B.C. health officials outline changes to COVID-19 restrictions and those that remain the same

Unifor has launched an investigation into allegations its former national president Jerry Dias engaged in an alleged breach of the union’s constitution.

A steadily growing COVID-19 outbreak in China amid the country's strict "zero COVID" policy has triggered lockdowns in multiple locations along with key factory closures that are starting to dampen the country's economy.

FRANCE - France lifted most COVID-19 restrictions on Monday, abolishing the need to wear face masks in most settings and allowing people who aren’t vaccinated back into restaurants, sports arenas and other venues.The move had been announced earlier this month by the French government based on assessments of the improving situation in hospitals and following weeks of a steady decline in infections. It comes less than a month before the first round of the presidential election scheduled on April 10.But in recent days, the number of new infections has started increasing again, raising concerns from some scientists it may be too soon to lift restrictions.

home.General Motors and Ford this week announced pilot programs with California's Pacific Gas & Electric Company that will study the use of electric vehicles as backup power sources during blackouts and for energy storage that can help stabilize the grid.Upcoming electric models from both automakers are being developed with bi-directional power capability that allows them to send power from the vehicle's battery back into a home's electrical system.2022 Ford F-150 Lightning In particular, the large battery packs used in electric pickups like the Ford F-150 Lightning and upcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV will have energy storage capacities as high as 130 kWH to 200 kWh, which could power an average home for several days when fully charged.Ford already sells a bi-directional charger called the Ford Charge Station Pro for $1,310, about double the price of a standard home charger, before fees for installation or any electrical system upgrades that are needed to support it.Ford CEO Jim Farley told the CERAWeek conference in Houston on Thursday that he doesn't expect Tesla to offer similar capability as it sells solar panels and a Powerwall home backup battery system alongside its electric cars."We don't think Tesla will do this because they have an energy business to protect."2024 Silverado EV RST (Chevrolet)During Tesla's Battery Day event in 2020, CEO Elon Musk discounted the appeal of bi-directionally, also known as vehicle-to-grid, saying the automaker's original Roadster model was equipped with it and no one used it."Vehicle-to-grid sounds good, but I think actually has a much lower utility than people think," Musk said."And it’s obviously very problematic if you get to morning and your car, instead of being charged, it

Karly Sindy's "FART" license plate. (Credit: Karly Sindy) ASHEVILLE, N.C. - A woman who made national headlines for her unusual "FART" license plate said the North Carolina DMV ordered her to remove the plate from her truck.Karly Sindy, 37, of Asheville, North Carolina, told FOX Television Stations that the DMV has allowed her to at least keep the plate in her possession after she used the word as an acronym for her newly-launched club. "I am bummed I don't get to keep the plate on my truck but I am glad the DMV is letting me keep the plate in my possession which I will use for official F.A.R.T.

Squatters occupied the London mansion suspected of belonging to Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, who was placed on Britain’s sanctions list last week, unfurling a Ukrainian flag and a banner reading, “This property has been liberated.” Police said they were called in the early hours of Monday after it was reported that the squatters had entered the mansion in Belgrave Square.

U.S. Congress members Eric Swalwell, Jackie Speier and Karen Bass – all Democrats from California – got a private walk-through of FCI Dublin. March 14, 2022 DUBLIN, Calif. - A trio of Congressional leaders on Monday toured a federal Dublin prison embroiled in a national scandal after four correctional officers – including the former warden – were charged with sex crimes and one of the formerly incarcerated women is now alleging that one of guards preyed on her by digging into her confidential files, too. U.S.

RELATED: Mandatory masking in schools reduced COVID-19 cases during delta surge, study finds"It's not that good against infections, but doesn't last very long," he continued. Bourla said he has submitted data on a fourth dose to the Federal and Drug Administration."Many variants are coming and omicron was the first one that was able to evade in a skillful way, the immune protection that we're giving," he added.According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anyone 12 years or older, who received the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, should get a third, booster shot at least five months after the second shot. Vaccines still offer strong protection against serious illness from any type of COVID-19.

Colt McCoy #12 of the Arizona Cardinals is tackled by Haason Reddick #43 of the Carolina Panthers during the first quarter at State Farm Stadium on November 14, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona. The Panthers defeated the Cardinals 34-10.

A study of COVID-19 rates among inmates and staff at 101 US federal prisons compared with surrounding counties from May 2020 through January 2021 finds three-times-higher infection rates in prisons.

