‘Everyone’s done with this,’ Doug Ford says as he defends lifting proof of vax requirement

COVID-19 has died as health officials report a slight drop in the number people hospitalized with the virus.The latest death, reported on the province’s online COVID-19 dashboard, brings Manitoba’s COVID-19 death toll to 1,717. Manitoba goes mask-free, many businesses, people remain cautious Meanwhile Manitoba’s COVID-19 hospitalization and ICU numbers are falling to levels not seen in several months.As of Tuesday, 18 people are in ICU with the virus, down two from Monday.

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A healthcare worker prepares the Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) COVID-19 vaccine. (Pongmanat Tasiri/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) WASHINGTON - Drugmaker Pfizer is expected to request authorization this week for an additional COVID-19 booster dose for seniors, according to a person familiar with the matter.It would add a fourth dose to the regimen, which currently consists of a primary series of two shots, followed months later by a booster dose, in an effort to provide maximum protection to the over-65 population that has been hit hardest by the pandemic.RELATED: Pfizer CEO: 4th shot of vaccine 'necessary'The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control must approve the request.

Ontario government plans to provide $673 million to long-term care homes this year to help “hire and retain staff” across the province.The government issued a press release on Tuesday, saying the money would help to hire and retain up to 10,000 staff members across the province and will lead to “more direct care for residents.”“This is part of the province’s $4.9 billion commitment to hire more than 27,000 long-term care staff over four years and ensure that residents receive on average four hours of direct care per day by 2024-25.” Many Ontario long-term care homes keeping COVID vaccine mandates as province lifts policy According to the release, before the provincial investments, residents were receiving “an average of only two hours and 45 minutes of direct care from nurses and personal support workers.”The government says the next funding increase will push the daily average in the province to three hours and 15 minutes per resident, every day by the end of the 2022-23 fiscal year.Included in the funding is also $106.76 million for homes to increase the direct care provided by allied health care professionals who the government says are “key to ensuring quality care for residents (such as physiotherapists and social workers) by 10 per cent by the end of the fiscal year.”The provincial government said the $4.9 billion will be delivered over four years:According to the release, the province’s plan to provide residents with four hours of direct care will be enshrined into law via the Fixing Long Term Care Act 2021, which received royal assent in Dec. 2021.

The United States must shore up medical product supply chains before the next pandemic or other natural disaster, warns a new National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) expert panel report.

More than a third of new mothers early in the COVID-19 pandemic had symptoms of postpartum (after-birth) depression—nearly triple pre-pandemic levels—and one in five had major depressive symptoms, with symptoms for both disorders higher in women who fed their babies formula, according to a study yesterday in BMC Research Notes.Researchers from the University of Michigan (U-M) School of

MUMBAI :

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden will travel to Europe next week for face-to-face talks with European leaders about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced Tuesday.Biden will meet with NATO and European leaders at a summit in Brussels on March 24. He will also attend a scheduled European Council summit, where efforts to impose sanctions and further humanitarian efforts are underway."While he’s there, his goal is to meet in person face-to-face with his European counterparts and talk about, assess where we are at this point in the conflict in the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

The girl, identified only as "M," wants to go home to Kentucky with her new American parents. The war in Ukraine has complicated everything.

SEATTLE - Starbucks lovers may soon see less of an iconic symbol: the white Starbucks paper cup.The Seattle-based coffee chained announced it will phase out its single-use cups bearing the company's logo and other plastics in an effort to reduce landfill waste. While the products may not go away completely, the company plans to make them less attractive and promote reusable mugs. "We set a bold aspiration to become a resource positive company – to store more carbon than we emit, to eliminate waste and to conserve and replenish more freshwater than we use," Michael Kobori, Starbucks chief sustainability officer, said on the company’s website.

CHICAGO - WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO. SOME MAY FIND THESE VIDEOS DISTURBING. WATCH AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.Video released by Chicago police shows the timeline of how the fatal police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo unfolded on March 29, 2021.Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx said she will not file criminal charges against Chicago Police officers in the shooting deaths of  13-year-old Adam Toledo and 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez last year"This is a somber announcement.

Last Tuesday, LHSC was caring for 45 COVID-19 patients with five or fewer in adult critical care. LHSC says five or fewer of its COVID-19 inpatients are in Children’s Hospital, while zero are in pediatric critical care. The same figures were reported last Tuesday.

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Which regions have seen the outbreak?

The UK will remove the last remaining Covid travel requirements from this Friday, in a move that has been welcomed by the travel industry.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been banned from entering Russia, according to a press release on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website.

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 23: Actor Bob Saget attends "The Big Short" New York premiere at Ziegfeld Theater on November 23, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images) ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orange County Sheriff's Office has released new details on what may have contributed to the death of actor/comedian Bob Saget.In a new report released Tuesday, officials say the during the autopsy, conducted by Chief Medical Examiner Joshua Stephany, M.D., there was a fracture found at the base of Saget's skull with evidence of bleeding around the brain."He explained that the amount of force necessary to cause the fracture, coupled with the fact that the skin on the back of the head was still intact, led him to believe that the injury was most likely caused by ‘something hard, covered by something soft,’ and he gave, as an example, a fall onto a carpeted floor."RELATED: Bob Saget death: Florida judge permanently blocks release of some recordsDr.

READING, Pa. - Investigators with the Reading Police Department are looking into a shooting that killed one man and injured two others on Monday night. According to police, officers responded to the 1300 Block of Meade Street around 7:45 p.m.

Stanford University researchers report that 61% of custody staff and 36% of healthcare staff at California state prisons were unvaccinated against COVID-19 as of Jun 30, 2021, posing risks to inmates, other staff, and the surrounding community.

