Covid: Italy, Bulgaria and Germany could be added to green list for travel later this week

COLOMBO (News 1st); The average daily maximum demand for electricity in the country is around 2650 MW, and a significant portion of this is generated to the national grid from the Mahaweli, Laxapana and Samanala hydropower plants.In addition, the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant is the power plant that adds the most amount of power to the national grid.The country has been facing two major issues ever since the beginning of last December with regard to the energy sector. These include the country facing a dollar crisis which made it impossible to purchase even the most basic necessities, including fuel. Several other issues caused electrical engineers to take trade union action over the New Fortress LNG deal, the process of LNG tenders being suspended, the suspension of amending the Electricity Board Act No.

As Canada’s COVID-19 situation stabilizes, the federal government is easing some testing and quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travellers. That includes removing the requirement for expensive and lengthy PCR tests before arriving in Canada.

Delhi registered 756 new Covid-19 cases at a positivity rate of 1.5%. At least 97% of beds for Covid patients are vacant in the national capital at present. The city added more recoveries (830) than new infections on Tuesday, as per the daily health bulletin. The total active case tally in the national capital went up to 3337 after Tuesday's addition.

British Columbians have been dealing with COVID-19 restrictions for the past two years and today we’re turning a corner. The provincial health officer announcing an end to some restrictions and offering a glimmer of hope to those eager to get back to a normal way of life.

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced charges against five out-of-state residents accused of attempting to illegally get Pandemic Unemployment Assistance through funds from the CARES Act.Shapiro announced the charges against the five people on Tuesday in coordination with federal and local law enforcement agencies. A total of nine people conspired to illegally take PUA funds totaling $925,000. According to the Attorney General’s office, investigators learned seven of those people claimed to work for the same trucking company from January 2020 to March 2020. They then claimed their employment ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canada is entering uncharted territory, as Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act. Abigail Bimman explains what that means, and how it could impact police and protesters.

Canada will eliminate its pre-arrival COVID-19 PCR test requirements for fully vaccinated travellers at the end of the month, Federal Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos announced on Tuesday. As of Feb.

V is the latest member of BTS to test positive for coronavirus.

The Big Boost Week continues to see tens of thousands of people going out to get their booster dose each day. Yesterday, 46,156  booster doses were administered across the motu and brings the total so far to more than two million doses.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Walt Disney World will no longer require face coverings for fully vaccinated guests in both outdoor and indoor locations starting Feb. 17. The company website was updated on Tuesday. However, face coverings will still be required by all guests (ages 2 and up) on enclosed Disney transportation, including Disney buses, monorails, and Disney Skyliner. ORLANDO, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - 2019/07/17: Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse statue inside of the Magic Kingdom theme park .

Virgin Galactic logo. Virgin Galactic, an aerospace and space travel company, announced it will open up ticket sales to the public beginning Feb.

Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, asks Albertans to respect each other’s experience as the province moves toward an endemic phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The province will drop the requirements for vaccine certificates at the beginning of March, with the Premier saying it’s time to move on. But not all businesses agree and some say they will keep the measures until they feel the time is right.

Quebec to end COVID-19 vaccine passport system on March 14 “A doula can offer continuous care throughout pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period that can be really helpful for parents who are navigating a system that is often unknown to them,” said Door’s doula Stephanie De Sousa.The MotherWit doula care team argue that a doula is not just another person in the room. They claim the benefits of a second support outweigh the risks.“We help to reduce trauma in births.

‘We’re not prepared’ — What it takes to recover from long COVID Carrie Anna McGinn got the virus around the same time, and is also still dealing with symptoms including extreme fatigue, chest pain and shortness of breath.“I can’t think properly. I can’t be the active mom that I want to be.

Police in Westampton, New Jersey are investigating a robbery from December where the man pictured allegedly showed his handgun and demanded a gas attendant give him money.  WESTAMPTON, N.J. - Officers with the Westampton Police Department in Burlington County, New Jersey, are investigating a robbery from December. According to police, a suspect robbed the Lukoil gas station at 584 Rancocas Road on Dec. 19, 2021, at 7:31 a.m. Officers said the suspect was wearing a white hooded sweatshirt and black sweatpants.

In recent weeks, the city has seen a rash of gun violence involving young people and Toronto Police released some startling statistics on Tuesday. Erica Vella reports.

Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping says COVID-19 is not going away, but the pressures on the hospital system is improving.

PHILADELPHIA - Family and loved ones are searching for answers after a man was stabbed to death outside a South Philadelphia Wawa early Monday morning. The Philadelphia Police Department identified the 49-year-old victim as Roger Segal. According to a police source, video surveillance show Segal went inside the Wawa on South Columbus Boulevard around 2 a.m.

PHILADELPHIA - A local mother is speaking out after she said her son and his friend were beaten by a group of other teens on Market Street. FOX 29’s Hank Flynn spoke with Jojuan Powell who said the attack on her 14-year-old son was completely random. Now, she’s sharing the video of the attack and urging other parents to do a better job at knowing where and what their children are doing. "I don’t even know what should happen," Powell said. "I just know I don’t want it to happen to another child." The mother said her son met up with a friend at an arcade in the Fashion District on Saturday.