Lawson Health Research Institute have identified a higher rate of mortality among Ontarians who developed acute kidney injury following a COVID-19 infection severe enough to require a say in intensive care.A new study, published this month in the Clinical Kidney Journal, examined data from the Ontario Renal Network and identified 271 people in 27 renal programs across the province who had contracted COVID-19 during the first two waves of the pandemic and subsequently developed an acute kidney injury requiring renal replacement therapy (AKI-RRT).The 271 patients had all contracted COVID-19 between March 10, 2020 and Jan. 31, 2021 and represented about 10 per cent of the 2,490 COVID-19 ICU admissions in the province during that period.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie have opened up about how Lady Gaga got them through the COVID-19 pandemic.The screen adaptation of the hit musical was released last year, and is based on the true story of British drag queen Jamie Campbell, with Max Harwood taking on the role of the titular character.At last night’s (March 13) BAFTAs, the film was up for the Outstanding British Film of the Year award, nominated alongside the likes of Lady Gaga’s House Of Gucci.Speaking to NME on the red carpet ahead of the ceremony, the real-life Campbell – who cameos in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – spoke on his love for Gaga, admitting he listened to her 2020 album ‘Chromatica’ a lot during the pandemic.“It really got me through a dark time during COVID,” he explained.

Hailey Bieber, model and wife of Justin Bieber, is recovering at home after being hospitalized for a blood clot in her brain.Hailey, 25, shared her health scare in an Instagram story with fans.“On Thursday morning, I was sitting at breakfast with my husband when I started having stroke-like symptoms and was taken to the hospital,” she wrote. Kanye West releases 2nd music video depicting attack on Pete Davidson She said that doctors found a “very small blood clot” that caused a lack of oxygen to her brain, adding that “my body had passed it on its own and I recovered completely within a few hours.”She described it as “one of the scariest moments I’ve ever been through.”Shortly following the medical emergency, Justin posted a photo of he and his wife, writing “Can’t keep this one down,” in reference to the model’s recovery.A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber)Via an interview with ABC News, Dr.

COVID-19 measure in Saskatchewan has ended.The province’s state of emergency order, extended on Feb. 28, ended on Monday.The order gave the Saskatchewan government the power to redirect health-care workers to needed areas of the province.

A group of artists from Nova Scotia’s South Shore have come together to donate paintings for purchase with all proceeds going to the Canadian Red Cross to support Ukrainians in crisis.

amid Russia’s invasion, according to multiple reports. "It is a really shocking time to be a European two and a half hours flight away from Ukraine, and it's something that hangs over us," Cumberbatch told Sky News, according to Reuters. "We all need ... to do more than wear a badge.

The Apprentice contestant Amy Anzel has spoken about weight loss journey and the two "hidden" health conditions that caused her to gain 70lbs. The beauty businesswoman, 48, who dubbed Lord Sugar "harsh and nasty" following her firing, shared a before and after image on her Instagram account.

All of the UK's remaining Covid travel measures including passenger locator forms will be scrapped on Friday, the transport secretary has said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Oil prices dropped about 8% on Monday to the lowest in two weeks, as diplomatic efforts between Ukraine and Russia looked like they might end their conflict, which would boost global supplies, while a pandemic-linked travel ban in China cast doubt on the demand outlook.Brent futures fell $8.64, or 7.7%, to $104.03 a barrel by 10:59 a.m. EDT (1459 GMT).

(Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s finance minister held talks with a top International Monetary Fund (IMF) official on Monday, two sources said, as the island nation seeks help to deal with its plunging reserves, a sliding currency, and surging inflation, according to Reuters.It was reported that IMF’s Asia Pacific Director had led a delegation to Sri Lanka.It was earlier reported that a Senior Official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will pay a visit to Sri Lanka on Monday (14) and Tuesday (15) to brief Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of the IMF assessment of the current economic crisis.

Tesla founder Elon Musk has fighting words for Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Elon Musk Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for TIME) (Vladimir Putin photo by Massimo Di Vita/Archivio Massimo Di Vita/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images) NEW YORK - Tesla founder Elon Musk, 50, has fighting words for Russian President Vladimir Putin, 69.

