COVID-19 Scan for Feb 07, 2022

Middlesex-London Health Unit reported three deaths and 117 COVID-19 cases on Friday, compared with three deaths and 122 cases last Friday.The deaths involved three women in their 70s, 80s and 90s. The woman in her 90s was associated with a long-term care home. LHSC, meanwhile, is caring for 87 inpatients with COVID-19, 20 of whom are in adult critical care.As noted, LHSC is caring for 87 COVID-19 inpatients, with 20 inpatients in adult critical care.

Rural US counties with low COVID-19 vaccination rates had 2.4 times more infections per 100,000 people than urban counties amid the summer 2021 Delta surge, according to a study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open.

#AbEd #AbLeg pic.twitter.com/NIDW973Tg0— Adriana LaGrange (@AdrianaLaGrange) February 10, 2022Dr. Chris Mody, head of the department of microbiology, immunology and infectious disease at the University of Calgary, said there’s no data to suggest children “pose absolutely no threat” as the education minister claimed.However, Mody said the correlation between symptom severity and viral load taken with the observations that children tend to have less severe symptoms could mean children have less viral load with a COVID-19 infection, with a caveat.

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. regulators on Friday put the brakes on their push to speed Pfizer's COVID-19 to children under 5, creating major uncertainty about how soon the shots could become available.The Food and Drug Administration had urged Pfizer and its partner BioNTech to apply for authorization of extra-low doses of its vaccine for the youngest children before studies were even finished — citing the toll the omicron variant has taken on children.Kids between the ages of 5 and 11 are now eligible to get the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.Next week, FDA advisers were supposed to publicly debate if youngsters should starting getting two shots before it's clear if they'd actually need a third.But Friday, the FDA reversed course and said it had become clear it needed to wait for data on how well that third shot works for this age group.

TORONTO - Canadian authorities Friday turned up the legal and public pressure on protesters to lift their blockades in Ottawa and at the U.S. border, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warning: "This unlawful activity has to end and it will end."Federal, provincial and local officials moved simultaneously on different fronts to break the standoff, which began with truckers and others angry over the country's COVID-19 restrictions and has morphed into a broader attack from the right on Trudeau and his Liberal government, cheered on by conservatives in the U.S."We heard you.

The Lancet, in part using Gallup World Poll data, demonstrated a significant correlation between trust in government and COVID-19 infections. The review looked at COVID-related outcomes, trust in government and interpersonal trust (along with many other variables) across 177 countries.

The Queen's recent Covid-19 scare has sparked debate over which royals should be allowed to step in for her if she is unable to fulfil her duties.

COVID-19 update, health officials said Friday the strain on Manitoba hospitals is slowly easing.According to the province, six Manitobans were checked out of hospital putting the number of those receiving care at 656. The ICU also went down by one, leaving the number of occupants at 41.

COVID-19 measures.Queen’s Park Circle was closed on Wednesday and remains blocked off from Bloor Street to College Street.College Street is also closed between Yonge and Bay streets.“Our objectives have and continue to be the public safety and to limit disruption to the city and its residents as much as possible,” Toronto police Chief James Ramer said at a press conference Friday updating plans on preparations for the protests. Roads closed around Queen’s Park in Toronto due to possible demonstration “We will continue to have a large police presence in and around the downtown core and in other areas around the city.

PHILADELPHIA - The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced major changes to its COVID-19 protocols and masking policy on Friday afternoon. The use of masks will be optional for students and staff in elementary schools and high schools operated by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties beginning Feb.

Guelph General Hospital is reporting Friday that it is treating 11 patients who have tested positive for COVID-19, while 17 staff members are off work due to the virus.Since Feb. 1, the number of patients has dropped by 17, while the number of staff away has dropped by 13.

COVID-19 border measures and expect to announce changes to the rules next week, said federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos.Duclos spoke in a pandemic update alongside Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, who said the worst of this wave appears to be over.“Canada is past the peak of the Omicron wave,” Tam said, in a press conference that saw officials offering more information on a decline in cases across the country after roughly 20 to 25 per cent of the country became infected by the Omicron variant.“The worst is behind us,” Duclos added.Officials also emphasized that the highly infectious nature of Omicron means border controls have a limited impact because cases are already transmitting in Canadian communities.But they said it remains important to be aware that any changes may have to be reassessed in the event of future variants, and that the coronavirus will likely continue evolving.“Unfortunately, there may be more surprises,” said Duclos.The rapid spread of Omicron across the country began in late November 2021 and saw cases surge to record highs, sparking the imposition of tougher lockdowns in a bid to slow the spread.

