From fines on mask to metro travel, Delhi relaxes slew of Covid curbs from today; All you need to know

Premier Jason Kenney says he wants “unity and clarity” instead of “division and confusion” when it comes to Alberta’s face mask rules. But there are new warnings that such a change, targeted at the City of Edmonton, may have broader consequences.

Prince Charles has provided an update regarding the health of Queen Elizabeth II after her coronavirus diagnosis. The Prince of Wales, 73, provided the update to Janice Jacom, a local administrative worker, at an area golf course during a visit in Southend-on-Sea, England, for its City Day, according to Hello! magazine. "I asked the prince about his mother, and he said, 'She's a lot better now.

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!!

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a real blow to Calgarians who put on live performances. But as Gil Tucker shows us, there are encouraging signs that they are now bouncing back.

Signage at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. Alphabet Inc.

This ninth update of WHO’s guideline on therapeutics includes a recommendation that casirivimab-imdevimab not be used for patients infected with the Omicron variant

Kate Garraway has admitted that her life was "turned upside down" when her husband Derek Draper was diagnosed with coronavirus. The presenter, 54, spoke about Derek, 54, on her new BBC series, Your Body Uncovered, on Wednesday night.Talking at the star of the episode, Kate said: "Having a serious health condition is terrifying and having someone you love with a health condition can be just as daunting.

COVID-19 in the province’s hospitals on Wednesday, with 84 of those people receiving care for the virus in the ICUs.Exact data wasn’t available Tuesday due to a technical issue, but the province estimated there were 1,225 Albertans in hospital with COVID-19 with 80 of those in the ICU. Alberta adding up to 50 ICU beds to health system this year Over the past 24 hours there were 27 new COVID-19 deaths reported, bringing the province’s total to 3,939 since the beginning of the pandemic.There were 388 new, lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported on Wednesday from 2,921 tests.

In overwhelming response, the United Nations General Assembly passed a vote on Wednesday to diplomatically isolate Russia by “deploring its aggression against Ukraine” and demanding Moscow withdraw its troops and stop fighting.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield and Ministry of Health Primary Care Lead Dr Joe Bourne will give an update on the response to the Omicron outbreak at 1pm.

FILE - Sunflowers in the Ukrainian Carpathians on July 28, 2021, in Mukachevo, Ukraine. (Photo by Pierre Crom/Getty Images) Sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine, have emerged as a worldwide symbol of solidarity for the country and one of resistance for its people since Russia’s military invasion. Twitter users have been adding the sunflower emoji to their names.

month-long decline in COVID-19 infections, according to figures from the World Health Organization.In its weekly report on the pandemic issued late Tuesday, the U.N. health agency also said that deaths fell by 10%, continuing a drop in fatalities first seen last week.

COVID-19- related deaths, according to Waterloo Public Health.“Today we are reporting two deaths in our community related to COVID-19,” Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, medical officer of health, stated.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told media on Wednesday that Russia must stop its war on Ukraine as the situation could get “much, much worse.” These remarks followed a vote at the United Nations General Assembly to diplomatically isolate Russia, in overwhelming response.

COVID-19 surges continue to intensify in locations such as Hong Kong, where Omicron variant activity got a later foothold, but cases and deaths continue to fall in most regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest weekly update yesterday.

COVID-19 vaccine passport system a few days earlier than expected.Health Minister Christian Dubé made the announcement in a news release Wednesday, saying the decision comes after discussions with public health officials.The province will no longer require masks in the majority of public places starting in mid-April. The government did not give an exact date, but said it will give a notice of 10 days before the measure is lifted.Quebec also plans to nix masks on public transit, though at the earliest in May.

Today members of the Biden COVID-19 preparedness team addressed the nation unmasked and from the same room as they spoke about the country's move to a "new normal" stage of the pandemic, where COVID-19 is no longer a national emergency.

TAMPA, Fla. - As the Florida governor approached the lectern for a press conference in Tampa, there were a few students waiting while wearing masks.A handful of students from Middleton High School were in attendance for Gov. Ron DeSantis' announcement.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. - Man’s best friend needed some human help after getting stuck in a frozen pond Tuesday morning.South Metro Fire Rescue in Colorado said crews had to rescue the dog, named "Daisy," after she escaped from her owner’s backyard in Douglas County. The owners then called 911.RELATED: 'Hank the Tank,' Lake Tahoe bear, gets exonerated for many home break-insFirst responders released a video showing a firefighter wading through the icy water to attach a cable to Daisy’s leash. The firefighter then hoisted the dog out of the water.