Queen Elizabeth is out and about after a COVID-19 scare.

RYLAN Clark has opened up about his mental health crisis saying it hit him in the face like "a baseball bat". Rylan, 33, was hospitalised after suffering a breakdown after he split from husband Dan Neal.

Security footage captured a flock of birds drop dead mid-flight on Feb. 7 in the northern Mexican city of Chihuahua.

PHILADELPHIA - Police say a young girl was injured during a drive-by shooting at a North Philadelphia grocery store. Philadelphia Police Captain John Walker told reporters that the 12-year-old victim was entering a store on the 4600 block of Hurley Street when someone in a red car fired at least seven shots. According to Walker, the shooter is believed to have fired from the backseat of a red Acura.

PHILADELPHIA - Police shot a knife-wielding suspect who allegedly stabbed his aunt then approached officers Tuesday afternoon in South Philadelphia, according to investigators. Philadelphia Police Sergeant Eric Gripp said officers responded to the 2000 block of South Beechwood Street and encountered the suspect still holding the knife he used in the stabbing. Officers told him to put down the knife, but he refused and started walking towards officers, Gripp explained. Police tased the suspect, but it did not stop him and an officer fired one shot that hit the man in the torso, according to police. The suspect and his aunt were both taken to an area hospital, but police did not share information on their conditions. MORE LOCAL HEADLINES___DOWNLOAD: FOX 29 NEWS APP | FOX 29 WEATHER AUTHORITY APPSUBSCRIBE: Good Day Digest Newsletter | FOX 29 Philly on YouTubeAdvertisementFOLLOW: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

announced on Tuesday. A new transplant method using umbilical cord blood was originally being used to treat the woman’s acute myeloid leukemiabut following the treatment, scientists discovered she had no detectable levels of HIV for 14 months despite discontinuing antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART involves taking a combination of HIV medicines to manage and treat symptoms, according to the National Institute of Health. The research was conducted by the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trial Network (IMPAACT) P1107 beginning in 2015, according to an NIAID news release announcing the findings. Researchers observed the outcomes of up to 25 participants living with HIV who underwent a transplant with cord blood stem cells for cancer treatment, hematopoietic disease, or other underlying diseases, the news release continued. The patient was a woman of mixed-race ancestry and was HIV-positive for four years, according to researchers at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) on Tuesday. She was also diagnosed with leukemia and was in remission for her cancer after chemotherapy treatment, the news release continued. In 2017, the patient received the stem cell treatment supplemented with adult donor cells from a relative and by day 100, there was no HIV detected. After 37 months of the stem cell transplant, the patient stopped all HIV treatment. FILE - Test tubes that contains blood samples from patients that tested positive with HIV.

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix confirms that in the coming weeks, students in elementary, secondary and post-secondary institutions will have the opportunity to take home a COVID-19 test kit to use if they become sick.

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.

Speaking at Tuesday’s press briefing, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announces several changes to COVID-19 restrictions beginning Wednesday, Feb.

Ontario government slightly accelerating plans to ease attendance limits at indoor sports events.Initially permitted capacity was going to rise to 50 per cent Feb. 21 and 100 per cent on March 14.

BTS member, V, has tested positive for COVID-19.Weverse, the official fan source for the K-pop group, shared a statement from Big Hit Music about V's diagnosis Tuesday.«V visited the hospital Tuesday afternoon on the 15th after experiencing a mild sore throat and took the PCR test. He was diagnosed with COVID-19 tonight,» the statement began.

Coachella and Stagecoach festivals have dropped all COVID-19 safety precautions ahead of both events making a return this spring.Coachella will take place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California between April 15-17 and 22-24, while Stagecoach will be held at the same venue between April 29-May 1.Previously, the festivals’ promoter Goldenvoice had announced that proof of vaccination against COVID-19 would no longer be required. Now, it has also dropped entry requirements including a negative test taken in the 72 hours prior to attendance and the wearing of masks.The health and safety guidance on the websites for both events has now been updated to confirm that the new policy is “in accordance with local guidelines”.

The best thing New Zealanders can do as we move into Phase 2 of our response to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is get boosted and give each other some space, said Director General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield.

Nicole Brown, a second grade teacher, sits at a laptop computer with one of her students during a lesson at Carter Traditional Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images) WASHINGTON - The digital divide is an ongoing issue for some communities nationwide that struggle to access affordable, high-speed internet service and purchase inexpensive computer equipment.

A 33-year-old man was shot twice in the neck and stomach Tuesday afternoon in North Philadelphia, police said.

