BA.2 variant of Omicron coronavirus no more severe than original strain BA.1: WHO

Coronavirus infection rates are climbing in all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester amid a national surge in Covid cases. However, none of the region's 10 boroughs currently have a rate as high as the national average.

The Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield and Primary Care lead Dr Joe Bourne will today host a media briefing to provide updates on the response to the Omicron outbreak.

A subvariant of the Omicron variant, BA.2, is poised to cause an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the United States in the coming weeks, warned chief White House medical adviser and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, MD, yesterday on ABC News.

@st3v3turn3r and @MaureenPCassidy, I've asked Acting Mayor @JoshMorganLDN to call a special committee meeting for tomorrow to consider temporarily reintroducing the mask bylaw in #ldnont.Read our letter and let me know what you think here: https://t.co/GdNXRUm2ZA— Jesse Helmer (@jesse_helmer) March 21, 2022London medical officer of health Dr. Alex Summers said Monday while the health unit supports wearing a mask, he will not say whether or not a mandate is needed.“The reality is COVID remains in our community and masks are an effective way to slow transmission as we have learned over the last number of years,” Summers said.“There are considerations around the risks and benefits of a mandate that needs to be considered by organizations and decision makers.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations for Hamilton over the next month amid Ontario’s easing of measures, particularity the lifting of a mask mandate.During a board of health meeting on Monday, the latest Scarsin forecasting revealed a pair of scenarios going into the spring, with one anticipating that infections are not likely to dip below November 2021 levels seen at the end of a wave fueled by the Delta variant.Epidemiologist Ruth Sanderson told city councillors a “resurgence scenario,” taking into account the lifting of prevention measures, could result in a “small swell” of cases leading to 200 hospitalizations between now and late May.

Ontario’s mask mandate has now been lifted for most settings, including schools. Shallima Maharaj reports.

Ontario COVID-19 mask mandate lifts for most settings Of the 21 inpatients with COVID-19, 12 are being treated for COVID-19 while nine are being treated for something other than COVID-19 but were found to have an incidental infection.The organization says at least 159 staff were positive for COVID-19 as of Monday, down eight from Friday.At St. Joseph’s Health Care London, figures remained unchanged Monday from March 17.As of that date, at least 64 health-care workers were positive for COVID-19, while two patients/residents at Parkwood Institute’s main building were positive.On Monday, the MLHU reported one new death and 174 new lab-confirmed cases since Friday.The death was reported on Saturday along with 57 additional lab-confirmed cases.

Footage shared on social media and on CCTV showed what appeared to be Russian troops firing on protesters in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Monday. The posts, which Global News has not been able to independently verify, shows hundreds of protesters approaching a city square before being forced to run away after automatic gunfire breaks out.

Russian soldiers used stun grenades and gunfire to break up a protest in the Ukrainian city of Kherson on Monday, officials said.

Alcohol-related deaths increased by 25% in the United States during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study in JAMA based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics.Several studies have shown that alcohol use increased during

A pair of studies today estimated the COVID-19 pandemic's potential effects on cancer deaths, with one predicting rising US cancer deaths over the next decade owing to screening deficits, and the other suggesting that cancer surgery delays in Ontario could lead to poorer survival rates.

Philadelphia CBP Officers seize 18 pounds of cocaine hidden in cargo hold on flight from Jamaica to Philadelphia.  PHILADELPHIA - Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 18 pounds of cocaine in a cargo hold on a flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica on Tuesday, the agency announced. CBP officials say officers met the American Airlines flight as it gated and held a routine check of the cargo hold after the luggage was offloaded. During the examination, a narcotics detector dog alerted officers to an access panel, the agency says. According to officials, officers opened the access panel and found two gray Puma drawstring bags with eight wrapped bricks of cocaine and an empty plan blue duffel bag. Philadelphia CBP Officers seize 18 pounds of cocaine hidden in cargo hold on flight from Jamaica to Philadelphia.  CBP authorities believe the cocaine has a street value of about $580,000. "Narcotics interdiction remains a Customs and Border Protection priority and it is a mission that we conduct every day.

A Cruise vehicle in San Francisco, California, U.S. Cruise LLC, a self-driving car startup is offering free rides to non-employees in San Francisco.

App Store icon displayed on a phone screen is seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on July 18, 2021. (Photo Ilustration by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Several apps linked to Apple services are experiencing an outage, according to DownDetector. According to the website, several apps such as Apple Maps, iTunes, and Google Maps started having issues Monday afternoon.Apple also reported several outages with its apps on its website including App Store, Apple Music and Apple TV+.No reason for the outage was provided nor a timeline for when the apps will resume operating.RELATED: Study: Greater screen time in young kids linked to more reported behavior problemsFOX Television Stations has reached out to Apple for comment. AdvertisementThis is a developing story.

