COVID-19 News & Perspective

Several Covid-hit Chinese cities from the country's east to west have imposed fresh restrictions and lockdowns on their populations to contain flare-ups that are again threatening to disrupt local economies.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Congestion was reported at the Fort Railway Station this moring, and Sri Lanka Railways said that it deployed two special trains for the general public to head to Kandy to witness the Final Randoli Perahera that will parade the streets tonight.Deputy General Manager of Sri Lanka Railways Gamini Seneviratne said one train will leave Fort to Kandy at 2:30 PM, while the other left Colombo at 10 AM.The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy said facilities have been arranged for the devotees visiting Kandy for the Final Randoli Perahera.

Imagine losing your ability to do the most mundane tasks: brush your teeth, walk your dog, see a sunset.  For several celebrities, simple tasks became arduous as they faced partial paralysis, vision impairment or memory loss.  But there can be a silver lining when stars go public with their health struggles. Dr. Nicole Saphier, a New York City physician, Fox News contributor and best-selling author of "Make America Healthy Again," says this generation normalizes speaking about illness in a way previous generations did not.  "This is extremely important as we are living longer and with chronic illness.

₹500 on people for not wearing masks. However, it will not be applicable to persons travelling together in private four-wheeler vehicles. Amid the sudden rise in COVID-19 cases in the national capital, Aam Aadmi Party-led government on 11 August made wearing of face mask or cover in all public places mandatory.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un declared a "shining victory" over Covid-19 as his sister revealed he had fallen ill during the outbreak, which she blamed on South Korea, state media reported.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The High Commissioner of New Zealand, Michael Appleton called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.The Foreign Minister referred to decades of cordial relations and thanked New Zealand for the continued support and assistance extended during challenging times.The High Commissioner was briefed on the economic downturn that Sri Lanka is encountering at present and the progress made so far on the ongoing measures taken by the Government to stabilize the situation.High Commissioner Appleton assured the continuous assistance of the Government of New Zealand to Sri Lanka.Senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the High Commission of New Zealand were also present.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Department of Meteorology says that few showers will occur in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and Galle, Matara, Kandy, and Nuwara-Eliya districts.  Mainly fair weather will prevail elsewhere, Met.

covid vaccine doses have been administered under the nationwide vaccination drive so far, with 1,25,076 doses given in the last 24 hours. Last week, the Centre directed Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana--all reporting a surge in active cases--to continue to monitor the spread of infection and advised them to increase the pace of vaccination for eligible population.

Ben Stelter, the six-year-old Edmonton Oilers fan who captured the hearts of not only the team, but all Edmontonians, has died.“The world lost the most special boy and an absolute hero last night,” his dad Mike Stelter said in a statement posted to Twitter on Tuesday.“Ben, you were the best son we could ever hope for and you were my best bud ever.“Your sisters were so lucky to have you as such a sweet brother. You fought so long and hard and beat so many odds.”When he was four, Ben was diagnosed with glioblastoma — an aggressive type of brain cancer.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The ​Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates Khaled Nasser Al – Ameri called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday (10).Foreign Minister Ali Sabry briefed the Ambassador on the current economic situation in Sri Lanka and the tangible action taken so far by the Government to increase the resilience of the Sri Lankan economy. The Foreign Minister further invited UAE to engage in broader cooperation with Sri Lanka in the field of agriculture, trade, and investment.The Ambassador congratulated the Foreign Minister on his appointment as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka, emphasized the importance of the Sri Lanka – UAE bilateral relationship, and assured all possible support to Sri Lanka at this time.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority says that a special program will be put in place to provide fuel for vehicles engaged in transporting tourists in Sri LankaThe Director General of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Dhammika Wijesinghe said that fuel will be released for all vehicles registered with the authority.She further said that this step was taken so that tourists visiting Sri Lanka will not face any inconvenience in traveling around the country.Meanwhile, the Ministry of Power and Energy recently decided to issue a special fuel permit at the airport for tourists visiting the country.

India on Thursday recorded 16,299 new coronavirus cases and 53 fatalities according to the latest Union Health Ministry data. With these additions, the country's overall Covid figures rose to 44,206,996cases and 5,26,879 deaths.

