Doctors and travel industry urge Canadian government to ease travel restrictions

Freedom Convoy” that has occupied the Canadian capital for 24 days.Police arrested some protesters that were wearing body armour and had smoke grenades on them. They also had miscellaneous fireworks in their bags, the police said.As of Saturday evening, a total of 170 arrests were made.In statements posted on Twitter on Saturday, Ottawa police described encounters with the convoy demonstrators as “assaultive” and “aggressive.” Ottawa police arrest 170 amid push to clear convoy blockade As a result, officers on the ground were equipped with helmets and batons for their own safety.Police continue to urge the crowds to leave peacefully.In the West Block, MPs in the House of Commons resumed their debate Saturday on the government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act that had to be paused Friday because of security concerns.The debate is scheduled to continue on Sunday and Monday, with a final vote set for 8 p.m.

COVID.Downing Street has said that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will reveal details of his “living with COVID” plan on Monday (February 21) – outlining that factors such as vaccination, testing, and anti-viral drugs will be enough to keep people safe, rather than expecting infected people to stay at home.Self-isolation regulations for those who test positive and their close contacts are expected to cease by the end of this week.“COVID will not suddenly disappear, and we need to learn to live with this virus and continue to protect ourselves without restricting our freedoms,” said Johnson. “We’ve built up strong protections against this virus over the past two years through the vaccine rollouts, tests, new treatments and the best scientific understanding of what this virus can do.”He added: “Thanks to our successful vaccination programme and the sheer magnitude of people who have come forward to be jabbed, we are now in a position to set out our plan for living with COVID this week.”Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary told BBC‘s Sunday Morning today (February 20) this was “declaring victory before the war is over”, that ending mandatory self-isolation was “not the right thing to do” and that this was a distraction from the ongoing ‘partygate’ scandal.“At this stage the PM risks muddying the waters,” he said. “We want to see the government publish the scientific advice because at the moment this seems very premature.”“He continued: It seems like Boris Johnson is keen to declare victory before the war is over in the hope he gets some headlines about ‘victory day on COVID’ instead police officers asking questions about actions in Number 10.”Labour Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting tells #Raworth that dropping remaining

Canadian police are making possibly the final push to clear the capital city of demonstrators who have paralysed it by parking and camping on the streets for more than three weeks to protest against Covid pandemic restrictions.

BLACKWOOD, N.J. - A construction worker is hospitalized Saturday after he was struck by a vehicle in Gloucester Township.The incident happened overnight in the southbound lanes of Route 42 in the Blackwood section. Police say shortly after midnight, a male construction worker who was working on road repairs with other crew members was struck by a vehicle. The striking vehicle fled the scene, according to authorities, but police went on a pursuit of the vehicle and were able to catch it a short distance away. A 58-year-old man was arrested. The victim was transported to Cooper Hospital in Camden where he remains in critical, but stable condition. ___DOWNLOAD: FOX 29 NEWS APP | FOX 29 WEATHER AUTHORITY APPSUBSCRIBE: Good Day Digest Newsletter | FOX 29 Philly on YouTubeAdvertisementFOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

An infectious diseases expert has called for a national governance review into Ireland's response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

COLOMBO (News 1st); His Eminence Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith says that it can be proven that the Government has not fulfilled a single one of its promises so far, while the belief that justice will be ensured to the victims of the Easter attack is being eroded day by day.Participating in the book launch of the book ‘Thitha’, he pointed out that those who are supposed to enforce the law and the mechanism by which it should be enforced have become problematic.The book, ‘Thitha’ (fullstop) was compiled from commission reports on the Easter Sunday attack.Rev. Lal Pushpadeva Fernando is the Editor-in-Chief of this book which is a publication of the National Catholic Mass Communication Center.The President of the Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka, Ven.

Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chief told Global News on Friday the nation is “disheartened” to see what happened at the Coastal GasLink worksite this week.“We certainly don’t, as a Wet’suwet’en people, condone this type of action,” said Chief Wihaliy’te, who is also known as Theresa Tait-Day.RCMP in northern British Columbia said a “violent confrontation” between unknown attackers and Coastal GasLink pipeline workers happened early Thursday.Houston RCMP said security officials with the company reported “acts of violence” by masked attackers at their worksite by the Marten Forest Service Road early Thursday morning.“They were dressed in camouflage-type outer winter wear, their faces were disguised, they had masks over their face and they started using extreme violence against the workers,” Chief Supt.

