Alberta reaches highest-ever active cases of COVID-19 as rapid tests still scarce

COVID-19 wave fuelled by the Omicron variant rolls on, Hamilton Health Sciences’ president urged individuals with conditions that don’t require immediate medical attention to reach out to a family doctor or use an online method for care.“There are a number of health-care options available in the community, which we would strongly encourage people to seek out prior to coming to an emergency department,” HHS president and CEO Rob MacIsaac said in the city’s COVID presser on Tuesday. Announcement on Ontario COVID restrictions coming this week, official says Both HHS and St.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The United Nations commended Sri Lanka’s green agriculture programme at a meeting held between UN Assistant Secretary-General Kanni Wignaraja and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday (04).Wignaraja serves as the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific.Wignaraja said Sri Lanka was ranked 87th out of 165 countries in the 2021 Sustainable Development Report, moving seven points ahead from the previous year’s ranking. The possibility of attracting foreign investors to the green agriculture programme by further developing these conditions was also discussed.The President pointed out the steps being taken by Sri Lanka to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals while seeking solutions to the socio-economic impacts caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.The President said that a comprehensive mechanism has been set up for this purpose, including the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation and the Presidential Task Force on Creating a Green Sri Lanka and Sustainable Solutions to climate change.UNDP Resident Representative Robert Juhkam, Deputy Resident Representative Malin Herwig, Secretary to the President P.B.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Over 4.3 Million people were given the Third / Booster dose against COVID-19 said the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health on Sunday (9).The Department of Government Information released the following statistics on the vaccination progress as of Saturday (8).

The struggle continues for parents struggling to balance work and childcare in B.C. because of the ongoing impact of COVID-19.

Global’s Keith Baldrey has a closer look at COVID-19 hospitalizations and the double whammy of pressure on the province’s health care system.

The B.C. government hopes a new public health order requiring teachers and school support staff to report their vaccination status will provide clearer data on the risk of COVID-19 in schools.

NHL will stop testing asymptomatic players, coaches and staff who are fully vaccinated following the All-Star break in early February, saying coronavirus cases continue to decline across the league.The league and players’ association announced the protocol changes Tuesday. The current policy will remain in place until the All-Star break begins Feb.

Covid-19 situation by scientists reveals that the overall peak of the third wave in India will arrive on January 23 but the daily number of coronavirus cases reported is unlikely to cross 4 lakh.

COVID positive in this phase, but that's not because the coronavirus is more lethal for children. It is because overall infections are much higher compared to the earlier waves of the Covid-19 pandemic.

ATLANTA - Sheenah Berry is finally, gratefully, back home in Rex, Georgia, after 136 days in Piedmont Atlanta Hospital."It all feels surreal, you know," Berry says, holding her newborn, Kensley. "I've been living in the hospital for 4 and a half months."The 37-year-old was just over four months pregnant in late August when she believes she contracted the COVID-19 from her 8-year-old son KJ.

provincial government’s restrictions for fitness facilities.The province announced Tuesday afternoon that a gradual opening for gyms and fitness centers will begin on Jan. 20.“After looking at the data we have, today, I’m taking the cautious step of reopening gyms and exercise facilities with capacity limits and continued use of the B.C. vaccine card,” said Dr.

Yet another anti-vaxxer has died of COVID-19.

the journal Nature Genetics.Researchers at 23andme said they conducted a survey involving nearly 70,000 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19. Of those respondents, 68% reported having a loss of smell and taste.

put on hold due to concerns over Covid-19.The music awards ceremony, which is usually attended by a vast array of stars from the entertainment industry, was due to take place this month.However, in a statement, the Academy said that the event had been postponed ‘after careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners’, pointing out the ‘uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant’.In a new update, it has been announced that the 64th Grammys will now be broadcast live on Sunday April 3, with the event being held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the first time it has been held anywhere but LA or New York since 1973.The ceremony will be presented by comedian Trevor Noah, best-known for hosting The Daily Show.In the statement about the rescheduled date, it said that ‘additional details about the dates and locations of other Grammy Week events, including the Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony, MusiCares Person of the Year and the Pre-Grammy Gala will be announced soon’.Several big names in the music industry will be going up against each other for the biggest awards of the night at the Grammys, with Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo earning nominations.Jon Batiste bagged 11 nominations alone, including for album of the year and record of the year.Going head to head for record of the year are Abba, Justin Bieber, Jon Batiste, Doja Cat, Brandi Carlile, Lil Nas X, Olivia Rodrigo, Silk Sonic and Billie Eilish.Meanwhile, those up for song of the year are: Ed Sheeran with Bad Habits, Olivia Rodrigo’s Drivers License, Doja Cat’s Kiss Me More, H.E.R.’s Fight For You, Lil Nas X’s Montero (Call Me By Your Name), Justin Bieber’s

In recent days, Mali kicked off a campaign to vaccinate people displaced by ethnic violence, and the Seychelles unpacked a consignment of electronic tablets to help with data management for the country’s COVID-19 response.