Seoul's new government of President Yoon Suk-you for seeking to lift a 2020 ban on those campaigns, calling it an "invariable principal enemy." "We can no longer overlook the uninterrupted influx of rubbish from South Korea," she said, threatening to "wipe out" Seoul's authorities. "Our countermeasure must be a deadly retaliatory one." South Korea's Unification Ministry expressed regret over North Korea's claim that letters from defectors were responsible for the COVID outbreak and the threats Pyongyang made, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.

PROSPECT PARK, Pa. - SkyFOX was over an accident scene Wednesday afternoon after a tractor trailer struck a beam of an Amtrak bridge in Delaware County and got stuck. The bright yellow bridge, located at 11th and Lincoln Avenues in Prospect Park, has significant damage after the tractor trailer crashed into it, according to Prospect Park Police Chief Dave Madonna. These accidents seem to happen often in this area as the truck drivers think they have clearance to pass underneath the bridge, which is only 12 feet, 6 inches high.Businesses in the area say the impact was so loud, they could hear the "bang" when it happened.

PHILADELPHIA - Temple University says masks will be optional in all non-healthcare indoor and outdoor settings to start the Fall semester."When it comes to masking, we encourage all members of the Temple community to make the best decision for themselves, taking into consideration all factors, including COVID-19 transmission levels, the indoor setting and their own health, while respecting the decisions of others to protect themselves," the school said in a press release. Temple is still encouraging students and staff to have a mask handy and be willing to wear it to keep vulnerable members of the school community safe. Free surgical masks are available at the entrance of every building, according to the school, and a limited number of KN95s are available in Main Campus buildings. MORE LOCAL HEADLINES"We will continue to monitor the situation and may have to make adjustments to our masking and other policies later in the semester depending on conditions, but for now, let’s be respectful to each other and take care of ourselves," the school said. Meanwhile, the Temple Association of University Professionals (TAUP) shared a statement saying it "does not agree with the university's decision on masks." They claim the decision was made without "meaningful consultation" with faculty or staff. TAUP is requesting that Temple allow instructors the option to require masking in their classrooms and teaching spaces.In accordance with Philadelphia's vaccine mandate on institutions of higher education, Temple students and staff are still required to have at least the original COVID-19 series.

Also Read: Delhi witnesses spike in Covid-19 cases: What health experts said on Delhi school closures Dr Nitin Verma Director Madhukar Rainbow Children's Hospital said that children are coming with COVID-19 reinfection. "I have a large number of cases who have had COVID once and are again being infected with the COVID for the second time. So a child who was infected with COVID in January was again infected in April and who had it in April got it again now." "if it is a different strain then the protection doesn't last, so many children are getting COVID for the second time, said Dr Verma.

DYERSVILLE, Iowa (AP) - David Bell's grandfather, father and brother played in the majors. Bell spent 12 years in the big leagues himself and worked as a coach and front office executive before taking over as manager of the Cincinnati Reds.So yeah, " Field of Dreams," a movie about family and baseball, hits a little differently for him."Baseball's a big part of our life," Bell said, "and I thought that the movie did a great job of kind of just telling the story of how important baseball can be to families and just to people in general.""Field of Dreams" gets another tribute Thursday night when Bell's Reds take on the Chicago Cubs in a throwback ballpark in the cornfields of eastern Iowa, a short walk from the field where Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta and Amy Madigan filmed the 1989 movie.Under a light blue sky with a few dashes of clouds, workers put the final touches on the major league park on a warm Wednesday afternoon.

The Florida House has passed the bill to repeal the Reedy Creek Improvement Act, which gave Disney special status over 50 years ago, allowing it to act as its own government on company property. The move comes amid Gov. Ron DeSantis' very public battle with the Walt Disney Company over support for the so-called "Don't Say Gay" Bill, which DeSantis signed into law last month.Walt Disney Co.

Today we are reporting 4,818 community cases and 571 current hospitalisations.

COVID-19 continues to rise.New numbers released by the Alberta government on Wednesday revealed there were 748 patients in hospitals with COVID-19 on Aug. 8, up from 702 a week earlier.