Queen Elizabeth was diagnosed with COVID-19 on February 20 and luckily, it appears as if she has fully recovered after she was photographed for the first time in weeks.

PHILADELPHIA - The School District of Philadelphia plans to make masks optional for students and faculty next week after the city dropped its indoor mask mandate on Wednesday. In a letter to families, Superintendent William Hite Jr. wrote that masks will be optional for students and faculty starting Wednesday, Mar.

NEW DELHI :

United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to reprimand Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and demanded that Moscow stop fighting and withdraw its military forces, an action that aims to diplomatically isolate Russia at the world body.The resolution, supported by 141 of the assembly’s 193 members, ended a rare emergency session called by the UN Security Council and as Ukrainian forces battled on in the port of Kherson in the face of air strikes and a devastating bombardment that forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee.The text of the resolution “deplores” Russia’s “aggression against Ukraine.” The last time Security Council convened an emergency session of the General Assembly was in 1982, according to UN website.Thirty-five members including China abstained and five countries including Russia, Syria and Belarus voted against the resolution. While General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, they carry political weight.Russia has destroyed critical infrastructure, including drinking water and gas for millions of people and appeared to be preparing to increase the brutality of its campaign against Ukraine, U.S.

Adult COVID-19 patients who had an in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) were 35% less likely to receive potentially life-saving defibrillation without delay and survive to hospital release, according to a study today in JAMA Network Open.

COVID-19 vaccines at Toronto Public Library (TPL) branches as the city launches its Read and Vax campaign.In a press release issued Wednesday, the city said the campaign will bring COVID-19 vaccine clinics to many TPL branches beginning on Wednesday and extending until March 16. COVID-19: Toronto District School Board receives 1st shipment of medical masks for students The city says 22 vaccine clinics will be held over two weeks in 12 TPL branches across Toronto.The release said the campaign is “part of Team Toronto’s continued equity-focused, hyper-local mobile strategy to make COVID-19 vaccines as accessible and convenient as possible and to bring vaccines to where residents live, work, play, study and read.”According to the release, Toronto Public Health has selected libraries in “specific neighbourhoods” in order to “remove barriers” and bring vaccines to residents in areas or settings that have low vaccination coverage, and to those who are at high risk of contracting the virus.“Locations were chosen to facilitate easy access in places that are part of Torontonians’ everyday lives,” the release reads.

gathering restrictions implemented by the provincial government during the COVID-19 pandemic, deciding that their health benefits had outweighed the impact on religious freedom.The challenge was put forward by the Church of God in Aylmer and Trinity Bible Chapel in Waterloo, both of which have faced a variety of charges, including findings of contempt, for repeatedly defying restrictions.Superior Court Justice Renée Pomerance’s written decision can be read in full on the website for the Canadian Legal Information Institute.

Last Wednesday, LHSC was caring for 51 COVID-19 inpatients with eight in adult ICU. There are five or fewer COVID-19 inpatients in Children’s Hospital with five or fewer in pediatric critical care, down from six inpatients with five or fewer in critical care a week ago.LHSC says of its 42 COVID-19 inpatients, 14 are being treated for COVID-19, while 28 are being treated with COVID-19, meaning they were admitted for a different reason and were found to have an incidental COVID-19 infection.

COVID-19 outbreaks in the province.In a tweet Tuesday, federal emergency preparedness minister Bill Blair said the province had requested assistance, and that Canadian Red Cross personnel have been deployed to help Manitoba deal with the pandemic.Our health care system is still feeling the strain of COVID-19. In response to a Request for Federal Assistance from @MBGov, @redcrosscan personnel will deploy to help manage COVID-19 outbreaks in the province.— Bill Blair (@BillBlair) March 1, 2022 Manitoba asks feds to send ICU nurses amid worsening COVID-19 health care crisis According to a spokesperson from the province, that help comes in the form of three Red Cross nurses currently working out of Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, who will continue to do so until mid-March.“This is simply a request for continued support of human health resources (nurses) to augment Manitoba’s COVID-19 response,” the spokesperson said.“While Manitoba’s COVID-19 case counts and hospitalization numbers continue to trend downwards, Manitoba’s ICU and acute care centres continue to be a few weeks behind those trends.“We appreciate the assistance from the federal government as we continue to add capacity in our health system to ensure Manitobans get the care they need, for COVID and other medical matters.”Red Cross spokesperson Jason Small said this is a continuation of support for Manitoba that began in late December.“We have had up to eight nurses working in support of the response,” he said.“At the moment, we have the three who have been extended for an additional two weeks.