Humphry's Flag Company is Old City is searching for sewers to assist with the thousands of requests for Ukrainian flags.  PHILADELPHIA - As Russia's attacks on Ukraine continue, many around the globe are showing their support for Ukraine by displaying the country's flag. For this reason, Humphreys Flag Company is working around the clock to keep up with the growing demand for the flags. The flag shop has been manufacturing flags in Philadelphia since 1864, but this latest humanitarian crisis has them searching for people who can assist with the production of more flags. Matt O'Connor joined Good Day Philadelphia to discuss the company's plan to produce more Ukrainian flags. Humphry's Flag Company in Old City is working around the clock to keep up with the growing demand for Ukrainian flags.O'Connor says Humphry's are in need of sewers who can help them produce the flags using nylon. "Demand for the flag has been so high and we're trying to make as many as we possibly can, so yeah we're looking for sewers," he says. O'Connor says they aren't looking for sewing experts, but rather those who know how to use sewing machines. The business plans on teaching those with sewing experience how to put together the Ukrainian flag using their commercial sewing machines. Humphry's Flag Company is looking to hire people for full-time and part-time shifts. To contact the business, click here. ___RELATED COVERAGE___DOWNLOAD: FOX 29 NEWS APP | FOX 29 WEATHER AUTHORITY APPSUBSCRIBE: Good Day Digest Newsletter | FOX 29 Philly on YouTubeAdvertisementFOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Anita Shet & Rose Weeks are, respectively, a paediatrician and director of the Maternal and Child Health India Center at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; and director of communication at the Johns Hopkins International Vaccine Access CenterNever miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint.

RADNOR TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Police across the country are warning parents about the dangers of the Orbeez Challenge as they see a rise in incidents involving the gel pellets and toy guns. In Pennsylvania, four teenagers are in trouble after firing a gel pellet gun at a group of students outside of a middle school. RELATED: Police warn some social media 'challenges' can lead to hackers gaining personal informationLaw Enforcement in Florida is also warning residents about the challenge after a Volusia County woman was struck in the arm walking with her child and three people were hit by pellets in Deltona. Police are warning parents and schools about the dangers of the Orbeez Challenge.  According to police, the Orbeez Challenge is a viral social media trend that encourages people to shoot Orbeez water beads and gel pellets from air guns. Packs of the popular children's toy can come with up to 500 Orbeez and 1500 Orbeez seeds, according to the manufacturer. The gel beads are typically created with water, but many conducting the challenge have begun freezing the beads to intensify their effects. Chris Flanagan, the Superintendent of Police in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania, said the challenge is concerning because the toy guns being used are often altered to look like real weapons. When the challenge was done outside of Radnor Middle School, students and staff began running and the school restricted activity in the area, according to Flanagan. "These challenges seem like they are funny," he says.

PHILADELPHIA - It's officially spring and for many that means allergies. FOX 29's Sue Serio's Monday forecast includes moderate levels of allergens in the air with relief coming Tuesday before levels rise again on Wednesday and Thursday. A high-pressure system will keep skies clear and sunny Monday. The next chance for rain is expected to be Wednesday and Thursday. Monday's temperatures will see lows in the 40s and highs in the 60s with winds that keep things breezy. Temperatures remain above-average. ___SEVEN-DAY FORECASTMONDAY: Sunny, breezy. High: 65TUESDAY: Partly sunny.

COVID-19 public health restrictions. As of March 21, only Quebec, P.E.I., the Northwest Territories and Nunavut still have mask mandates in place, though there are plans for those policies to expire soon.By the end of April, it’s possible that no Canadian province or territory will have a mask mandate in effect, leaving public-facing workers with concerns about their workplaces.For those who regularly interact with the public, the uncertainty of each unmasked interaction comes with an understandable fear.

A Calgary man is raising concerns about the safety of a stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Golden, B.C. His daughter-in-law was killed there by falling rock and his daughter and grandchildren narrowly avoided injury.

Good Morning Britain viewers have thanked Martin Lewis for grilling the health secretary, Sajid Javid on Monday (21 March). The financial expert, who is filling in for Richard Madeley, took his time to ask key questions about how the government would support the most vulnerable, low income households and medically disabled with the rising cost of energy prices.

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The NHS has begun the process of administrating the fourth Covid-19 vaccination.This morning at 7am some people were able to book the fourth jab, but who is eligible and what is the reasoning behind it? Who will have the fourth Covid-19 vaccination? Currently people aged over 12+ with weakened immune systems, care home residents and anyone aged 75 and over are being offered the spring booster jab. Eventually, five million people will be offered the chance to get the fourth vaccine, with the first 600,000 being called up this week.

