4 more COVID-19 deaths reported in Waterloo Region as death toll climbs to 365

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court decided to dismiss all the petitions filed seeking to quash the Cabinet’s decision to transfer 40% of the government-owned shares of the Kerawalapitiya Yugadanavi Power Plant to U.S. Company New Fortress Energy.The Supreme Court had made the decision to dismiss all the petitions without taking them up for examination as well.The petitions were dismissed by a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and comprising Justices Buwaneka Aluvihare, Priyantha Jayawardena, Vijith Malalgoda, LTB Dehideniya.Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya had noted that the five-judge bench had no intention to examine these applications, and the decision to dismiss them was made after considering all the facts that were presented in favor and against the applications.Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thero, His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, General-Secretary of the Samagi Jana Balavegaya Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Sunil Handunnetti and Wasantha Samarasinghe from the JPV, Trade Unions, and multiple other groups filed the five petitions with the Supreme Court.Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Cabinet of Ministers, West Coast Power Pvt.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Udaya Gammanpila and Wimal Weerwansa have been removed from their minesterial portfolios with effect from Thursday (3) evening, said the President’s Media Division.The PMD statement notes that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa removed Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa and Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila from their portfolios, as per the powers vested in him by the constitution,

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former Sri Lankan Minister Udaya Gammanpila on Friday (3) announced that the battle to free Sri Lanka from the US has begun.Speaking to reporters for the first time since he was stripped of his ministerial position by the President on Thursday (3), Gammanpila said that the country is moving towards an abyss as the economy is managed by a person who has no understanding of economics.Udaya Gammanpila and Wimal Weerwansa were removed from their ministerial portfolios with effect from Thursday (3) evening, said the President’s Media Division.Gammanpila said calls were made to solve the crisis from within and outside of the cabinet of ministers, however, as those calls fell on deaf ears, the launch of a resolution ‘Taking The Nation On The Correct Path’ to solve the economic crisis suffered by Sri Lanka, was implemented.He said rather the looking at this resolution as a solution to the crisis, the administration decided to move out both him and Wimal Weerawansa.Gammanpila said while in government there were restrictions when it came to criticizing the government, however, today he has the freedom to reveal those who are responsible for the destruction caused to the economy.He also went on to note that ‘The Ugly American’, 1958 political novel by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer that depicts the failures of the U.S.

Greater job losses. Since the start of the pandemic, women have suffered greater job losses than men -- a pattern that has continued into 2022. The Pew Research Center reported in June 2020 that 11.5 million women, compared to 9 million men, lost their jobs due to COVID-19 -- a reversal of historical trends with economic recessions.1Higher overall stress. Women also took a harder hit to their wellbeing: Globally, women report higher rates of stress, sadness and worry than men -- and they're more likely to report that their mental health was negatively affected by the pandemic.

Two of Hong Kong's largest retail chains have started rationing some food and drug items to curb panic buying that has plagued the city over the past week amid fears of a citywide lockdown as Covid-19 cases soar.

Expect to start paying more for pretty much everything as gas prices are forecast to remain in record-high territory in B.C. for the foreseeable future.

A devastating milestone has been reached in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The United Nations says more than one million people have been displaced by the war.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland announced on Thursday that Canada will become the first country to revoke Russia and Belarus’ status as a most-favoured-nation trade partner under law. This includes the imposition of 35 per cent tariffs on goods from both countries as Moscow’s war in Ukraine rages on.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was in agreement with Interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen on Monday during question period in the House of Commons as the two sides found solidarity with Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

The war in Ukraine comes with a horrific toll on the people involved: emotional and financial. It’s costing Russia an estimated $20 million a day to continue the invasion.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former Minister Wimal Weerawansa revealed that he will not accept any ministerial position under the government of the incumbent President.Weerawansa was speaking reporters in Colombo, in his first-ever briefing after he and Udaya Gammanpila were stripped of their ministerial portfolios on Thursday (3) evening.Udaya Gammanpila and Wimal Weerwansa were removed from their ministerial portfolios with effect from Thursday (3) evening, said the President’s Media Division.The PMD statement notes that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa removed Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa and Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila from their portfolios, as per the powers vested in him by the constitution,Watch the Media Briefing Here: 