Shawn Mendes has given a brief update on his mental health, telling fans he’s “just taking it easy” after cancelling his world tour last month.Early in July, Mendes postponed three weeks worth of shows in North America, citing a need to prioritise his mental health. In a personal statement shared on social media, he wrote: “I’ve been touring since I was 15 and to be honest it’s always been difficult to be on the road away from friends and family.“After a few years off the road, I felt like was ready to dive back in, but that decision was premature and unfortunately the toll of the road and the pressure has caught up to me and I’ve hit a breaking point.

“I THOUGHT I was going to have f***ing bolts in my neck,” says a rueful Ozzy Osbourne. He’s referring to his lowest point during three gruelling years since the fall that “really screwed me up”. Ozzy gingerly places his forefingers on each side of said neck.

FORT BENNING, Ga. - The U.S. Army identified two soldiers killed by a falling tree on Tuesday in north Georgia. Officials said Army Ranger candidates 2nd Lt. Evan Fitzgibbon and Staff Sgt.

PHOENIX - An Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper came to the aid of a man in distress along a north Phoenix freeway.The incident happened on Aug. 7 along Interstate 17 near Greenway when an elderly man was riding a scooter and the battery died.Trooper Lucas Adams arrived at the scene and pushed the man back to his home a quarter-mile away, DPS said.

(Granite Shoals Police Department)GRANITE SHOALS, Texas - There's a new officer in Granite Shoals, and she's only five years old.Isabella was sworn in as a member of the Granite Shoals Police Department during a city council meeting earlier this week before she was due to begin a seventh round of chemotherapy. She received a real GSPD custom-made badge with her name and a purple ribbon in the middle. Isabella is in the midst of her second battle with neuroblastoma, a cancer that starts in certain very early forms of nerve cells and occurs most often in infants and young children, according to the American Cancer Society. Granite Shoals Police Sgt Allen Miley, right, pins a custom-made official GSPD police badge on Isabella.

FOX 2 - General Motors is bumping up the sticker price on many of its new vehicles adding a mandatory OnStar subscription, whether you want it or not.This equipment is on new Buicks, Cadillacs, and GMC vehicles. And on Wednesday GM said you have to take it for $1,500."It's just like buying a car with seats and a steering wheel, you have to take this equipment," said John McElroy, auto analyst WWJ 950. "They're listing it as an option.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

(With inputs from ANI)

Ottawa police said Wednesday.In a news release, police said the family of Dale Nancy Wyman was recently contacted by a third party who told them the news.Police said Wyman went missing on July 16, 1980.She was 22 years old and lived with her family on Washington Avenue in what as then the City of Vanier. Richmond RCMP seek missing man not seen since beginning of August Police said she told some family members that year that she was thinking of leaving home and on July 16, left the residence just before noon with a suitcase.Wyman hailed a taxi and went to the Voyageur bus station on Catherine Street.

Boston, MA - June 7: The new Ford F 150 Lightning electric truck is tested in Bostons Dorchester on June 11, 2022. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Ford is reopening the oder books for the electric F-150 Lightning on Thursday, August 11, as production catches up with demand.The automaker had stopped taking new orders in May after receiving over 200,000 reservations as it ramped up manufacturing of the battery-powered full size pickup.The starting price for the 2023 F-150 Lightning has been increased $7,000, however, with the entry level commercial Pro model now listed at $46,974, up from $39,974 when it first went on sale.Other trims have received similar increases, with the top of the line Platinum up $6,400 to $96,874 before destination fees are added.

PHOENIX - On Aug.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) - Three people were killed Wednesday when a house exploded in the southern Indiana city of Evansville, authorities said.Dave Anson, chief deputy coroner for Vanderburgh County, told The Associated Press that the identities of the people who died would not be released until the next of kin has been notified.Evansville Fire Department Chief Mike Connelly said a total of 39 houses were damaged by the explosion at around 1 p.m.

As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic and a concerning monkeypox outbreak, a new zoonotic virus likely transmitted to humans from animals has caught the attention of scientists.

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health announces scheduling opportunities for the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Novavax.Novavax is a two-dose primary series vaccine for individuals 18 and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends administering the second dose three to eight weeks after the first.Novavax is a protein subunit vaccine.

CENTER CITY - Residents at a Center City apartment building say they went days without water in the middle of a heat emergency. They say their water was shut off without warning Monday morning. The water is back on as building residents and management press the city to know what happened.Water flowed into the Morris Building through the front door Wednesday.