A further 9,533 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Scotland — including 873 in Ayrshire.

Agencia Bori is a non-profit media-oriented initiative, founded by science journalists in February 2020. It supports journalistic coverage based on scientific evidence. Since the first cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Brazil, the initiative has worked to:

mask mandates are taken off in schools, a move that he calls “premature at best.”Along with schools, mask mandates were also lifted in most public settings across Ontario, including shopping malls, restaurants and grocery stores. The Ontario government has kept the mandates for now in other settings like public transit, hospitals and long-term care, but those mandates and all other COVID-19 health directives are set to drop on April 27.

omicron surge much better than other countries. Today also, 15-17 lakh cases are being reported globally but India is reporting around 3000 daily cases."

Deon Hudson, 25, is facing charges connected to illegal straw purchases of several firearms.  (Bucks County District Attorneys Office)PHILADELPHIA - Detectives from multiple agencies have announced the arrest of a Philadelphia man accused of illegally purchasing guns from various firearm stores in Pennsylvania. The investigation was a joint operation involving the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, the Office of Attorney General’s Gun Violence Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. According to authorities, 25-year-old Deon Lamont Hudson of Philadelphia was arrested on Friday. He was charged with 39 counts of unlawful sale or transfer of a firearm and conspiracy to commit the unlawful sale or transfer of a firearm, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office announced.Investigators say Hudson purchased 16 firearms at 8 different gun stores across Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia and Delaware counties between August 2020 and November 2021. According to authorities, he would then illegally transfer the purchased guns to others who cannot legally purchase firearms. Two of the guns were recovered on teenagers within 50 days of their purchase date, according to police. RELATED: Ghost guns are a growing concern in Philadelphia as gun violence rises, AG saysAdditionally, one of the guns was linked to two shooting incidents in Philadelphia, authorities say. Investigators were able to develop their case against Hudson after data showed multiple purchases of the same make, model and caliber of gun within days and weeks of each other, police say. "By using data and intelligence facilitated by our Track & Trace program, this joint investigation linked two of the guns straw purchased by the

A new rollout of Covid booster jabs will begin this week as eligible people will be offered a fourth dose of the vaccine. It comes as cases of coronavirus rise across the UK, with a new sub-variant of Omicron - called BA.2 - linked to the increase.

Another secondary school has told pupils to stay home today following a Covid outbreak among staff. We reported earlier how Fred Longworth High, in Tyldesley, Wigan, had closed to Years 8 and 9 because of staff shortages caused by Covid cases.

WATCH: COVID-19 health measures may be lifted in Saskatchewan, but that doesn’t mean some residents are feeling safe and protected from lingering pandemic risks.

Army Maj. Charity E. Adams and Capt.

FILE-Contestants pose for a photo in the Showcase Showdown at CBS "The Price Is Right" 50th Season Celebration in 2021 in Inglewood, California. (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images) WASHINGTON - "The Price is Right" is hitting the road for a nationwide tour for fans to see the popular game show in a city near them. The "Come on Down Tour" is separate from the TV show and live stage show and starts Friday at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles with stops in various cities, including Dallas, Denver, Nashville, New Orleans, and St.

COVID-19 pandemic continues.Pandemic-related hospitalizations rose by 13 to 1,002. This comes after 59 patients were admitted in the last day, while 46 left.Intensive care unit cases stood at 48, an increase of three compared with the previous day.The province also recorded 907 new novel coronavirus cases.

COVID on Monday with 181 in intensive care units.This is unchanged for hospitalizations and a decrease of one for ICUs since the previous day, though officials noted not all hospitals reported updated figures due to the weekend.Last Monday, there were 602 hospitalizations with 228 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.Those figures aren’t updated on Mondays due to incomplete data reporting from hospitals over the weekend.However, latest figures from last week show roughly 47 per cent of those hospitalized with COVID were admitted for other reasons. Of those in intensive care with the virus, roughly 21 per cent were admitted for other reasons.