COVID-19 health measures in the province, saying it could prolong the pandemic.In an open letter sent to Premier Jason Kenney and top-ranking United Conservative officials, about 25 people with varied experience in public health, infectious diseases and social epidemiology say the government is using selective data to support its desired policies. Alberta business group slams decision to eliminate COVID-19 vaccine passport program The letter comes after an announcement Tuesday from Premier Jason Kenney that detailed a phased approach to drop all COVID-19 public health measures in the province.Alberta’s vaccine passport program has now ended and masking requirements for children under 12 are to end Monday, with most remaining measures to be lifted in March.The letter also says the group is concerned the government is removing freedoms from municipalities, post-secondary institutions and school boards to make risk-informed decisions to protect public health.They say it is a “reckless” plan considering waning immunity after two vaccine doses, slow uptake for third doses and lagging vaccination of Alberta children.

Helmets of the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals sit in front of the Lombardi Trophy. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) INGLEWOOD - Regardless of how the coin lands on the field of SoFi Stadium Sunday afternoon, it'll be an historic moment.

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said during a press conference Friday that the decision to eliminate all COVID-19 restrictions by mid-March was based on modelling data and encouraging hospitalization trends. She added that the government “does not make decisions that are this important to Manitobans based on protests,” referring to the anti-mandate protests taking place outside the legislative building, as well as near the Canada-U.S.

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Philadelphia police and the FBI are working to find a person responsible for four robberies at the same Prudential Bank branch.  PHILADELPHIA - The FBI and the Philadelphia Police Department’s Violent Crimes Task Force is asking for the public’s help to identify a person who has robbed a Prudential Bank branch four times. According to police, the person robbed the Prudential Bank branch on 1722 Broad Street on Jan. 4, Jan.

In its weekly coronavirus update, the Province of Saskatchewan said there were 384 COVID-19 patients in hospital as of Wednesday, of which 206 were incidental infections.

coronavirus pandemic is in large part to blame for the national surge in violent crime — not guns, an expert told Fox News Digital."We have crime because we have people," said Amy Swearer, a legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. "Crime is a very complex subject."From the early 1990s through 2019, there was a national decline in violent crime, but the pendulum swung back in 2020, she said.RELATED: Stats show crime is spiking in Los Angeles"We’ve seen across the nation unprecedented spikes in homicide rates and other types of violent crime," she said.Within two weeks two women were killed in unprovoked attacks by homeless men in Los Angeles.

PHILADELPHIA - Friday is the deadline for all Philadelphia police officers to get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine or have submitted an exemption request. Officers who are not vaccinated by Friday, Feb. 11, will be required to wear two masks or wear an N95 and participate in daily testing.

NEW DELHI :

Quebec opposition parties call for end of COVID-19 state of emergency Of the 2,214 patients, 164 are in intensive care — a drop of nine since Thursday.The province confirmed another 2,662 new COVID-19 infections, with 23,935 tests carried out on Wednesday at screening facilities.Daily caseloads, however, are not representative of the situation as testing continues to be reserved for priority groups. Quebec’s National Assembly responds to threats of violence: ‘It is unacceptable’ Quebecers have registered the results of 76.472 rapid tests on the new government website, including 59,388 positive results.Meanwhile, 30,651 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered for a total of more than 18.1 million shots given out since the inoculation campaign began in December 2020.The confirmed caseload since the start of the health crisis has reached 894,613 while recoveries stand at 844,373.In a news release published earlier Friday, Health Minister Christian Dubé unveiled a new self-assessment tool online to help Quebecers know which isolation rules to follow depending on their situation.The tool is currently available in French only, but written guidelines are available in English on the Quebec government website, including new rules for those who contracted the virus on or after Dec.

The integration

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM :

As a care worker in Salford , Yemi Opere often finds himself working overtime just to make ends meet.

The Department of Health has been notified of a further 6,618 PCR-confirmed cases of Covid-19.

Manitoba won’t be influenced by dropped COVID-19 restrictions in other provinces, Atwal says Neighbouring Saskatchewan and Alberta have already made moves to eliminate many restrictions in their provinces. On Wednesday, Dr.

COVID on Friday, with 435 in intensive care units as figures continue to trend downwards.This is down by 68 hospitalizations and a decrease of 10 in ICUs since the previous day. Last Friday, there were 2,634 hospitalizations with 517 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 1,829 people in hospital with COVID-19, 54 per cent of them were admitted because of the virus, while 46 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for COVID-19.Of the 435 people in ICUs with the virus, around 80 per cent were admitted because of COVID, while around 20 per cent were admitted for other reasons.

Mumbai, taking the cumulative tally to 10,53,413, said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday. 

