WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden on Thursday directed his administration to double the commitment of free, at-home COVID-19 tests being made available to Americans, increasing the number to a total of 1 billion kits, amid a tidal wave of cases and criticism over shortages.

The president is also planning to make high-quality N95 masks available for free."Today, I am directing my team to procure an additional 500 million more tests to distribute for free," Biden said during remarks on the pandemic. "That will mean a billion tests in total to meet future demand, and we’ll continue to work with retailers and online retailers to increase availability."The commitment builds on the government’s pledge in December to ship 500 million free COVID-19 tests through the U.S.

mail. People will use a new federal website to order the tests, which is being rolled out next week. Biden said the administration expects to have 375 million of the at-home rapid tests this month.Biden also announced that for the first time, his administration is planning to make N95 masks, which are most effective at preventing transmission of the virus, available for free.

He said his administration would announce details next week.The federal government has a stockpile of more than 750 million N95 masks, the White House said this week.

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2,230 people hospitalized in Ontario with COVID-19, 486 in intensive care

Ontario hospital with COVID-19 as efforts to stem the spread of the virus in the province continue.New data released by the province on Sunday also said 2,887 new cases of the virus have been detected. 2,493 people hospitalized in Ontario with COVID-19, 501 in intensive care However, experts caution that this number is likely an undercount, now that more stringent testing rules have been implemented in Ontario.To date, the province has recorded a total of 1,054,061 cases of the virus.

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Maharashtra sees massive dip in daily COVID cases; 43% lesser than Saturday

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‘Nightingale of India’ Lata Mangeshkar passes away

India’s beloved Nightingale and the Melody Queen of Bollywood hits, Legendary Singer Lata Mangeshkar has passed away at the age of 92-years, leaving the entire nation grieving, Indian media confirmed on Sunday (Feb. 6).Popularly known as ‘Queen of Melody’ and the ‘Nightingale of India’, Mangeshkar was one of the most loving singers in the history of the Indian music industry.She was admitted to the hospital on January 8th after she was diagnosed with COVID-19 and pneumonia.However, she had recovered from the deadly virus but Mangeshkar was put on ventilator support after her condition worsened in the last couple of days.Late Lata Mangeshkar stepped into singing at the age of 13-years and recorded her first song in 1942.In her career spanning seven decades, she has to her credit over 30,000 songs in different languages.

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Gammanpila’s 5-point process to overcome economic crisis

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila had announced a 5-point proposal to overcome the economic crisis that has plagued the island nation for over a year.“The only way we can overcome this situation is if the whole of Sri Lanka decided to make purchases locally as true Sri Lankans,” said the Minister on Sunday (6).The 5-point process mentioned by the Minister is as follows.1. Accept there is an issue.2.

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John Whaite pulls out of Strictly tour performance as he tests positive for Covid

Strictly Come Dancing star John Whaite has been forced to pull out of Sunday night's tour performance of the live dancing show. John, 32, has tested positive for Covid-19 on a later flow test and, despite feeling "fine", he must await the results of a PCR in isolation to determine his fate. Great British Bake Off star John, who is paired with Johannes Radebe on the tour, explained his situation to fans in a video posted to his Instagram story on Sunday.

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Trucker protests: Thousands attend anti-mandate solidarity protest in Toronto

Thousands of Canadians have taken to the streets across the country to protest against pandemic restrictions – including a large group in Toronto. Alan Carter reports.

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Chelsea Handler Joined By Boyfriend Jo Koy After Canceling Comedy Shows Due To Health Scare

Chelsea Handler has canceled some standup comedy shows in Oregon after an unexpected hospitalization.

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Scottish Government announces two deaths and 5,593 covid cases in last 24 hours

The Scottish Government have confirmed two people have died from coronavirus in the last 24 hours.

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Karnataka's new Covid-19 cases fall below 10,000-mark, positivity rate at 6.5%

Karnataka in the last 24 hours, taking the state's positivity rate to 6.5%, said state health minister K Sudhakar on Sunday.

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Phillip Schofield shares house flooding nightmare amid Dancing on Ice Covid absence

Phillip Schofield has revealed his COVID isolation meant he was able to avert a flood at his home. The TV star, 59, has had to miss Dancing On Ice and This Morning over the last few days as he has the coronavirus.

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What are potential future scenarios of Covid-19 spread? WHO answers

next variant of concern will most likely be more transmissible as compared to Omicron because it will have to overtake the strains that are currently circulating, said Maria Van Kerkhove, the technical lead of the World Health Organisation (WHO), on Sunday.

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Delhi sees another dip in Covid-19 cases, positivity rate at 2.45%

Delhi in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative tally to 18,43,933, said the state health department on Sunday. The positivity rate has fallen to 2.45%.