Late last week in Emerging Infectious Diseases, South Korean researchers reported that average time from exposure to COVID-19 diagnosis was 3.7 days in quarantined close contacts of patients infected by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and that 99.1% of diagnoses occurred by day 10, supporting a 10-day quarantine.The study evaluated time from exposure to diagnosis among 107 close co

LAS VEGAS - A Las Vegas daycare is being sued after a family claimed a former staffer threw their 2-year-old, breaking his femur. According to court documents, the alleged incident happened last May at the Crème de la Crème daycare and preschool.The lawsuit was filed last August in the District Court of Clark County, Nevada. Court documents list the victim as "B.R." and his parents were listed as "C.R." and "R.R."According to the lawsuit, C.R. received a phone call from the daycare asking to pick up their son because he would not stop crying.

Jenelle Evans, who starred for years on MTV’s Teen Mom 2, has just revealed her health diagnosis in a new interview.

COVID-19 drive-thru testing site at the former Charles Street Bus Terminal in Kitchener is closing up shop and moving up to Grand River Hospital’s 40 Green building.Given that the list of Ontarians who qualify to be tested has shrunk dramatically, it should come as no surprise that the hospital is looking to scale back. Ontario likely won’t return to widespread COVID-19 PCR testing, health minister says “We have shifted from providing 500-600 tests per day to 30-60 tests per day over the last several weeks, and no longer require the level of infrastructure that the current site provides,” Bonnie Camm, GRH executive vice-president, stated.“The 40 Green location will support the quantity of testing still needed in our community, and provide more efficient access to our lab for the resulting of tests.”The clinic at the bus terminal will close on March 23 before reopening at its new location on March 25.Testing will be available by appointment Sunday to Friday from 7 a.m.

Joe Girardi isn’t concerned about managing the Philadelphia Phillies without a contract extension.Girardi signed a three-year deal in 2019 with a team option for 2023. The club hasn’t picked up the option and will likely wait to make that decision."It doesn’t make my job tougher," Girardi said Sunday. "I’m going to do the same job no matter what.

Hailey Bieber is on the mend, but her husband is understandably still concerned.

The Start.“Maybe with the exception of pharmacies and a few independents.”As for customers, Graham suggested it may take a while for most people to feel comfortable shedding their masks in crowded stores.“What we saw in other provinces over the past couple of weeks is you start off with maybe 20 per cent not wearing masks, and within a couple of weeks, we see 50 per cent of customers not wearing masks.“But you’ll still see some customers — due to their personal situations — wearing masks, and really just evolving toward whatever the individual’s situation requires.” Nearly two years later, mask mandate in Manitoba schools coming to an end Manitoba's mask mandate ends on Tuesday. Are you ok with that? – Mackling, Megarry & McNabb— 680 CJOB (@680CJOB) March 14, 2022While masks are likely on the way out in most cases, Graham said he foresees other safety items like the plexiglass barriers you see in some stores to remain — at least for a while longer.“I expect it to remain for some time, really in part because we don’t know what future waves may bring us,” he said.“The overall belief of employers is they want to create a safer workplace for their employees.”Epidemiologist Cynthia Carr said masks have been proven to have an impact on reducing the odds of getting infected, especially as the pandemic has progressed and Manitobans have been moving toward higher-quality face coverings.“We do know that it has been difficult to get really solid studies in the beginning of this pandemic.

Investigators with the Clifton Heights Police Department are searching for Anthony Jones of Philadelphia. Jones is accused of shooting a man after a minor accident on Sunday afternoon.  (Clifton Heights Police Department)PHILADELPHIA - Federal U.S.

lockdown for at least a week and forbade people from leaving Jilin, the first time the government has sealed off an entire province since the area surrounding Wuhan was isolated in early 2020.

Pramit Bhattacharya is a Chennai-based journalist. His Twitter handle is pramit_bNever miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!!

HONOLULU - A 23-year-old man allegedly killed his 73-year-old lover, tried to make it look like a suicide, poured cement over his body in a bathtub and planned to fraudulently take ownership of his car and home in one of Hawaii’s most exclusive gated communities, police said in court documents filed Friday.Juan Tejedor Baron is charged with murder, theft and identity theft in the death of Gary Ruby, whose decomposing body was excavated by authorities earlier this week from a standalone soaking tub in Ruby’s Hawaii Loa Ridge home.U.S. Marshals and Los Angeles police arrested Baron after finding him in a crawl space at the back of a Mexico-bound bus in Anaheim, California.