Transport Canada says.The department didn’t say why or for how long the aircraft — that was grounded on Tuesday — would be restricted to the airport but told Global News in an email Thursday that Transport Canada is working with Canada’s Border Services Agency to “assess the matter.” Cryptocurrency a ‘double-edged sword’ in Ukraine-Russia war, experts say They said they are trying to find out if there has been any violation of the recently announced Notice to Airman (NOTAM) that prohibits Russian aircraft from operating in Canadian airspace.Ottawa officially closed up the nation’s airspace on Feb. 24 while announcing a set of sanctions against Russia as the war against Ukraine rages on.

Chrystia Freeland was photographed holding a scarf bearing colours associated with a far-right Ukrainian paramilitary group from the Second World War this past weekend.Both her office and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress suggest the questions and criticism she has received about it online is linked to a pattern of Russian-backed disinformation targeting members of the Ukrainian community.The Twitter account for Freeland shared photos of the federal finance minister at a Ukrainian solidarity march in Toronto on Sunday holding a black-and-red scarf with the Ukrainian phrase “Slava Ukraini,” which translates to “Glory to Ukraine,” written in Cyrillic. Canada targets Russia and Belarus with tariffs, sends more lethal aid to Ukraine Toronto Mayor John Tory was in the group and his account also shared photos of the moment, including one that showed the other side of the scarf, which had the phrase “Heroyam Slava,” or “Glory to heroes.” Neither Tory nor Freeland are touching the scarf in that photo.Both accounts deleted the photos the next day. Freeland then issued an identical tweet about her presence at the march organized to show solidarity with Ukraine after Russia launched a multi-pronged attack on the sovereign country.

COVID-19 may have more than one variant of the virus attacking them, according to a pair of new studies published earlier this year.Researchers for the two studies — one published in January, the other in February — say their evidence suggests less dominant variants may be simultaneously present in the same infected individual, with some cloaking themselves from the immune system.That could make it difficult for infected patients to get rid of COVID-19 from their systems entirely, said Kapil Gupta, lead author of the January study, in a statement Tuesday.“Some of these variants may use kidney or spleen cells as their niche to hide, while the body is busy defending against the dominant virus type,” Gupta said. Arthritis drug cuts risk of death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: U.K.

WARSAW - The ongoing war in Ukraine has led to one of the largest humanitarian crises in a century, with many fleeing Ukrainians searching for refuge in neighboring countries. The United Nations said Thursday that 1 million people have now fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion less than a week ago, an exodus without precedent in this century for its speed.The tally from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees amounts to more than 2% of Ukraine’s population — which the World Bank counted at 44 million at the end of 2020 — on the move across borders in just seven days.

PHILADELPHIA - Gas prices continue to skyrocket across the country as the war in Ukraine intensifies, and some believe prices will continue to balloon in the weeks ahead.According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, the average cost of a gallon of regular gas in Philadelphia is just below $4.

DREXEL HILL, Pa. - Four women were honored Thursday for their selfless actions in saving four aboard a medical helicopter that crashed in Delaware County two months ago. Kathyrn Donofrio, Emma Gray, Tina Hamilton, and Jewel Singles sprung into action when a Eurocopter EC135 medical helicopter piloted by 52-year-old Danial Moore fell from the sky on Jan. 11. The chopper was on its way to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with an infant patient aboard and two others.

COVID-19 case tally rose to 42,951,556 with 6,396 people testing positive for the infection in a day while active cases declined to 69,897, according to Union Health Ministry data on Friday.