BENGALURU :

Toys of the Beijing 2022 mascot, panda Bing Dwen Dwen, are seen during a flower ceremony fat the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. (Photo by Sergei BobylevTASS via Getty Images) Police are punishing Chinese traders for cashing in by reselling scarce dolls of Olympics mascot Bing Dwen Dwen at up to 10 times retail price.Buyers stood in line overnight in freezing weather and emptied store shelves after the Winter Games opened Feb.

The trucker convoy protest movement against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions that has paralyzed the Canadian capital and spilled over to key Canada-U.S. border crossings has the sympathy of many Canadians, according to a new poll.

DETROIT - The truck blockade by Canadians protesting the country’s COVID-19 restrictions is tightening the screws on the auto industry, forcing Ford, Toyota and General Motors to shut down plants or otherwise curtail production on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border.The bumper-to-bumper demonstration entered its fourth day Thursday at the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit, disrupting the flow of auto parts and other products back and forth across the border.The bridge is the busiest U.S.-Canadian border crossing, carrying 25% of all trade between the two countries.RELATED: 'I understand why, but it makes it harder on us': Canadian trucker talks lost time, moneyFord said its Windsor, Ontario, engine plant reopened Thursday after being shut down on Wednesday because of a lack of parts. But the factory and the company’s assembly plant in Oakville, Ontario, near Toronto, are operating at reduced capacity, the automaker said."This interruption on the Detroit-Windsor bridge hurts customers, auto workers, suppliers, communities and companies on both sides of the border," Ford said in a statement.

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Maharashtra in the last 24 hours, the Hindustan Times reported on Friday.

Two fake companies that fraudulently took £180,000 from Covid-19 financial assistance schemes have been shut down.

Check here all that WHO said on long COVID. Live Q&A on #COVID19 and Omicron sub-variant BA.2 with Dr @mvankerkhove and @DrAbdiMahamud. #AskWHO https://t.co/NVQMa8HHk7

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Covid lockdown was introduced, which means by now most of us are used to testing ourselves to see if we have been infected with the virus.Many people may now associate the phrase ‘positive result’ with a confirmed case of the infectious virus that has caused the pandemic.But, that was not always the case.This was clear when a woman messaged a friend with a picture of her pregnancy test - which gave a positive result.Having snapped a photo of the white stick portraying two red lines, the women wrote “positive” with a neutral face emoji.However, there was a bit of a modern day mix-up.Just like how lateral flow tests show two red lines for a positive result, the friend thought they tested for Covid - not for being pregnant.The confused friend replied: “Damn, I hope you feel better.”Along with a prayer emoji, they added: “Quarantine.”Stunned at the response, the pregnant woman slammed: “Are you stupid?”A screenshot of the text was posted to Facebook by user Amber Lee Clark which has now racked up thousands of likes and 33,000 shares.People were left in stitches at the confusion so tagged their mates with laughing emojis whilst they poked fun at the mix-up.One person chuckled: “I hope she takes all the necessary precautions that the CDC has lined out. Don’t need that s*** spreading”Another added: “Name your kid Covid.”Whilst a third user related: “Remember when I sent you my Covid results and you thought I was pregnant?”Someone else shared: “I laughed too hard at this.” Get all the biggest Lifestyle news straight to your inbox. Sign up for the free Daily Star Hot Topics newsletter

Patty Hajdu says the number of COVID-19 infections in First Nations communities has begun to decline, bringing hope that the worst of the Omicron wave has passed.Hajdu says she understands why Indigenous leaders are sounding an alarm that progress could be lost in regions where provincial governments are rapidly moving to lift public health orders.“Indigenous leaders obviously are concerned,” Hajdu said during a news conference Thursday. High anxiety levels expected in Canadians wary of COVID restrictions lifting - experts Daily active case counts in Indigenous communities have declined 13.2 per cent from last week.

Taking lateral flow tests regularly continues to be an important part of Scotland's fight against the spread of Covid.

Simon Cowell will miss the next round of auditions for Britain's Got Talent as he has contracted Covid-19.The 62 year old will be unable to judge the latest round of hopefuls on the ITV talent show while he self-isolates. A spokesperson for the music mogul confirmed the news to Mail Online, saying: "Simon was unable to attend filming today as he was isolating at home after testing positive for Covid-19." Current rules for contracting Covid-19 state people need to isolate for ten days but may leave after five if certain conditions are met. Alesha Dixon, David Walliams and Amanda Holden were spotted heading in to film the show and will be left with golden buzzer duties until the show's creator returns.

From symptoms to subvariants, UN health agency explains all that you need to know about Omicron

PARIS :

Britain without taking any coronavirus tests starting Friday after the government scrapped one of the final restrictions imposed over the past two years in response to Covid-19.