Music fans attend day two of 2015 Stagecoach, California's Country Music Festival, at The Empire Polo Club on April 25, 2015 in Indio, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Stagecoach) INDIO, Calif. - Goldenvoice, the company behind the Coachella and Stagecoach Music festivals on Tuesday announced it will be dropping its masking, vaccination, and COVID-19 testing requirements in accordance with new state guidelines that take effect Wednesday ending the vaccination requirement and mask mandate for outdoor mega-events."As we prepare to spend an incredible weekend in the desert together we are announcing that there will be no vaccination, testing or masking requirements at Stagecoach 2022, in accordance with local guidelines," festival officials announced on Twitter.RELATED: Stagecoach country music festival announces 2022 lineupA short time later, Goldenvoice announced the new regulations will also apply to Coachella. "The event shall be presented in accordance with applicable public health conditions as of the date of the event and which may change at any time as determined by federal, state or local government agencies or instrumentalities, artists or the promoter; such requirements may include, without limitation, changes to capacity, attendance procedures and entry requirements, such as proof of vaccination and/or negative COVID-19 test, and other protective measures such as requiring attendees to wear face coverings," according to an announcement on websites for both events Tuesday.California will end its statewide indoor mask mandate on Feb.

Bill Omar Carrasquillo, known to his fans and followers as 'Omi in a Hellcat' was named in a 62-count indictment last fall.  SWEDESBORO, N.J. - A New Jersey YouTube Star, known online as ‘Omi in a Hellcat’ says he has pleaded guilty in what federal prosecutors say was one of the largest illegal TV pirating rings they’ve ever seen.Bill Omar Carrasquillo took to his YouTube channel earlier this month to share the news that he had pleaded guilty in the case. "I’m letting you guys know that I’m pleading guilty," Carrasquillo said, adding that the decision came after long talks with his attorney. "It sucks to lose my house, to lose properties, money, all my cars, my jewelry – it’s an embarrassment," he added. "This is to kind of let you know man that you don’t want to take easy routes in life."Carrasquillo says in his video that he also did not pay his taxes and that his plea was about ‘accepting responsibility.’ He had previously claimed past accountants and tax preparers got him into tax trouble.  After a two-year investigation, the 34-year-old was named in a 62-count federal indictment.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield leads a briefing for media organisations at 12.00 pm today to provide more detail on home isolation in Phase 2 of the Omicron response, including how this will be supported by technologies and other means through the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Development, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Dr Bloomfield will be joined by Ministry of Health Primary Care Lead, Dr Joe Bourne and MSD Deputy Chief Executive, Viv Rickard.

COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy—already known to protect women from hospitalization and severe complications—can also protect babies younger than 6 months, researchers reported today.

COVID-19 cases continue to decline in the United States, including a substantial drop in children, as mask mandates continue to make news.

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in a New York courtroom for her libel lawsuit against the NY Times. (Jane Rosenberg) NEW YORK (AP) - Former Alaska Gov.

Police withdraw from their line and fall back to the front of Parliament buildings on the third day of demonstrations against Covid-19 restrictions, inspired by a similar demonstration in Canada, in Wellington on February 10, 2022 (Photo by MARTY MEL WELLINGTON, New Zealand - New Zealand's prime minister on Monday said protesters who oppose coronavirus mandates were using "intimidation and harassment," as authorities appeared to take a harsher stance toward the convoy of demonstrators that has disrupted the capital of Wellington for nearly a week.Police initially let the protesters set up tents and camp on the grounds of New Zealand's Parliament before arresting 122 people on Thursday and then backing off again. The size of the protest dropped to a few hundred last week but increased again to around 3,000 over the weekend.Speaking with reporters, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern signaled the thinning patience of authorities."I very clearly have a view on the protesters and the way that they’ve conducted their protest because it has moved beyond sharing a view to intimidation and harassment of the people around central Wellington," she said.

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.

Rylan Clark has assured fans he'll be back soon after pulling out of his radio show because of illness. The 33-year-old star had worried fans by sharing a picture of a cannula in his arm as he revealed he'd had an "extended trip" to hospital and would be missing his radio show.Rylan didn't elaborate on his condition, although days before he had said he had the flu, and fans were concerned.However, the TV star's latest snap seemed to suggest he's on the mend.The picture showed a jar packed full of sweet snacks, with more piled up on the table."Whenever I feel ill I turn into such a child," said the 33-year-old."Resting up be back sooooooon." Fans flocked to the comments section to leave get well soon messages after the Strictly: It Takes Two host posted his health update.

COVID-19 on Tuesday, pushing the province’s death toll to 182.In a release, the province said the deaths include a woman in her 60s and a woman in her 70s in the Central Zone, a woman in her 70s and a woman in her 80s in the Western Zone, and a man in his 80s and a man in his 90s in the Northern Zone.“My heart goes out to the families and friends of the six Nova Scotians who died,” said Premier Tim Houston in a release.“To all Nova Scotians, we know what we have to do to protect ourselves and others. Please do your part and get vaccinated to help prevent another loss.” Nova Scotia reports 7 more COVID-19 deaths, new hospital outbreaks Another seven people have been admitted to hospital since the last update and three people were discharged.

A large proportion of US COVID-19 patients were left with thousands of dollars of hospital bills after many health insurers stopped issuing cost-sharing waivers in early 2021, finds a study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open.A team led by University of Michigan at Ann Arbor researchers mined th