Cheryl Burke is opening up about her efforts to get in touch with her emotions and embrace her feelings following her split from Matthew Lawrence.The pro took to Instagram on Thursday to share a video with her fans and followers about how she's «been really trying to feel my feelings for the first time.»According to Burke, she's been reading up on different philosophies and schools of thought regarding the power of mindfulness and self-reflection, but that it hasn't been an easy road.«It has been an interesting journey so far, to say the least,» Burke, 37, shared. «It's been scary, because I'm so used to pushing through, because of my athleticism and dancing in general.

Ukraine, the largest of its kind in Europe, was under attack by Russian troops and shelling, officials said, sparking a fire at a nearby administrative building.There has been fierce fighting between local forces and Russian troops, the mayor of the nearby town of Energodar  Dmytro Orlov said in an online post, adding that there had been casualties without giving details.Orlov and other Ukrainian officials said earlier that a fire had broken out at the nuclear plant itself, but the state emergency services agency later confirmed the fire had broken out at a training building outside the plant perimeter.The agency said the third power unit of six at the station was disconnected, adding only one power unit was currently operating. It added constant shelling was preventing firefighters from accessing the fire, which continued to burn on one floor after covering the three top floors of the building.

CHICAGO - A lawsuit was filed against the City of Chicago and Mayor Lori Lightfoot Wednesday, claiming she used obscene language and defamed a former Chicago Park District lawyer who was involved in the Christopher Columbus statue controversy in 2021.George Smyrniotis, who served as First Deputy General Counsel for the district, alleged that Lightfoot berated him over a Zoom call, damaging his reputation and leading to the loss of his job as well as causing him emotional distress.The Columbus statue was removed from Arrigo Park in Little Italy in the summer of 2020 after it had become the target of protests and unrest after the murder of George Floyd.DOWNLOAD THE FOX 32 NEWS APPOn behalf of the Chicago Park District, Smyrniotis penned a letter of agreement with the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans (JCCIA), allowing them to briefly display the statue at the 2021 Christopher Columbus Day parade.Lightfoot allegedly took umbrage to the agreement, telling an Italian-American leader she would pull the permit for the parade if the statue made an appearance, according to the lawsuit.An Italian American group is suing the city of Chicago to restore the Christopher Columbus statue that was removed during protests last year.She then berated Smyrniotis and his General Counsel Timothy King in a Zoom call on the night of the parade, the lawsuit claims."You d****, what the f*** were you thinking? You make some kind of secret agreement with Italians, what you are doing, you are out there measuring your d**** with the Italians seeing whose got the biggest d***, you are out there stroking your d**** over the Columbus statue, I am trying to keep Chicago Police officers from being shot and you are trying to get them shot.

A 69-year-old man was shot and killed after he withdrew money from an ATM inside a bank, police say. PHILADELPHIA - Authorities say a man was shot and killed shortly after he withdrew money from an ATM inside a bank Thursday night in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood. Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department were called to the Citizens Bank on the 5700 block of Germantown Avenue just after 8 p.m.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Monetary Board of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has delivered 8 key points to the government to be considered to overcome the present economic challenges.These measures are as follows:a) introducing measures to discourage non-essential and non-urgent imports urgently based on the previous recommendation made by the Central Bankb) increasing fuel prices and electricity tariffs immediately, to reflect the costc) incentivising foreign remittances and investments furtherd) implementing energy conservation measures, while accelerating the move towards renewable energye) increasing government revenue through suitable tax increases on a sustained basisf) mobilising foreign financing and non-debt forex inflows on an urgent basisg) monetising the non-strategic and underutilised assets, andh) postponing non-essential and non-urgent capital projects.The above measures would ensure that a coordinated approach is adopted to overcome the challenging economic circumstances faced by the country and to prudently exit the COVID-relatedpolicy accommodation, said the Central Bank.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Minister of Power Gamini Lokuge told News 1st that he was sworn in as the Minister of Energy.He replaces Udaya Gammanpila as the country’s energy minister.Lokuge made the confirmation to News 1st when exiting the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday (3) evening following a meeting, while adding that Pavithra Wanniarachchi would be taking oaths as the Minister of Power.