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Kerala sees 26,729 new Covid-19 cases, 22 deaths in 24 hours

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Phillip Schofield forced to miss This Morning reunion with Holly Willoughby due to Covid as his home floods

PHILLIP Schofield's coronavirus hell continues as he's forced to miss tomorrow's This Morning after testing positive again. The presenter, 59, was hopeful he'd be able to resume work tomorrow after missing tonight's Dancing On Ice and all of last week's This Morning shows.

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Airlines face unexpected safety issue in pandemic: more bird strikes

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Proposal for Sputnik Light as Covid booster dose submitted to DCGI: Dr Reddy's

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Locally elected MP’s react to Conservative Party leadership change

The process to select a new leader for the Conservative Party of Canada has begun, the party’s national council will meet to start planning for the new leadership race.

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Schools to reopen in these states from Monday as Covid cases dip. See full list

education institutions, that were shut in late December and early January.

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Indian scientists claim to have designed universal vaccine that's effective against all Covid variants

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Emmerdale Paul star now - mental health struggle, famous family and body transformation

Emmerdale during his one-year stint on the ITV soap.Paul was determined to rekindle his romance with Mandy Dingle when he turned up in the village, but his gambling issues soon got on top of him and he began physically beating his son Vinny for the slightest presumed error.The villain, who entered in April 2020, was killed off in a huge barn explosion just a year later after Jimmy King crashed his van into the structure, knocking Liv Flaherty out and killing Paul.But what of actor Reece Dinsdale’s real life away from the cameras? From his stint in Coronation Street to his mental health struggles, we take a look.Reece has a very famous member of his family who actually had an iconic career in Hollywood.He tied the knot with Northern Irish actor Zara Turner - who has appeared in various TV shows over the years including Sliding Doors alongside Hollywood legends Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah.She’s also been in everything from Father Ted to The Bill.The loved-up pair share two children, Elwy and Luca.Reece has admitted that he struggles with crippling body dysmorphia - a mental health condition which leaves a person spending a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance, which are often unnoticeable to others.Speaking to The Mirror, he said: “In my life I have never been comfortable after things that were said when I was young.“I would always look at myself as twice the size I am. It has been the bane of my life.

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Christine McGuinness shares health update on husband Paddy after he undergoes operation

CHRISTINE McGuiness has shared an update on husband Paddy's recovery after the presenter went under the knife earlier this week to fix his knee. The 48-year-old had been waiting six months for the operation after sustaining a nasty injury to his meniscus last year.

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Hollyoaks biggest body transformations - health battle, toned abs and 3st weight loss

Hollyoaks have showed off dramatic weight loss transformations throughout the decades.From current stars of the show, to fan favourite actors who have since left, many of the Hollyoaks cast have wowed fans with their before and after photos on social media.Not only this, but they have also given fans an insight into how they transformed their bodies - from personal training, to high protein diets and regular exercise.Daily Star takes a look at some of Hollyoaks most incredible body transformations throughout the years, including dropping dress sizes and three stone weight losses.Former Hollyoaks star Davinia Taylor, who played Jude Cunningham in the soap, wowed fans after dropping four dresses in 2020.The star went from a size 16 to a size 8, and showed off her slim new figure on social media in a black bikini, side by side with a before photo of her in a cream vest and shorts.She captioned the photo: "Think I’m pushing a size 16 there and then I’m down to an 8 and maintained it for years."No yo-yo or massive cravings either. All beings in the brain #brainhealth #goodfats #lowsugar."Davinia had previously credited tips such as having cold showers and eating organic meat as the secrets behind her keeping lean, telling fans on social media: "Watch your habits and cultivate your own roadmap to feeling so much better...

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Child, 3, injured after argument and shooting in Port Richmond parking lot, police say

Philadelphia Police investigate after a three-year-old child was shot while sitting inside a truck in a Port Richmond parking lot. PORT RICHMOND - A three-year-old was shot in the leg after a reported argument between two tow truck drivers in Philadelphia’s Port Richmond neighborhood early Sunday.Officials say the shooting happened near a Jiffy Lube parking lot on the 3700 block of Aramingo Avenue, around 12:15 Sunday morning.Two tow truck drivers were sitting in their vehicles in the parking lot. Police say an argument ensued and they both got out of their trucks, eventually leading to a physical altercation.MORE HEADLINES:One of the men retrieved a handgun from his tow truck and began firing in the direction of the other truck.A three-year-old child sitting in the second truck was shot in the leg, officials said.