Police officers have started to make arrests in the capital as the trucker convoy marks its third week in Ottawa. Kyle Benning has more on the standoff between police and protesters and the latest from the liberal government.

WASHINGTON - The White House blamed Russia on Friday for recent cyberattacks targeting Ukraine's defense ministry and major banks.The announcement from Anne Neuberger, the White House's chief cyber official, was the most pointed attribution of responsibility for cyberattacks that unfolded as tensions escalate between Russia and Ukraine.The attacks this week, which knocked two major banks and government websites offline, were of "limited impact" since Ukrainian officials were able to quickly get their systems back up and running, but it is possible that the Russians were laying the groundwork for more destructive ones, Neuberger said.RELATED: Russian threat to invade Ukraine still 'very high,' Biden saysShe said the U.S. had rapidly linked the attacks to Russia and was publicly blaming the Kremlin because of a need to "call out the behavior quickly." She said there was no intelligence indicating that the U.S.

NME about what US fans can expect from live music during the next stage of the ongoing pandemic.With some tours and festivals continuing to be postponed and others’ rescheduled dates due to start in the months ahead, some concern and confusion remains over what to expect from the state of live music this year. The producers of Governors Ball music festival, the people behind ticket-selling app Bandsintown, and an infectious disease specialist told us their insights and projections for events and festivals in 2022.Live music discovery and ticket purchasing app Bandsintown have reported an increase of 8 million users in the last six months. Fabrice Sergent, the app’s managing partner, told NME that those numbers were “pretty astonishing,” adding that recent ticket-buying behaviour in the US showed that “demand for live events is very strong.”“In terms of the number of upcoming shows and festivals being announced [in 2022], we’re still at about half of the number that were announced during this same period of time in the US in 2019 and 2020,” he said. Even with 50 per cent less shows, however, Bandsintown still described “a high level of consumer interest”.“We saw a very strong January in terms of the number of tickets sold; it was twice as many as 2019.

CAMBRIDGE, MA - FEBRUARY 17: University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas smiles on the podium after winning the 500 freestyle during the 2022 Ivy League Womens Swimming and Diving Championships at Blodgett Pool on February 17, 2022 in Cambridge, Ma CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - There isn’t much to indicate anything other than a typical college swim meet is taking place this week at Harvard University’s Blodgett Pool.No demonstrations or protests outside the building. But there is evidence of the discussion surrounding the sport during the past year.An "8 Against Hate" sign is displayed above the pool between flags representing each of the schools competing in the Ivy League women’s swimming championship.

The Canadian Centre for Policy alternatives, along with unions and environmental groups, are sounding the alarm about the growing control of a U.K. company in the wood pellet industry. Paul Johnson reports.

Canadian police lastnight began arresting leaders of the trucker-led protest that has choked the capital's streets for three weeks and provoked the government into calling on rarely used emergency powers.

Debates have begun in Parliament over the invoking of the Emergencies Act, with parties arguing over whether Ottawa’s drastic move was necessary to end disruptive protests.

Louis Duffy-Barrett has been stuck indoors for nearly two years. He hasn't been to pubs, restaurants, or concerts since March 2020, and the easing of restrictions hasn't changed that.

Jason Kenney plans to table a motion opposing the invocation of the Emergencies Act when the Alberta Legislature resumes next week.In a video posted to Twitter on Thursday, Kenney said the federal government’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act “disturbs (him) greatly.” He also said the Act sets a dangerous precedent because it allows the federal government to freeze people’s bank accounts without a court order.“This is outside of our democratic norms and it’s disproportionate. Yes, the law must be enforced, but we can do that in Canada without resorting to these kinds of extreme measures,” said Kenney in the video.1/ Blockades must end and order must be restored, but invocation of the federal Emergencies Act is disproportionate and unjustified.Freezing people’s bank accounts without due process violates natural justice.This overreach creates a dangerous precedent.