Vaccination has been an instrumental tool in the global fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. As of 20 December 2021, globally 4.385 billion persons were vaccinated with at least one dose, which is less than 60% of the world’s population. [i] While most of the world’s population is deprived of equitable access to vaccination, in some countries, including the United Kingdom, vaccine hesitancy remains a barrier to achieving high vaccination rates. The Francis Crick Institute partnered with London-based Poet In the City to introduce a novel approach to encourage vaccination through art and poetry. After being vaccinated, people share their immediate experiences on postcards. These personal expressions are transformed into poetry by Poet In the City’s creative artists. The resulting poetry is displayed outside the centre to reduce fear and concerns linked to the vaccines and educate the public on the benefits of vaccination as perceived by peers. The initiative also provides gratification to the vaccinated population as it shares their voices and recognizes their contribution to the wider community and global scientific effort.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Power cuts will be imposed for Tuesday (22), announced by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka on Monday (21).Power Cuts for Tuesday (22)Groups PQRSTUVW:2 hours and 40 minutes from 9 AM to 5 PM1 hour from 5 PM to 9 PMGroups ABCDEFGHIJKL:3 hours and 20 minutes from 8 AM to 6 PM 1 hour and 40 minutes from 6 PM to 11 PMFor local areas that will be affected click here.

Chinese state-run TV shows footage of firefighters boarding a bus and rushing to the scene where a Boeing 737-800 crashed in the southern province of Guangxi with 132 people on board. There was no immediate word on the number of dead or injured.

Having recently announced that he and his wife Rosie Jones are expecting their third child, it's no surprise Joe Wicks is feeling 'over the moon.' However, Lorraine viewers saw a different, more vulnerable side to the normally fun-loving Body Coach on this morning's show (Monday 21 March). Speaking about his documentary with Louis Theroux, Joe opened up about mum and dad's 'severe' mental health issues and the way they affected his childhood.

Football pundit Chris Kamara suffered from slurred speech on Soccer Saturday last weekend. Ex-midfielder Chris - aka ‘Kammy’ - worried fans during his TV appearance, and took to Twitter to explain what was wrong.The Ninja Warrior presenter, 64, wrote: “Just wanted to let a few of you know who tweeted me today that I am ok ish. “Alongside my thyroid problem I have developed apraxia of speech and have been working to get my speech back to normal.

PENNSAUKEN, N.J. - Police in Camden County have located a teenager with autism who went missing over the weekend. Police say the 16-year-old was reported missing after last being seen on Sunday morning at 6:00 a.m. The teen was seen at his residence on the 3700 block of Garfield Avenue. Later that day, he was seen on surveillance video at 4:00 p.m.

A China Eastern Boeing 737-800 with 132 people on board crashed in the southern province of Guangxi on Monday, officials said.

country saw a rise in coronavirus cases.The amusement park posted a “Friendly Reminder” on their website Monday to alert fans of the new change.“Due to the current pandemic situation, Shanghai Disney Resort, including Shanghai Disneyland, Disneytown and Wishing Star Park will be temporarily closed from Monday, March 21, 2022,” the company wrote.The memo continued, “We will continue to monitor the pandemic situation and consult local authorities, and will notify guests as soon as we have a confirmed date to resume operations.”“We apologize for the inconvenience and will provide refund or exchange for all guests impacted during this period. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation! We look forward to seeing you soon,” they concluded.Chinese officials reported 1,807 new symptomatic COVID cases on March 13 and two people died from the virus over the weekend, the first couple in over a year.The Shanghai Disney Resort first put a halt to functionalities because of COVID-19 back in January 2020.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Advisory Committee appointed to assist the National Economic Council had submitted 5 proposals to the NEC.The Advisory Committee met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for the first time on Monday (21), and made the submissions.The five proposals are as follows:1. Immediately appoint a Technical Committee with Central Bank, and Treasury representation to propose on International Financial facilities.2.

KYIV, Ukraine - The battle for Ukraine's strategic port of Mariupol raged on Monday, as Ukraine rejected a Russian offer to evacuate its troops from the besieged city and Russian bombardment continued.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said about 400 civilians were taking shelter at an art school in the Azov Sea port city when it was struck by a Russian bomb.Russia's war in Ukraine, now in its 26th day, shows no signs of abating. The invasion has wreaked devastation and destruction, exacting a heavy toll on civilians.

Brandon Norman, 29, was arrested and charged after allegedly attacking a man who he was involved in a minor crash with. NEW CASTLE, Del. - Police have arrested a man accused of attacking a driver and threatening the car's passengers in New Castle, Delaware, on Sunday night, according to Delaware State Police. Authorities say 29-year-old Brandon Norman of Bear, Delaware, was charged with possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony, second-degree assault, aggravated menacing, terroristic threats, endangering the welfare of a child and numerous traffic violations. According to police, troopers responded to the intersection of Springfield Boulevard at 5:26 p.m.

World Health Organisation (WHO) pointed out. “You need to know where the virus is. You need to know how the virus is changing so that the interventions can be adapted and tailored to where they are needed most," WHO's Maria Van Kerkhove said. This comes at a time when WHO officials have notified that testing rates have fallen sharply across the globe.