FILE - President Joe Biden speaks on the January jobs reports during an event in the State Dining Room of the White House February 4, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) The strategy comes on the heels of Biden's State of the Union address, in which he repeated that the U.S.

COVID-19 Wednesday afternoon.Dr. Jazz Atwal will speak to media at 12:30 p.m.

If you are symptomatic or a household contact, you can now order rapid antigen tests (RATs) through the newly launched RAT requester site. 

Prince Charles has given an update on the Queen’s health.

COVID-19 pandemic after the province reported 20 additional fatalities Wednesday.Hospitalizations related to the health crisis plummeted. The total stood at 1,381, a drop of 58 compared with the previous day.

Bank of Canada has hiked its key interest rate to 0.5 per cent, the first step of a series of signalled increases amid economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.The overnight rate target will rise 25 basis points, the central bank announced Wednesday, up from the floor of 0.25 per cent it held for much of the pandemic.In a statement accompanying the decision, the Bank of Canada said the war in Ukraine is “a major new source of uncertainty” that is driving prices higher on oil and other commodities.“This will add to inflation around the world, and negative impacts on confidence and new supply disruptions could weigh on global growth. Financial market volatility has increased.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia 76ers fans will be able to trade in their masks for a replica-James Harden beard on Wednesday night when he makes his home debut. Philadelphia officials on Wednesday announced that COVID-19 numbers had improved enough to warrant a move to their All Clear response level. In that response level, masks are no longer required in most indoor settings. The Wells Faro Center, Philadelphia Flyers, and Philadelphia 76es responded by adding that guests would no longer be required to wear masks in the arena. "Today’s announcement is an important step forward for our city and comes at an exciting time for our fans," said Chris Heck, President of the Philadelphia 76ers.

File photo. (Credit: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images) President Joe Biden says Americans will be able to order more free COVID-19 tests starting next week."If you already ordered free tests, tonight, I am announcing you can order another group of tests," Biden said during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia officials dropped the city's mask mandate for indoor spaces Wednesday morning after moving the city to the All Clear COVID-19 tier.  FOX 29's Jeff Cole first broke the news on Twitter. The announcement came ahead of the city's COVID-19 briefing, which will be the last one, according to Health Commissioner Dr.

The Department of Health has been notified of 7,694 new cases of Covid-19.

COVID on Wednesday, with 273 in intensive care units as figures continue to trend downwards.This is down by 67 hospitalizations and a decrease of five in ICUs since the previous day. Last Wednesday, there were 1,106 hospitalizations with 319 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 847 people in hospital with COVID-19, 44 per cent of them were admitted because of the virus, while 56 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for COVID-19.Of the 273 people in ICUs with the virus, 82 per cent were admitted because of COVID, while 18 per cent were admitted for other reasons.

Nature. 

COVID-19 vaccine mandates for their staff even as they lift the proof-of-vaccination requirement at facilities such as community centres.The province’s vaccine certificate system covering restaurants, bars, gyms, cinemas, event spaces ended Tuesday and several municipalities confirmed vaccination would no longer be required to enter their recreation facilities and arts centres.But many municipalities that enacted policies requiring employees to be double vaccinated or lose their jobs are keeping those mandates in place.In Toronto, the city said that despite the other public health measures lifting, its policy that employees need to be vaccinated isn’t being removed.

In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%, according to a scientific brief released by the World Health Organization (WHO) today. The brief also highlights who has been most affected and summarizes the effect of the pandemic on the availability of mental health services and how this has changed during the pandemic.

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NEW DELHI :

Tamil Nadu government has announced to ease restrictions imposed across the state including lifting the ban on political and cultural gatherings. Meanwhile, as many as 500 people will be now allowed to attend weddings and funerals. The relaxations come into effect from Thursday.

Maharashtra government announced on Wednesday.

TRENTON, N.J. - The old debate about whether drivers in New Jersey should be able to pump their own gas has returned. On Monday, a group of bipartisan legislators introduced a new bill that would allow drivers in the state to have the option for self-service stations. RELATED: Rising gas prices: Ways to maximize your fuel economyThis comes as gas station owners say they are struggling with staff shortages and lack of business fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic and rising gas prices. The Motorist Fueling Choice and Convenience Act, sponsored by Democratic Assemblywoman Carol A. Murphy and Republican Assemblymen Edward H.