Houston RCMP said security officials with the company reported “acts of violence” by masked attackers at their work site by the Marten Forest Service Road early Thursday morning.A police news release said about 20 people, “some armed with axes, were attacking security guards and smashing their vehicle windows.” All Coastal GasLink staff were able to leave the area safely, police said.After the call from Coastal GasLink, police officers attended the 41-kilometre mark on the road to find it blocked with trees, tar-covered stumps, wire, spiked boards, and some debris on fire.“As police worked their way through the debris and traps, several people threw smoke bombs and fire-lit sticks at the police, injuring one officer,” Houston RCMP claimed in the release. Mounties investigate as Gidimt’en clan renews effort to stop B.C.

It’s a day many industries in the province have been waiting about two years for. Event organizers are now allowed to welcome vaccinated people inside venues. Emad Agahi has more some of the stress that’s finally being lifted.

Towns along the Jersey Shore are preparing for beach season, but erosion is making things difficult.  OCEAN CITY, N.J. - Memorial Day is more than 100 days away, but down the shore, summer is always top of mind. Anytime wind gusts are forecasted to be up to 50 miles per hour, it is another small battle to protect the most valuable asset on the Jersey Shore. In North Wildwood, the summer begins Friday with the annual convoy of trucks hauling sand north where the beaches are closed after another winter storm stole hundreds of feet of the precious beachfront. Red lines show where the sand was last summer and the area is identified as one of the worst eroding beaches in New Jersey. The state is expected to spend another $3.5 million this year to get the beach ready for summer. The same is happening in Ocean City, where beachgoers are navigating six-foot sand cliffs.

FILE - Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks at a press conference after a luncheon with Senate Democrats at the U.S. Capitol Building on Oct. 19, 2021 in Washington, DC.

COVID-19, worked seemingly nonstop for two years to help plan and implement the province’s response to the pandemic in rural areas, and seen his efforts and those of his colleagues attacked by people who no longer trust science or the intentions of those who tirelessly strive to help others.And he’s had enough. He’s leaving Saskatchewan.Wasko is an emergency room doctor and family physician in Swift Current.

PHILADELPHIA - Senseless violence in the City of Philadelphia has many on edge. This is especially the case after a 12-year-old girl was shot in a drive-by shooting in North Philadelphia on Tuesday while walking home from school with her younger brother. So far, police have not made any arrests and no suspects have been announced. The school district said it is in constant contact with police and will continue to work towards its Safe Path Program, but with more than 200 schools in the district, they need support and help from the community. FOX 29 spoke to Jose Ortiz, a parent who now walks his son home from the Feltonville School of Arts and Science. RELATED: 'Stay on the line': Philadelphia Police Commissioner responds to concern of long 911 wait timesOrtiz's son was absent on the day of the shooting, but that would have been the typical route he took on his commute home. "It's crazy because he missed that day that it happened and he walks actually through that same light it happened at," Ortiz said. "Yesterday, he was kind of scared to walk home by himself, so I came and picked him up." The safety of local children walking to and from school has become a growing concern. Chief Keven Bethel, a Special Advisor on School Safety for the School District of Philadelphia, appeared on Good Day Philadelphia.

Freedom Convoy” blockades in the downtown core, hours after warning participants that their window to leave the city of their own accord was rapidly closing.Video footage recorded by Global News of the arrests appeared to show more than one individual being taken into police custody, but the identities of the individuals are not yet clear.The declaration of a state of emergency by the federal government on Monday means the area where the individuals were arrested, on Wellington Street across from Parliament Hill, is a prohibited place of assembly. Live updates on the continued convoy blockade in Ottawa Only Ottawans with a “lawful” reason for being in the downtown core are permitted to do so, after police established a security perimeter on Day 21 of the continued blockade amid signals that they are preparing to end the demonstration that has paralyzed Ottawa.“Overnight and throughout the day, residents are seeing a major increase in the number of police officers on our streets.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act and give the government never-before-used powers to quash the ongoing convoy blockades.MPs will eventually — though not necessarily on Thursday — vote on the motion. If a vote on the motion fails, the state of emergency will be revoked.

