceland in the UK and Lidl in Ireland are among the organisations that have introduced time slots allowing older shoppers to gain early access to food and services, immediately after stores have been cleaned.

Sports stars band together to support arena staff

In the wake of all National Basketball Association games being suspended for at least 30 days, support staff at venues who work on hourly rates faced reduced income. However, stars of the sport have stepped up to help financially support those affected. The Cleveland Cavaliers' Kevin Love was among the first to pledge support, donating $100,000 (Dh367,000) to help "arena and support staff that had a sudden life shift due to the suspension of the NBA season".

"The folks at the arena are like family to me and I am grateful," Love posted on Instagram. "If you are anything like me, you may be justifiably stressed and worried about the impact coronavirus will have on all of us."

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans' Zion Williamson and Detroit Pistons star Blake Griffin are among the other basketball pros to follow in Love's footsteps and donate to the cause.

Fashion labels also make a financial stand

Sports stars weren't the only big names putting their hands in their pockets in a bid to help those affected by Covid-19. Fashion designer Donatella Versace on Friday donated €200,000 (Dh818,674) to the intensive care department of the San Raffaele hospital in Milan.

“Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected by this disease and to all the doctors and medical staff who have been working heroically non-stop in the past weeks in the effort to take care of our loved ones," she posted on Instagram. "This is when we, as a society, need to stand together and care for one another."

Italian influencer Chiara Ferragni has also made a €100,000 donation to the San Raffaele hospital.

Giorgio Armani, meanwhile, donated €1.25 million to a number of Italian hospitals and organsations helping fight the spread of the virus earlier this month. Beneficiaries included Milan's Luigi Sacco and San Raffaele hospitals as well as the country's civil defence service.

British woman helps pay it forward

Becky Wass just wanted to do her bit to help those in her home town affected by the pandemic, but her novel idea has ended up inspiring others across the globe to follow in her footsteps. The Falmouth lecturer created a printable PDF that can be downloaded and filled out, and is designed for those self-isolating to ask for help. The postcard allows those who are less confined to their home to fill in their contact details, and slip it through neighbouring postboxes. Those who need assistance in picking up groceries, running errands, or just want a friendly phone call to stem loneliness can then get in touch.

"I’ve been feeling pretty helpless watching the news. Maybe you have too? I wanted to do something about it, so I’ve made a postcard that I’ll be posting to my older neighbours as this progresses (after washing my hands!)," Wass said. "If just one person feels less lonely or isolated when faced with this pandemic, then I’ll feel better about it (I hope!)."

The streets of Italy come alive with the sound of music

With the nation placed in lockdown, isolated residents have taken to singing from their windows, filling empty streets with tuneful melodies.

Events have been cancelled, schools closed, travel restricted and many businesses closed in the European country, one of the nation's most affected by the spread of the coronavirus.

One recording in the Tuscan city of Siena has been viewed over 3.7 million times on Twitter, while another rendition of Lewis Capaldi's chart-topper Someone You Loved even scored a retweet from the Scottish musician.

Animal lovers take drastic steps to save pets

When the Chinese city of Wuhan was locked down last month in a bid to further prevent the spread of the virus, many residents were placed in quarantine and others prevented from returning home after Lunar New Year celebrations.

The move didn't just affect people, with some pets left home alone, prompting worried owners and kind strangers to take to social media to ensure left-behind animals were looked after.

The hashtag "save the pets left behind in Wuhan" became the third-most searched term on the Twitter-like Weibo platform, with users able to give good Samaritans access to their homes so they could feed their animals. Groups such as the Wuhan Small Animal Protection Association and Wuhan Pet Life have also been breaking down doors to rescue pets.

Woman comes to the aid of Singapore's elderly

When she noticed crowds of older men and women forced to queue outside pharmacies and stores for three to four hours in order to buy a protective face mask, Singapore resident Jennifer Le decided to take matters into her own hands. The Vietnamese national ordered tens of masks online, and gave them out for free at the city's Sengkang station. "It doesn't matter if you're Vietnamese, Singaporean or Thai," she told YouTube channel Our Grandfather Story. "We may be different in nationalities, but we're all just people."