B.C. Premier John Horgan seemed to hint that the province might be dropping its mask requirement before spring break. Keith Baldrey has more.

Health Matters March 3: An Alberta woman was surprised to find out she’s not eligible for fertility treatments at PCRM because of her size. As Su-Ling Goh reports, the fertility clinic’s policy is controversial among obesity awareness advocates.

AUSTIN, Texas - Aleksei Nikolin attempts to hold a crying, wiggling toddler inside his cramped car as he video chats with a FOX 7 reporter.  "Yes. You see that they are crying because we are tired.

STANFORD, Calif. - The coroner's office on Thursday determined that the death of Stanford women's soccer player Katie Meyer was suicide.The County of Santa Clara Medical Examiner-Coroner said there is no foul play related to Meyer's death."We are exceedingly saddened to hear about the death of Katie Meyer, a beloved, talented, and respected Stanford student, athlete, and Santa Clara County resident," the coroner's office said in a statement. "The Medical Examiner-Coroner extends sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Katie Meyer."The captain of Stanford University's women's soccer team Katie Meyer was found dead in a campus residence, the university said Wednesday.The Stanford University's women's soccer team captain and goalkeeper was found dead in a campus residence earlier this week.Thousands poured onto Maloney Field Wednesday night, the home of Stanford soccer, for a vigil to remember the star athlete.Meyer, 22, was a senior majoring in International Relations, resident assistant, and was supposed to graduate this year."Katie was extraordinarily committed to everything and everyone in her world," Stanford said in a statement released Wednesday.

COVID-19-related deaths on Wednesday, raising the death toll in the area to 381, including the 22 victims announced so far in February.“Today we are reporting four deaths in our community related to COVID-19: one female in her 90s, 2 females in their 80s, and one male in his 80s,” Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, medical officer of health, stated.“I wish to express my deep sympathy to the families of these individuals.” Free COVID rapid antigen tests now available at Ontario grocery stores, pharmacies at one-box limit All four were residents of long-term-care homes in the area, which each have been under outbreak status for over a month.

COVID-19-related deaths on Monday, raising the death toll in the area to 377.“Today we are reporting 5 deaths in our community related to COVID-19: a male in his 90s, a male in his 80s, a female in her 80s, a female in her 60s, and a male in his 60s,” Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, medical officer of health, stated.“I wish to express my deep sympathy to the families of these individuals.” Ontario taking cautious approach to long-term care restrictions as COVID trends improve There have now been 18 victims reported in the area over the first seven days of February.Area hospitals also remain relatively crowded with COVID-19 patients as they are currently housing 84, including 19 who are in need of intensive care.Waterloo Public Health also reported another 264 positive tests for the coronavirus on Monday, lifting the total number of cases in the area to 39,119.This drops the rolling seven-day average number of new daily cases to 112.4.

COVID-19,” but it doesn’t mean immediately returning to life as it was in 2019 and authorities should be refining their message, experts say.Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, is now using the phrase, as are Toronto’s top doctor, Ontario’s health minister and Premier Doug Ford.Shifting from the predominant message of “stay home” to “learn to live with it” is going to be difficult for a lot of people, said Dr.

