German students return to schools
Nizwa kept things tight with some resolute defending to deny Sidab in the second and third periods
BERLIN: Hundreds of thousands of German pupils returned to schools and kindergartens for the first time in two months on Monday, despite fears of a third coronavirus wave fuelled by the British variant.
Schools and daycare centres reopened in 10 German regions, including the capital Berlin and the most populous state Northrhine Westphalia.
Most schools are limiting the return to pupils attending primary classes one to three. Class sizes have also been halved, alongside other precautions such as mask-wearing and airing out rooms, but critics have questioned whether the timing is right for the reopenings.
In discussions with party colleagues on Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly mooted plans for a step-by-step relaxation of measures in areas such as social contact, schools and restaurants and culture.
Merkel argued that relaxation measures should be strongly tied to testing, according to participants in the meeting.
Yet experts are warning that Germany could be at the start of a third coronavirus wave, as case numbers have begun to rise again in recent days.
On Monday, the nationwide seven-day incidence rate returned to 61 cases per 100,000 people after sinking to almost 50 in the past weeks.
“We’re seeing that the numbers are climbing again. That’s annoying, and it brings back some uncertainty,” Health Minister Jens Spahn told public broadcaster ARD on Sunday, urging “caution”.
There is this life and we really do not have much scope to falter. Yes we can go with the flow and reach where it takes us or choose and plan.
It is not to say that people cannot afford to make mistakes because to err is human, but to come out of it maybe with scars and then come up in life and continue to thrive is when one is attempting to live the life. To remain where we are but not evolving would be sad.
This does not mean job hopping. Career is only part of our life as the pandemic has shown us. The job losses have been many but quite a few people became creative.
A friend said the pandemic era has been good for her because she got back into designing and was able to sell her tapestries online.
It is not always easy to keep mind at equal pace and keep emotions in balance. I recently met a mental health PHD candidate who is conducting research on drug addiction and cases of relapse. At one point she said, “I do not want to be emotional, because I want to say it the way the situation is for them. Their issues have to be understood.” Listening to her was overwhelming, then imagine the people who are going through the struggles of life trying to make a second inning in life trying to clear and overcome the past. Would the society give them a second chance? Can they regain the trust? Once we come to a conclusion we seemed to be stuck with it and seem to have a hard time to give a second chance. The question is can people really change? Smokers are able to overcome the habit so why not others? But according to Hameeda al Harthy, an expert on mental health who teaches at Higher Institution for Health Specialties, it is a mental state that even takes individuals to addiction in the first place. When children are unknowingly or knowingly neglected it goes on to have an impact on self esteem. They could easily be the victims of drug addictions, according to Hameeda.
In our younger days if we were told off about playing video games now the outlook is different. Video games have been found to have its assets too even though we still can find their disadvantages such as the potential impact on social skills. While playing video games online they can have connections with unknown people to play with them. Could all this add to the challenge of the delicate communication within the family? If all these years family orientation has mattered, surely it is important even now especially when it comes to laying the foundation of values. I remember the satellite television was considered a threat to the society as it brought in the term global village, what about now when we are all in the cloud and distances have vanished and we are all in one web? With so many distractions waiting to capture their attention, Hameeda says it is best that you become a friend of your child, “Let them talk to you first about anything they want.”
More than 6,000 babies were born in January 2021 in the Sultanate, according to National Centre for Statistical Information. This is the generation born during the pandemic era when lifestyle as we know has gone through the new norm, but for these children who are born now strangers with masks will be the norm and the use of frequent use of sanitizer will be seen as a habit not a compulsive disorder and the new way of greeting with the fist or elbow a custom.
The greetings with a handshake, a hug or the desert style of greeting by touching of the noses, which is considered as the higher level of respect could be something of the past by the time these babies grow up, until of course we overcome the challenge of Covid-19 era.
CAREER IS ONLY PART OF OUR LIFE AS THE PANDEMIC HAS SHOWN US. THE JOB LOSSES HAVE BEEN MANY BUT QUITE A FEW PEOPLE BECAME CREATIVE
Yusuf Afan’s brace powered 11time champions Ahli Sidab to a crushing 4-0 victory over Nizwa in their HM Cup hockey championship Group A final round match at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Monday.
It was an utterly dominant performance from Ahli Sidab who controlled the game throughout the 60 minutes of the match. Afan gave Ahli Sidab the early impetus with a field goal in the 11th minute.
Nizwa kept things tight with some resolute defending to deny Sidab in the second and third periods.
However, Afan again arrived at the party for Sidab with his second goal in the 47th minute that made it 2-0 for Ahli Sidab.
Thereafter, Nizwa were at the receiving end of an Ahli Sidab onslaught as Aseel al Muaini struck another goal in the 57th minute. Hamed al Fazari then converted a penalty corner in the 58th minute to wrap up an overwhelming 4-0 victory for Ahli Sidab.
INFORMATION MINISTER TO PRESIDE OVER FINAL
Assigned by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Dr Abdullah bin Nasser al Harrasi, Minister of Information will preside over the final of the HM Cup on Monday, March 1, in the presence of HH Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth.
The 50th edition of the event is being held with the participation of 14 clubs, namely Al Nasr, Al Salam, Sohar, Seeb, Muscat, Salalah, Majees, Al Ittihad, Ahli Sidab, Qurayat, Al Bashayer, Nizwa, Bausher and Dhofar.
Among the 14 teams, eight teams — Ahli Sidab, Sohar, Nizwa, Majees, Al Nasr, Bausher, Dhofar and Seeb — have already qualified for the final round stage.