Middlesex-London Health Unit reported no new deaths on Thursday. The health unit reported 91 lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases, though that figure is an underestimate due to widespread transmission and restrictions on testing. London Health Sciences Centre, meanwhile, is caring for 63 inpatients with COVID-19, 12 of whom are in adult critical care, continuing a downward trend in hospitalizations.

LORAINE, Ohio - President Joe Biden on Thursday traveled to Ohio to highlight how the bipartisan infrastructure law will dedicate $1 billion toward a long-delayed cleanup and restoration program for "areas of concern" along the Great Lakes. Biden, who visited the northeastern Ohio city of Loraine on Lake Erie, announced how funding from the $1 trillion package will benefit the lakes — which hold about one-fifth of the world’s fresh surface water. Both the $1 billion boost and annual funding through an ongoing recovery program will help finish work on 22 sites designated 25 years ago as among the region's most degraded. "We’re investing like never, ever in history," the president said. The lakes provide drinking water for 40 million people and underpin the economy in eight Northeastern and Midwestern states and two Canadian provinces.

Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use in adults 18 years of age and older in Canada.Health Canada updated the list of approved COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday with Novavax’s product. Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson are the other vaccine makers that have COVID-19 jabs approved for use in Canada.Novavax’s two-shot Nuvaxovid vaccine was not approved for use in people under 18 as its safety and effectiveness in younger people have not yet been established.

Novak Djokovic stated he would skip the French Open and Wimbledon rather than get vaccinated against Covid-19, Serum Institute of India (SII) chief Adar Poonawalla took to Twitter to say that he hopes the tennis star changes his mind. 

The Scottish Government have confirmed 22 people have died from coronavirus in the last 24 hours.

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COVID-19 public health indicators such as a decline in hospitalizations, cases, test positivity and the waste water signal.The province announced Ontario would move into the next phase four days ahead of schedule. This includes increasing or removing capacity limits in several settings.

Covid-19 in India is much higher than the official count and that actual numbers have been undercounted...these reports are fallacious and completely inaccurate. They are not based on facts and are speculative in nature," the government said in a statement.There have been some media reports based on a published research paper alleging that mortality due to #COVID19 in India is much higher than the official count and actual numbers have been undercounted...These reports are fallacious and completely inaccurate: Govt of India pic.twitter.com/cA9ZR0N4sg

negative RT-PCR report. 

trucker protesters as discussions on how best to implement them continue.The government published details late Tuesday on the requirements covering a wide range of the financial industry including banks, credit unions, insurance companies, portfolio managers and investment counselling services.The Canadian Bankers Association said in a statement Wednesday that, as with other financial service providers, banks will “need to diligently implement the required measures.”“Banks in Canada follow all applicable laws and regulations in carrying out their operations, in keeping with their commitment to protect the integrity of Canada’s financial system,” the association said.

the ongoing blockades in Ottawa and elsewhere, and some Canadians have been left scratching their heads about the impact it will have on their lives.Meanwhile, police are already notifying demonstrators in the downtown core that the new order will affect their blockade. In a pamphlet wedged into truck doorways and slapped under windshield wipers, police warned the blockaders that they “must leave the area now.”“The Federal Emergencies Act allows for the regulation or prohibition of travel to, from or within any specified area,” it warns.

ongoing convoy protests a “threat” to Canadian democracy in a letter justifying emergency powers to the country’s premiers.The letter, released by the federal government late Wednesday night, said fatigue and frustration with COVID-19 public health measures and vaccine mandates are “no longer the motivation of many of the (protest) participants and organizers.” Ottawa police issue new warning amid convoy blockade: ‘leave the area now’ “We are seeing activity that is a threat to our democracy and that is undermining the public’s trust in our institutions,” Trudeau wrote.“The Government of Canada believes firmly in the right to peaceful protest. But as we discussed, the activities taking place across the country have gone well beyond peaceful protest.”Trudeau declared a public order emergency on Monday, giving federal authorities exceptional powers aimed at bringing the convoy protests to an end after almost three weeks of unrest.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka has informed the Ceylon Electricity Board to permit companies and people that use electricity on a large scale to source electricity using their generators and suspend the supply to them from the National Grid.PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake told News 1st that the PUCSL is prepared to pay Rs. 36/- per unit for those sourcing electricity via generators.On 13 February, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) sought the PUCSL permission for scheduled load shedding due to lack of fuel to operate oil-fired power plants, depleting water reservoirs for hydropower generation.On Tuesday (15) the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka rejected the CEB request to go for power-cut for a period of three and introduced alternatives for the CEB to consider.To manage the limited resources available ahead of the dry season, the PUCSL said hydropower generations will be slashed by 50% from today, while large-scale consumers were instructed to purchase standby generators.“If residents in condos need to have air conditioners operated during peak hours between 6:00 p.m.