trucker convoy digs in, setting up infrastructure and heavy machinery in what Ontario Premier Doug Ford and the Ottawa police chief are both now calling an “occupation” of the city.Tensions are only expected to rise on Saturday, with police estimates of up to 1,000 counterprotesters and thousands of additional convoy supporters making for what former Ottawa police chief Charles Bordeleau called a “volatile” mix.“There’s no question the dynamics around who’s involved and the different factions and different players that are in town present a real risk and potential for increased violence,” he told Global News.“I hope it ends in a peaceful resolution where nobody gets hurt. That’s everybody’s goal.”“But there are scenarios that may have to evolve where the police will have to escalate and use force to start arresting individuals and removing vehicles that are blocking the area,” Bordeleau added.“That is a scenario that presents some significant risks and consequences that people need to be able to really willingly accept.” Ottawa police vow ‘surge and contain’ response to trucker convoy ‘occupation’ All eyes are on Ottawa’s current police chief, Peter Sloly, as the demonstrations enter their ninth day.Ottawa police services board chair Diane Deans called a special meeting of the board for 4:30 p.m.

COVID-19-related deaths in the region on Friday.“Today we are reporting two deaths in our community related to COVID-19. The individuals were a male in his 60s and a male in his 30s,” Dr.

COVID-19-related deaths on Thursday, lifting the death toll in the region to 370 including 11 people over the first three days of February.“Today we are reporting five deaths in our community related to COVID-19. The individuals were three males in their 80s, one female in her 80s, and a male in his 70s,” Dr.

Guelph General Hospital is reporting Wednesday that it is treating 28 patients who have tested positive for COVID-19, while 34 staff members are off work due to the virus.In the past week, the number of patients has dropped by three, while the number of staff away has dropped by eight.Across Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph, public health reports 38 people are in the hospital with COVID-19, including nine in an intensive care unit. Ontario long-term care visitor restrictions under review, new minister says Guelph’s coronavirus death toll has reached 50 during the pandemic with one new fatal case reported on Monday.Testing has captured three new cases in the city, raising its total case count to 8,908.

COVID on Wednesday with 555 in intensive care units.This is down by 152 hospitalizations and a decrease of 13 in ICUs since the previous day. Last Wednesday, there were 4,016 hospitalizations with 608 in ICU.The province recently began distinguishing between those who were admitted to hospital directly because of COVID, and those who were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for the virus.Of the 2,939 people in hospital with COVID-19, 56 per cent of them were admitted because of the virus, while 44 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for COVID-19.Of the 555 people in ICUs with the virus, around 83 per cent were admitted because of COVID, while around 17 per cent were admitted for other reasons.

Omicron wave has plateaued in the province, some medical experts say there are signs society may be headed for a stage where we live with a form of COVID-19 on a regular basis.Some infectuous disease specialists have speculated the Omicron variant could shift COVID-19 from “pandemic” to “endemic,” meaning the circulating virus no longer has the steep waves of outbreaks that hammer hospital capacity and force society to adapt.Thomas Tenkate, a professor with Ryerson University who specializes in health and safety, says he interprets messaging last week from Premier Doug Ford and the province’s chief medical officer as saying “we’re not ever going to get rid of COVID.” Omicron and living with COVID: Why the new variant might change the timeline “So we have to work out how do we manage that in a way that ensures the health care system isn’t overwhelmed,” Tenkate told 900 CHML’s Hamilton Today.“Those measures are very similar to the measures that we’ve been using already.”He says the acceptance of being in an endemic stage revolves around a “thought process and control options” similarly used for seasonal flu and other respiratory viruses.“I suppose they’re using that term, ‘learn to live with it,’ because it’s sort of saying it’s not going to go away,” said Tenkate.Niagara Region’s acting medical officer says although the vaccines are protecting Ontarians and some of the world, there are no indications that population immunity from COVID will be achieved.“Even if we do get that endemic state, immunity is going to wane over time and we’re going to lose that equilibrium,” Dr.

After days of noisy protests, Ontario’s premier says they have been heard and that it’s time to leave. Matthew Bingley reports.

COVID-19-related deaths on Tuesday, lifting the death toll in the area to 361 including 48 victims so far in 2022.“Today we are reporting two deaths in our community related to COVID-19,” Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, medical officer of health stated.