VINELAND, N.J. - Authorities in Cumberland County say they are investigating the deaths of a man and woman as a murder-suicide. Police were dispatched to the 200 block of Wood Street around 6:20 a.m. Monday morning.When police arrived on the scene they found a 48-year-old woman on the property who had died from apparent gunshot wounds. Later in the morning, on the 2400 block of North Mill Road, officers found a 50-year-old man deceased from what appeared to be self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Hailey Bieber experienced one of the scariest moments of her life. The model shared that she’s safe at home after being hospitalized over a brain condition.Hailey Bieber shuts down pregnancy rumors and slams false reportsJustin Bieber dedicates song to Hailey, crowd loses itA post shared by Hailey Rhode Baldwin Bieber (@haileybieber)Hailey was hospitalized in Palm Springs after presenting stroke-like symptoms, caused by a blood clot in her brain. “On Thursday morning, I was sitting at breakfast with my husband when I started having stroke like symptoms and was taken to the hospital,” she wrote on her Instagram.

She is the golden girl of ITV, fronting both This Morning and Dancing on Ice. So it's perhaps unsurprising that ITV bosses were sent into a 'tail spin' when Holly Willoughby revealed she had tested positive for Covid-19 this weekend. "ITV have been really careful to make sure their presenters are working in the most Covid safe was so it's a real blow that Holly tested positive," an ITV source told OK! They said the timing could not have been worse, coming as it did in the wake of Philip Schofield being forced to miss shows when he himself tested positive and Holly's period of absence while she filmed Wim Hof's Superstar Survival with comic Lee Mack.

John Whaite has opened up about his mental health after revealed he was "depressed" following his six-month Strictly Come Dancing journey. The 32-year-old Bake Off winner has been one of the hottest names on the dance floor in recent months after the TV chef and his professional partner Johannes Rabede made it to the grand finals of the BBC One dance competition in December.

Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti reflects on two years of the pandemic shares insight on the easing of restrictions and what’s next for Canada in the fight against COVID-19.

COVID-19 as the province saw patient numbers rise slightly Monday.The number of pandemic hospitalizations stood at 1,077, an increase of three compared with the previous day. This comes after 43 patients were admitted while 40 were discharged.Intensive care unit cases totalled 61, a drop of two in the past 24 hours.The province also reported 670 new novel coronavirus cases, though the daily tally isn’t an accurate representation of the situation since PCR screening is limited to certain groups.

Bowing to pressure, the U.S. now says it will supply Ukrainian fighters with more weapons and security assistance.

gas prices continue to reach record highs, many drivers have been feeling the pinch at the pump, while electric car owners have been reveling in their purchases. The national average for a gallon of gas hit $4.35 Friday, up from $3.92 a week ago, and it is expected to continue to rise amid Russia's ongoing war on Ukraine.This has led many car owners to question whether buying an electric vehicle is a smart move or a better option in the long run.U.S. electricity prices, which are heavily regulated in most states, have remained stable.

PHILADELPHIA - Homicide detectives with the Philadelphia Police Department are investigating the fatal stabbing of a man in South Philadelphia. Police say officers responded to the 1900 block of St.

FILE IMAGE - Maryland Governor Larry Hogan holds a news conference on the state's COVID-19 situation, at the Maryland State Capitol on Aug. 5, 2021, in Annapolis, Maryland. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) WASHINGTON - Maryland Gov.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at a press conference for selected media at his official residence the Maryinsky Palace on March 3,2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Photo by Laurent Van der Stockt for Le Monde/Getty Images) Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy will virtually address members of the U.S.

COVID on Monday.No data was released on the total number of people in hospital for the second straight day. The latest figure from Saturday indicate there were 722 in hospital with COVID.Last Monday, there were 693 hospitalizations with 249 in ICU.There are 228 people in ICU with COVID-19.There are 1,116 new cases of COVID-19.Hospitalization data is currently unavailable.Today’s numbers will be available at 10:30 a.m.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday the province is shifting its COVID response to a long-term management strategy.

As B.C. drops most public health restrictions, including indoor gathering limits, provincial health officer Dr.

B.C. vaccine card in place.Sources tell Global News bars and nightclubs will be allowed to reopen and events can operate at 100 per cent capacity.Dancing will be allowed at organized gatherings and mingling can resume at restaurants.The change is expected to formally come into place at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday night.More details will be provided at a press conference at 1:30 p.m.