As concerns over government overreach swirl for the now-invoked Emergencies Act, debates are set to ensue in Parliament on whether it is necessary. David Akin explains the new measures the government hopes will end the disruptive protests, and which political parties will be supporting or pushing back against them.

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While many COVID-19 restrictions are lifting in Alberta, some businesses are taking a cautious approach, including Edmonton’s Varscona Theatre. This comes as Alberta’s chief medical officer of health is reminding us that people have different risk tolerances.

The firing of a senior staff member in the Solicitor-General’s office over an apparent donation to the ‘Freedom Convoy’ has opposition members demanding more answers from the Ford Government. Matthew Bingley reports.

Ford government to provide more details after the leak of donations made to the so-called “Freedom Convoy” GiveSendGo campaign cost a senior staff member her job.The solicitor-general’s now-former director of communications, Marion Isabeau-Ringuette, reportedly donated $100 to the online fundraising platform on Feb. 5.First reported by QP Briefing, the alleged donation came a day after GoFundMe suspended another fundraising campaign over concerns the protest in Ottawa had become an occupation, and just ahead of blockades at the Ambassador Bridge.Ontario’s attorney general eventually stepped in to seek an injunction, freezing the funds for the GiveSendGo campaign several days later.

Quebec opposition parties call for end of COVID-19 state of emergency In another volatile question period, the leader of the Official Opposition lobbed stinging accusations.“The premier has forgotten what it means to govern in a democracy,” said Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade.“(The state of emergency) allows the premier to decide there will be a curfew without debate at the National Assembly, without the opinion of public health,” she continued.However, the government says it needs the state of emergency to uphold things it has already brought in by decree, like salary bonuses for nurses and mask mandates. Premier François Legault said the government intends to lift the state of emergency in a few weeks.

The Lincoln Memorial is seen on President's Day in Washington, DC. President's Day was first observed in 1796 in recognition of George Washington's birthday.

Guelph General Hospital says they are hopeful and cautiously optimistic as COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift in the province.But Melissa Skinner said in an interview this week that capacity issues the hospital had pre-pandemic have not gone away.“Over the past several years, based on the size of our hospital and the size of our community, each day we have struggled with having enough beds,” she said. “COVID has just exacerbated that and really shown how much pressure there really is on a system and on our hospital.” Doctors’ group proposes Ontario fund new surgical centres to catch up on procedures Even before the pandemic, one official described the situation at Guelph General in October 2019 as “bursting at the seams.”For example, the hospital’s emergency room was seeing 15,000 more annual visits than it was originally designed to handle.Construction to expand the department by 6,400 square feet is currently underway to address overcrowding.As for the current COVID-19 situation, Skinner said the hospital is still seeing high volumes in the emergency department but added that it is manageable and an improvement from just a few weeks ago while Omicron COVID-19 cases were peaking in the community.“The impact of COVID — we are seeing a decline.

Ontario fund a new model for outpatient health-care centres to help tackle a growing backlog of surgeries and other procedures.A new report from the Ontario Medical Association outlines a proposal to create Integrated Ambulatory Centres across the province, which would work with local hospitals to perform medical services insured by the province.

Freedom Convoy” blockade of downtown Ottawa are being warned by police to “leave the area now” as questions heat up about when police will act to remove the demonstrators who have paralyzed the nation’s capital for 20 days.“You must leave the area now. Anyone blocking streets, or assisting others in the blocking streets, are committing a criminal offence and you may be arrested.