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Read more:

Coronavirus: everything you need to know about Covid-19 in the UAE

Coronavirus: Dubai closes theme parks, cinemas and gyms

Coronavirus: Abu Dhabi closes Louvre and other major attractions

Coronavirus: Abu Dhabi closes all cinemas, beaches and parks

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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage

Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid 

Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani

Rating: 4/5

if you go

The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.

The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.

 

 

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP

Group A

Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA

Group B

Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti

Group C

Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia

Group D

Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

While you're here
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20WallyGPT%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2014%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaeid%20and%20Sami%20Hejazi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%247.1%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%20round%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 582bhp

Torque: 730Nm

Price: Dh649,000

On sale: now  

Brief scores

Barcelona 2

Pique 36', Alena 87'

Villarreal 0

Inside%20Out%202
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EKelsey%20Mann%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Amy%20Poehler%2C%20Maya%20Hawke%2C%20Ayo%20Edebiri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

HEY%20MERCEDES%2C%20WHAT%20CAN%20YOU%20DO%20FOR%20ME%3F
%3Cp%3EMercedes-Benz's%20MBUX%20digital%20voice%20assistant%2C%20Hey%20Mercedes%2C%20allows%20users%20to%20set%20up%20commands%20for%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Navigation%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Calls%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20In-car%20climate%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Ambient%20lighting%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Media%20controls%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Driver%20assistance%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20General%20inquiries%20such%20as%20motor%20data%2C%20fuel%20consumption%20and%20next%20service%20schedule%2C%20and%20even%20funny%20questions%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EThere's%20also%20a%20hidden%20feature%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20pressing%20and%20holding%20the%20voice%20command%20button%20on%20the%20steering%20wheel%20activates%20the%20voice%20assistant%20on%20a%20connected%20smartphone%20%E2%80%93%20Siri%20on%20Apple's%20iOS%20or%20Google%20Assistant%20on%20Android%20%E2%80%93%20enabling%20a%20user%20to%20command%20the%20car%20even%20without%20Apple%20CarPlay%20or%20Android%20Auto%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The biog

Fatima Al Darmaki is an Emirati widow with three children

She has received 46 certificates of appreciation and excellence throughout her career

She won the 'ideal mother' category at the Minister of Interior Awards for Excellence

Her favourite food is Harees, a slow-cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with chicken

WE%20NO%20LONGER%20PREFER%20MOUNTAINS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Inas%20Halabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENijmeh%20Hamdan%2C%20Kamal%20Kayouf%2C%20Sheikh%20Najib%20Alou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
%3Cp%3E1984%20-%20Apple%20unveiled%20the%20Macintosh%20on%20January%2024%3Cbr%3E1985%20-%20Steve%20Jobs%20departed%20from%20Apple%20and%20established%20NeXT%3Cbr%3E1986%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20Macintosh%20Plus%2C%20featuring%20enhanced%20memory%3Cbr%3E1987%20-%20Apple%20launched%20the%20Macintosh%20II%2C%20equipped%20with%20colour%20capabilities%3Cbr%3E1989%20-%20The%20widely%20acclaimed%20Macintosh%20SE%2F30%20made%20its%20debut%3Cbr%3E1994%20-%20Apple%20presented%20the%20Power%20Macintosh%3Cbr%3E1996%20-%20The%20Macintosh%20System%20Software%20OS%20underwent%20a%20rebranding%20as%20Mac%20OS%3Cbr%3E2001%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20Mac%20OS%20X%2C%20marrying%20Unix%20stability%20with%20a%20user-friendly%20interface%3Cbr%3E2006%20-%20Apple%20adopted%20Intel%20processors%20in%20MacBook%20Pro%20laptops%3Cbr%3E2008%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20MacBook%20Air%2C%20a%20lightweight%20laptop%3Cbr%3E2012%20-%20Apple%20launched%20the%20MacBook%20Pro%20with%20a%20retina%20display%3Cbr%3E2016%20-%20The%20Mac%20operating%20system%20underwent%20rebranding%20as%20macOS%3Cbr%3E2020%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20M1%20chip%20for%20Macs%2C%20combining%20high%20performance%20and%20energy%20efficiency%3Cbr%3E2022%20-%20The%20M2%20chip%20was%20announced%3Cbr%3E2023%20-The%20M3%20line-up%20of%20chip%20was%20announced%20to%20improve%20performance%20and%20add%20new%20capabilities%20for%20Mac.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now