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Joe Rogan apologizes after video surfaces showing him using racist language on past podcast episodes

Stand-up comedian Joe Rogan, host of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, issued an apology on his Instagram account after video resurfaced of him using the N-word multiple times on past episodes of his podcast. “It’s not my word to say,” Rogan said.

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New study links this vitamin deficiency to deaths among hospitalized Covid-19 patients

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Britain's oldest pub 'Ye Olde Fighting Cocks' closes as landlord blames Covid

pub dubbed the 'oldest in Britain' has closed down after a staggering 13 centuries of pulling pints.Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans, Hertfordshire has sadly gone into administration following the "devastating" impact of Covid-19 on the business.Landlord Christo Tofalli announced the heartbreaking news on Friday with a statement on Facebook which has been flooded with over 240 comments and shared 121 times.Pandemic restrictions were the final nail in the pub's coffin according to Christo, who explained they were just about coping with escalating business rates and taxes before Covid hit. The pub was reportedly established in 793AD, with the building itself dates back to the 11th century, HertsLive reports.

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Australia reopening borders to tourists 'not far away'

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said that the reopening of the country's borders to international tourists may not be far away, adding that parliament will debate the matter this week.

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1st residents join N.B. tiny home community

In Fredericton, one developer is helping people experiencing homelessness find a permanent place to live. At least three of the first four houses now have residents. Nathalie Sturgeon sat down with two of its community members.

Trucker protests: Ottawa councillor calls demonstration occupying city an ‘insurrection’

Ottawa City Councillor Diane Deans told a press conference on Saturday that the trucker protests against vaccine mandates, occupying the city for eight days now, is comparable to an “insurrection,” adding that the “city is under siege.”

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Counter-protesters disrupt convoy in Vancouver

A grassroots group of pro-science counter-protesters in Vancouver successfully halted the convoy at multiple locations before the so-called freedom drivers made it to their protest destination at Robson and Burrard streets.

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As trucker convoy rolls into Ottawa, media faces criticism from right-leaning politicians

Conservative leaders like Andrew Scheer, Pierre Poilievre and Scott Moe have recently criticized media’s reporting of issues like the trucker protest and COVID-19.

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Trucks block major Toronto roads as anti-mandate demonstration interrupts downtown core

The anti-mandate trucker protests have reached Toronto on Saturday, with large crowds gathering in the city’s downtown core. But the demonstration has impacted businesses, emergency hospital runs and trucks blocked major roads downtown.

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Five arrested as anti-COVID-19 mandate convoys, rallies staged in British Columbia

Cities in British Columbia faced another day of vehicle convoys and rallies, Saturday, in solidarity with protesters occupying downtown Ottawa opposing COVID-19 mandates.

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Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre says he is running for prime minister

Pierre Poilievre has launched his bid to become the next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, with other members of Parliament already pledging their support.

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Chelsea Handler cancels several shows of comedy tour due to health 'scare' from hospital bed

Chelsea Handler is explaining why she had to unexpectedlycancel several shows that she was scheduled to play in Oregon after suffering a health 'scare'.Those stand-up shows were part of her ongoing stand-up comedy act dubbed, Vaccinated & Horny Tour.'Hello everyone. I am so sorry I had to cancel my shows tonight in Portland and my show in Eugene,' Handler, 46, began in a video that was shot from her hospital bed.'I had a scare at the hospital, and I don't have COVID, and I'm okay, but I had to reschedule my shows.'Scroll down to videos Health concerns: Chelseas Handler, 46, took to Instagram and revealed she had to cancel several shows from her Vaccinated & Horny comedy tour due to a health 'scare'Sounding somewhat tired in the tone of her voice, Handler ended the clip with an apology and by, of course, showcasing her hilarious comedic touch.'I will see you all when I see you, and I'm sorry that I had to cancel.

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One unidentified body from Wellawatte beach, identified as a missing Maldivian

COLOMBO (News 1st); One of the two bodies discovered on the Wellawatte beach on Saturday (5) was identified as that of a Maldivian, said Sri Lanka Police on Sunday (7).Two unidentified bodies were discovered just some 300m apart along the Wellawatte beach on Saturday (5).Senior Police Spokesperson Senior DIG Ajith Rohana told News 1st that the victim with stab wounds was identified as a Maldivian national, based on police investigations.The victim was aged 24-years.Maldivian media recently reported that 24-year-old Afham Nasir, a Maldivian student who was residing in Sri Lanka, was reported missing.According to Police, the last time his relatives saw him was on the 4th of February and the victim was seen wearing a black shirt.He was residing in the Dehiwala area.Watch the News 1st report from Saturday :

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Covid-19: Survey finds every 2 in 3 Indians want Govt to provide free N95 masks

NEW DELHI :

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Biden running in 2024: President says Kamala Harris will be running mate again

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden has confirmed that he plans to have Vice President Kamala Harris be his running mate in 2024.Speaking at a press conference to mark the end of his first year in the White House Biden did not hesitate to express his support for Harris."She's going to be my running mate.