COVID-19: Premier says time to ‘buckle down’ as N.S. reports 1 death, 13 new hospitalizations After a fall semester of hybrid learning, the university told students to return to campus this January.

COVID-19 situation on Tuesday, but says residents can’t let their guard down if they want to slow down the virus’ spread.During a media briefing hosted by the Middlesex-London Health Unit, acting medical officer of health Dr. Alex Summers said that while “COVID rates continue to be high in our region… some early indications are consistently suggesting that we are seeing a plateau in the burden of illness in our community.“It is important to note that the rates of COVID-19 and the burden of illness in our community remains exceptionally high and higher than it was prior to any wave.” Announcement on Ontario COVID restrictions coming this week, official says The suggestion of a potential plateau is nothing new.Last week, Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table scientific director Dr.

COVID-19 vaccine.Chief medical office of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said this impacts around 80,000 adults who will benefit from an additional shot to bolster their immunity against the illness.Starting Jan.

Good evening and welcome to today's Daily Record headline briefing.

Yesterday, 13,028 child (paediatric) vaccine first doses were administered to 5 to 11-year-olds throughout New Zealand.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!!

coronavirus pandemic — deaths, hospitalisations and lockdowns — could be over this year if huge inequities in vaccinations and medicines are addressed quickly, the head of emergencies at the World Health Organisation said Tuesday.

The Recording Academy announced Tuesday that the Grammy Awards have been rescheduled for April 3 in Las Vegas.The Academy made the announcement in a message to its members and later shared the news with the general public on social media.The ceremony was originally scheduled for January 31, but it was postponed two weeks ago due to soaring COVID-19 rates brought on by the highly infectious Omicron variant. New date and place: The Recording Academy announced Tuesday that the Grammy Awards have been rescheduled for April 3 in Las Vegas; Beyoncé seen winning Best R&B Performance at the 2021 Grammy Awards in LAThe new show will also have a change of location, as it was originally planned to go on in Downtown Los Angeles at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as the Staples Center).The show will now be broadcast from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Vegas.

Adamari López took social media to confirm l that she had tested positive for COVID-19. The nerve-wracking news immediately raised concern to the tv host which had a bad experience three years ago when contracting influenza.

back-to-in-class learning for the majority of remote First Nations students across Ontario due to limited access to, N95 masks, HEPA filters and rapid antigen tests, all items promised by the Ford government to the province’s other schools.Students in the province resumed classes after the holidays via online learning in an effort to curb surging COVID-19 cases. With new safety measures in place, Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced students would return to in-class learning on Jan.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM :

The commitment of WHO donors is fuelling the fight against COVID-19 all over the world.

Sha’Carri Richardson was told she would not run in the 100-meter race after she tested positive for THC, a chemical found in marijuana, at the Olympic trials – voiding her first-place results. President Biden hasn't come out in support of legalizing marijuana at the federal level but has said he supports decriminalizing possession of the drug. AdvertisementSo far, 18 states have legalized recreational use and 37 allow for some sort of medical marijuana.  