The Full moon rises behind The Statue of Liberty in New York City, United States on August 23, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) The last supermoon of the year, also known as the Sturgeon Moon, happens Thursday night and coincides with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. Before you get too excited about double celestial events, there is some bad news. The bright full moon will likely hinder those hoping to catch a glimpse of the meteor shower.

Officials in Gloucester County investigate a natural gas leak in Paulsboro, N.J. PAULSBOROI, N.J. - Deptford Police and police in Gloucester Township, are investigating a natural gas leak.Police in surrounding communities have received numerous calls regarding fumes in the area, extending into Woodbury.Other agencies on hand in the investigation include Washington Township Police, Gloucester County HAZMAT and OEM.

the fatal shootings of four men in Albuquerque, New Mexico, gave way to shock and sadness when it turned out the suspect in the killings was himself a Muslim.Muhammad Syed, 51, of Albuquerque, was arrested Monday after a traffic stop more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) from his Albuquerque home. The Afghan immigrant denied any connection to the crimes that shook the city and its small Muslim community.In court documents, in fact, he told police that he was so unnerved by the slayings that he was driving to Houston to find a new home for his family.Mug shot of Muhammad Syed.

A view of Rolling Hills Memorial Park. The photo is from the funeral home's website.

One day after the United States said it would allow intradermal, fractional dosing of Bavarian Nordic's monkeypox vaccine, Jynneos, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for more trials on the practice.The European Medicines Agency (EMA) told Reuters it will di

After a recent decline, global COVID-19 cases last week stabilized, with countries in some parts of Asia still the main hot spots, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today in its weekly update on the pandemic.

A single-center study today in JAMA Network Open finds longer-lasting humoral and cellular immune responses in US adults given a Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine booster rather than a Pfizer/BioNTech booster after receiving two doses of the Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months earlier.

Mad Max: Fury Road spin-off Furiosa has been suspended in Sydney after director George Miller tested positive for COVID, according to reports.Starring Anya Taylor-Joy as the titular character following Charlize Theron, Furiosa is a prequel to 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road which will focus on the character’s origins.According to The Daily Mail Australia, filming on Furiosa has been suspended until at least August 15 after Miller tested positive for COVID earlier this week. He’s said to be isolating at his home in Sydney, where production has been underway since June.NME has reached out to Warner Bros.

Authorities are searching for a man and vehicle in connection to the murder of 27-year-old Joelil Foy. PHILADELPHIA - Investigators are trying to identify a suspect and a vehicle wanted in connection to the deadly shooting of a Philadelphia musician. The Philadelphia Police Department shared photos Wednesday of a person and a car being sought in the July 27th murder of Joelil Foy. The suspect was seen wearing a white cap, gray and black shirt, and dark pants.

COVID-19 activity as “high and stable” with the possibility of an uptick in infections among residents come the fall.During the city’s Board of Health meeting on Wednesday, epidemiologist Ruth Sanderson told councillors the city has seen small increases in transmission since mid-June but hospitalizations tied to the affliction remain steady.“Wastewater signals, COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions indicate that we are in a stable state overall,” Sanderson said. Is the pandemic over? What to expect from COVID-19 in the months ahead In recent weeks, the seven-day average of hospitalizations has been above one new admission per day in the city, reaching as high as two new admissions on a few occasions in late July and early August.Over the past two weeks, specifically, that average hit 1.9 on July 22, 1.7 on July 29, and 2.0 on Aug.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - A heartbreaking scam targeting elderly people across the country has reportedly found two recent victims in Pennsylvania.Pennsylvania State Police say three men have been arrested in connection to two separate "Grandparent Scams" in the area.The first incident occurred on July 27, when an 88-year-old woman from Northampton County reported a scam phone call. She told police a man identifying himself as her grandson said he needed money to get out of jail.

Ukraine’s air force said Wednesday that nine Russian warplanes were destroyed in massive explosions at an air base in Crimea amid speculation they were the result of a Ukrainian attack that would represent a significant escalation in the war.

A customer orders food at a Chipotle restaurant on April 26, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Chipotle is paying it forward to teachers nationwide through a new contest ahead of the upcoming school year.The popular restaurant chain announced that it anticipates giving away over $1 million worth of burritos to teachers at 2,000 schools beginning the week of Aug.