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Biden predicts Russia will invade Ukraine, warns Putin country could pay 'dear price'

President Joe Biden gestures as he gives remarks on his administration's response to the surge in COVID-19 cases across the country Eisenhower Executive Office Buildingin Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) President Joe Biden said Wednesday he thinks Russia will invade Ukraine and warned President Vladimir Putin that his country would pay a "dear price" in lives lost and a possible cutoff from the global banking system if it does.Biden, speaking at a news conference to mark his one-year anniversary in office, also said a "minor incursion" by Russia would elicit a lesser response.

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President Biden’s approval rating hits new low at one-year mark in office according to poll

President Joe Biden answers questions during a news conference in the East Room of the White House. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) President Joe Biden ends his first year in the White House with a clear majority of Americans for the first time disapproving of his handling of the presidency in the face of an unrelenting pandemic and roaring inflation, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.More Americans disapprove than approve of how Biden is handling his job as president, 56% to 43%.

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Biden faces rough start to 2022 with abysmal polls and stalled agenda

U.S. President Joe Biden is beginning his second year in office with multiple struggles, including a poor showing in the popularity polls.

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Biden's 1st year in office: A look at administration's accomplishments, stumbles

WASHINGTON - Jan. 20, 2022, will mark President Joe Biden’s first year in office, one filled with many highs and lows for his administration. Biden entered the Oval Office facing both an unrelenting pandemic and the disease of a deeply-divided U.S.

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President Biden to give away 400 million free N95 masks starting next week

US President Joe Biden holds up a KN95 mask as he delivers an update on his Administrations whole-of-government COVID-19 surge response at the White House in Washington, DC, on January 13, 2022. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP vi The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to Americans starting next week, now that federal officials are emphasizing their better protection against the omicron variant of COVID-19 over cloth face coverings.The White House announced Wednesday that the masks will come from the government's Strategic National Stockpile, which has more than 750 million of the highly protective masks on hand.

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US government makes free COVID-19 tests available

Today Americans can order four free COVID-19 at-home antigen tests at COVIDtests.gov, 1 month after President Joe Biden said he was securing 500 million free tests for Americans.

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US finalizing plans to ship free COVID-19 tests via USPS, shares 1st contracts

WASHINGTON - The White House is finalizing plans to ship 500 million free at-home COVID-19 tests to Americans nationwide and has awarded its first contracts as part of this pledge."We are actively finalizing the details of the distribution mechanism, including a website as we've talked about," White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Friday. "I would expect us to provide those details next week, and yes, these tests will be sent out through the mail.""What I can say is, last night we issued out our first letter award to provide tests toward this half a billion.

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US students hold walkouts amid omicron surge, calling for more stringent measures

Students are seen walking out of Redondo Union High School in protest of in-person classes on Jan. 12, 2022.

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Supreme Court blocks COVID vaccine mandate for large employers

Today the US Supreme Court, on a 6-3 vote, blocked a COVID-19 vaccine mandate that would have affected one in three American workers while leaving in place a requirement for healthcare workers.

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CDC encourages more Americans to consider N95, KN95 face masks

Download the FOX 5 DC News App for Local Breaking News and WeatherThose kinds of masks are considered better at filtering the air. But they were in short supply previously, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials had said they should be prioritized for health care workers.In updated guidance posted late Friday afternoon, CDC officials removed concerns related to supply shortages and more clearly said that properly fitted N95 and KN95 masks offer the most protection.However, agency officials noted some masks are harder to tolerate than others, and urged people to choose good-fitting masks that they will wear consistently.READ MORE: What face mask should you be wearing? Mask confusion cleared up by health experts"Our main message continues to be that any mask is better than no mask," Kristen Nordlund, a CDC spokeswoman, said in a statement.The CDC has evolved its mask guidance throughout the pandemic.In its last update, in September, CDC officials became more encouraging of disposable N95 masks, saying they could be used in certain situations if supplies were available.

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United States	Cases: 46 252 513 Deaths: 750 423 Recovered: 0
India	Cases: 34 321 025 Deaths: 459 652 Recovered: 0
Brazil	Cases: 21 835 785 Deaths: 608 235 Recovered: 0
United Kingdom	Cases: 9 215 683 Deaths: 141 607 Recovered: 0
Russia	Cases: 8 494 589 Deaths: 237 619 Recovered: 0

Biden: US to make 1 billion at-home COVID-19 tests free for Americans

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