COLOMBO (News 1st); It will be a Sri Lanka – India clash in the Under 19 Asia Cup Finals as Sri Lanka cruised through beating Pakistan in their Semi-Final on Thursday (30).The Lion cubs secured a 22 run victory against Pakistan in a nail-biting encounter in Dubai.After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Sri Lanka Under-19s were all out for a paltry 147 runs in 44.5 overs.In reply chasing an easy target of 148, Pakistan batters were shell-shocked as they were bowled out for 125 runs in 49.3 overs.Off Spinner, Trevin Mathew gave Sri Lanka the glimpse of a resurrection right from the start bagging 4 wickets as he destroyed the Pakistani top order. It was a show of spinners as Skipper Dunith Wellalage bagged 3 wickets as well.Sri Lanka : 147 all out (44.5 overs) Yasiru Rodrigo 31*, Matheesha Pathirana 31 | Syed Zameer 4/32, A Khan 2/26, A Ali 2/27.Pakistan : 125 all out (49.3 overs) A Khan 36 | Trevin Mathew 4/14, Dunith Wellalage 3/31 v SL U19s 147.Sri Lanka won by 22 runs!Meanwhile, in the 2nd semi-final at Sharjah, India tasted sweet revenge as they got the better of reigning World Under 19 champions Bangladesh whom they met during the previous World Cup Final.India completely outclassed Bangladesh defeating the neighbours by a mammoth 103 runs.India scored 243 for the loss of 8 wickets, while the opponents were bowled out for a meagre 140 runs.Sri Lanka will play India in the final of the Under 19 Asia Cup Final on Friday (31).Previously  the group match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh was called off after one of the umpires tested positive for Covid-19 in Sharjah.

WestJet has announced it’s cancelling more flights amid staffing shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline says it’ll consolidate 20 per cent of its scheduled flights in February.

Coronavirus infection rates are continuing to plummet across Greater Manchester, as one borough has seen a weekly drop of almost 60 per cent.

As new rules on close contacts and testing come into effect tonight, here are seven things we learned from the HSE's latest Covid-19 briefing.

World Health Organization’s (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said on Tuesday there’s currently no evidence that healthy children and adolescents need booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Austrian scientists writing in a letter in the New England Journal of Medicine yesterday demonstrate poor neutralization of the Omicron variant when using serum from vaccinated or recovered COVID-19 patients, potentially signaling a need for variant-specific vaccines.The highly transmissible Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant has caused C

Provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said Tuesday the decision to reopen gyms in B.C.

In its latest snapshot of the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday said cases last week rose 55% over the previous week, up in nearly all parts of the world and highest in the region that includes India.

As many Ontario students get set to head back to class tomorrow, the majority of those living in First Nation communities are not. Leaders say the provincial and federal governments have failed to provide them with the supplies needed to keep students safe.

Forty percent of the eligible population have now received their booster shot.

Covid-19 linked to a pet shop worker in the city. Hong Kong is planning to cull two thousand helpless animals after 11 hamsters tested positive with the Delta variant at the store.It comes after a pet-shop employee, a customer, and the customer's partner all tested positive or provisionally positive, officials confirmed.Authorities believe it could be an example of animal-to-human transmission which has prompted officials to act in a bid to maintain their "zero Covid" strategy.

The B.C. government announced Monday that all school staff members in the province must reveal their COVID-19 vaccine status at the request of their employers.

On 15 January 2022, a shipment of 1.1 million COVID-19 vaccines to Rwanda included the billionth dose supplied via COVAX.

Though early-hit countries are on the downslope of their Omicron variant surges, others are battling rising cases, with some tightening their measures and others—such as China and Hong Kong—taking stronger steps as they try to head off steep rises.

COVID-19, Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says.This marks the first time the virus has been detected in wildlife in the province.In a post on Facebook on Tuesday, the ministry said samples were collected from five free-ranging white-tailed deer in southwestern Ontario back in November.According to the ministry, the deer have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. COVID-19 virus found in 3 Quebec deer, Canadian officials say These are the first cases reported in free-ranging Ontario wildlife,” the Facebook post reads.

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 29: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley testifies during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Ending the U.S.

ATLANTA - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending people opt for the highly-protective N95 or KN95 masks over cloth masks to ward off the highly-contagious omicron variant and slow the coronavirus spread. "Masks are designed to contain your respiratory droplets and particles," the CDC said on its website.

Today a study from Germany published in Science shows three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine raised antibody levels against the highly transmissible Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant.The study was based on sera from 51 participants, which was ch

HL: Daycare-aged children do not need to stay home and isolate if they are healthyB.C.’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said Tuesday that if a child going to daycare has been a close contact of someone with COVID-19 but the child themselves is healthy, then they do not need to stay home and isolate.

COVID-19 safety plans, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said at a media briefing.These plans include occupancy limits based on seven square metres per person, up to a maximum of 25 people per space, Henry added.The vaccine card will still be required to enter gyms or fitness centres. The province considers those with two COVID-19 shots (or one Johnson & Johnson shot) as fully vaccinated.Masks must be worn at all times with the exception of when someone is exercising, Henry said but if people can keep their masks on when exercising, that is best.There will be no changes for the B.C.