COVID-19-related deaths in the region Monday, raising the death toll in the area to 359, including 20 victims announced over the past week.“Today we are reporting 11 deaths in our community related to COVID-19,” Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, medical officer of health, stated.

COVID-19 restrictions.“It’s a roller-coaster. You go up, you’re doing good, and then you’re back down,” said Colby Kriegl standing outside his business, T.

COVID-19 Saturday, with 597 people currently in intensive care.The latest number of hospitalizations is a decrease of 96 from Friday’s data.This is also a drop of over 500  hospitalizations in comparison to last Saturday’s hospitalizations which stood at 4,026.Of the 3,439  people hospitalized, around 55 per cent of them were admitted because of the virus, while about 45 per cent were admitted for other reasons but then tested positive for COVID-19. Doug Ford says Ontario needs to ‘learn to live with’ COVID ahead of reopening Monday Of the 597 people currently in ICU, around 82 per cent of those in intensive care were admitted because of COVID, while around 18 per cent were admitted for other reasons but test positive for COVID-19.Last Saturday, 600 people were reported in intensive care units.For those in general hospital wards with COVID, 667 were unvaccinated, 153 were partially vaccinated and 1,755 were fully vaccinated.For those in ICUs, 199 were unvaccinated while 18 were partially vaccinated and 231 were fully vaccinated.

COVID-19.Ford made the comments in an interview that aired Friday on a local Peterborough, Ont., radio station, a day after the province’s top doctor made similar remarks.Asked whether Ontario’s reopening plan would work well, Ford said he’s confident it will because virus test positivity has dropped since public health restrictions took effect earlier this month.Restrictions on businesses like restaurants, gyms and theatres will ease on Monday, allowing such venues to open with capacity limits. Omicron infectivity period doesn’t appear shorter than other COVID variants: Public Health Ontario Ford said restrictions brought in this month to blunt a wave of Omicron infections are working.He noted that his government’s plan involves reopening cautiously, with 50 per cent capacity limits in place at first, and said the province needs to learn to live with the virus to get back to normal.“There’s no one in this province who wants to open up quicker than I do,” Ford told PTBO Today Radio.

COVID-19-related death on Thursday, lifting the region’s January death toll to 34.“Today we are reporting one death in our community related to COVID-19. The individual was a female in her 90s,” Dr.

COVID-19-related deaths on Wednesday, lifting the death toll in the area to 346, including 33 victims in January.“Today we are reporting four deaths in our community related to COVID-19: three individuals in their 80s (one male, one female, one unspecified), and one female in her 70s,” Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, medical officer of health, stated.

Ontario child-care operators and staff are calling on the provincial government to take steps to make those settings safer during the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the sector’s long-term viability.One immediate step urged by the dozens of operators, labour groups and public health experts who have signed on to an open letter to the premier is to reinstate eligibility for PCR testing.Late last year in response to a surge in Omicron cases, the province limited access to PCR testing to high-risk settings, which doesn’t include child-care centres or schools, except if a student or staff member develops symptoms while at school.

COVID on Wednesday with 608 in intensive care units.This is up by eight hospitalizations but a decrease of 18 in ICUs since the previous day.The province recently began distinguishing between those who were admitted to hospital directly because of COVID, and those who were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for the virus.Of the 4,016 people in hospital with COVID-19, 56 per cent of them were admitted because of the virus, while 44 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for COVID-19.Of the 608 people in ICUs with the virus, around 83 per cent were admitted because of the virus, while around 17 per cent were admitted for other reasons. Doug Ford says he can’t see Ontario mask mandates lifting anytime soon Meanwhile, Ontario also reported 5,368 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, though that is an underestimate of the true widespread transmission of the virus due to recent testing restrictions.

COVID-19 wave fueled by the highly-contagious Omicron variant is a “good thing.”In a pandemic update on Monday, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson said the 21-day increments should give provincial and public health units adequate time to observe shifts in the population’s mobility and its effects on key virus infection data.“I think that’s a good period of time.