Doug Ford says he will continue wearing a mask for a “few days” in the legislature after the province’s mandate lifts next week for most indoor settings.The province’s mask mandate is set to lift Monday for many areas, excluding public transit, hospitals, long-term care homes and other high-risk settings.Ford was asked during a press conference Tuesday if Progressive Conservative MPPs have been told whether or not they should wear masks at the provincial legislature once the mandate lifts. A look at Ontario’s timeline for lifting all COVID measures “No, that’s going to be up to them,” the premier said, noting that any rules regarding masking in the legislature would be up to the speaker.“Everyone’s going to follow the proper protocols and if you want to keep your mask on, God bless you.

'We’re still here' - that’s the message from Manchester’s public health chief as the city moves to extend its helpline for those suffering the effects of the pandemic.

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Vehicles stand in a drive-thru line at a Starbucks Corp. store in Richmond, California, in 2020.

WASHINGTON - White House public tours which were put on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic will resume in April.The White House made the announcement Tuesday.The tours will begin on Friday, April 15, 2022. Initially, the tours will only be available from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

PHILADELPHIA - First State Brewing is brewing a batch of Ukrainian beer in order to support Ukrainian defense forces! The Middletown brewery is calling the beer ‘Putin Kilo’ which translates to an expletive involving the President of Russia. Quality manager Joe Spearot got the beer recipe from Pravda Brewing in Lviv, Ukraine. Pravda is not brewing at the moment, and instead have shifted from making beer to making Molotov cocktails. FOX 29’s Hank Flynn reached  Pravda Brewing’s Taras Maselko via WhatsApp, and he confirmed that for the near future his brewery will be making bombs – not beer. "At the moment we just, we mobilize to do anything we can do here.

NEW YORK - A 22-year-old New York City woman faces attempted murder charges over claims she duped a date into coming to an apartment where he was allegedly tortured and held for a $100,000 ransom.  According to the New York Post, Valerie Rosario, 22, allegedly lured a 24-year-old man to a Bronx apartment last month, according to the Post.It allegedly turned out to be a honeytrap.After he got to the apartment, three men allegedly barged in and started pistol-whipping him.

International Women’s Day, a global celebration of women’s achievements and a continued call to action for gender equality, companies often share stories of female employees or other testimonials in a show of support for the movement. But this year, a Twitter bot created by a couple in the U.K. sought to call out certain brands and organizations who supposedly still have stark pay disparities, despite their outward-facing messages. The Twitter account, @PayGapApp, was created by Francesca Lawson and her partner, Ali Fensome, "to put the gender pay gap data back into the spotlight," according to a post written by Lawson for the British newspaper Metro. "Our aim was to highlight how photos of smiling female employees and inspirational quotes conceal what’s really going on behind the scenes," Lawson wrote. FILE IMAGE - People walk in London on April 4, 2018.

COVID-19 restrictions in place while others are leaving it solely in the hands of customers and clients.Manitoba health minister Audrey Gordon said the lifting of restrictions was made possible by people in the province committing to following public health orders over the past two years. Monday marks last day for Manitoba mask mandate “Thanks to the commitment, compassion and hard work of all Manitobans, particularly our health-care heroes, we are finally in a position to lift restrictions,” she said.“This path forward will be different for all of us, whether we choose to wear masks or not, or how and when we connect with family and friends.

ITV This Morning star Phillip Schofield has issued a health update on an "annoyed" Holly Willoughby. Holly, aged 41, is currently off the daytime TV favourite while she battles Covid.

Peter Andre has shared an update on his mum's health as he prepares to depart Australia once more. The singer spoke out in a new update via his magazine column after spending time in his homeland with his family.

In 1972, Howard Hughes, the billionaire who had made a fortune in aviation and the film industry, moved into the Vancouver Bayshore Inn on the waterfront. He was in the throes of obsessive-compulsive disorder and was living as a recluse.

Many stores and service providers went virtual during the pandemic in order to survive and continue serving their customers.

South Salem High school created a "calm room" to help students cope with mental health challenges.  (Salem Keizer Public Schools)SALEM, Ore. - A high school is taking an extra step to help students battling anxiety and depression, creating a safe space for them.South Salem High School in Oregon created a "calm room" to help improve students’ mental health. The designated classroom opened in the fall of 2021. School officials said the idea came about after they noticed a growing trend of students suffering from headaches and stomach aches.

COATESVILLE, Pa. - Two men have been arrested and charged in connection to the shooting death of a four-year-old in Coatesville, the Chester County District Attorney announced Tuesday. Police say officers from the Coatesville City Police Department were called to the 300 block of East Chestnut Street around 5 p.m. on February 28. PREVIOUS: 4-year-old boy fatally shot in the face in Coatesville, police sayFour-year-old Roman Aguilera-Ortiz was found shot once in the face and pronounced dead by paramedics, police say. According to the DA, Aguilera-Ortiz's older brother, 18-year-old Victor Lara-Ortiz, was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter, firearms not to be carried without a license, endangering the welfare of a child and other related offenses. Police say Lara-Ortiz left his bedroom door open with a loaded gun unsecured on a table when the four-year-old found it and accidentally shot himself in the head. "There were no safety precautions whatsoever to secure the gun in any way," Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said. According to police, 31-year-old William Thomas was also arrested for selling the gun to Lara-Ortiz.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on Tuesday that the province is eliminating license plate renewal fees and scrapping the requirement for a license plate sticker.

Ford government to provide more details after the leak of donations made to the so-called “Freedom Convoy” GiveSendGo campaign cost a senior staff member her job.The solicitor-general’s now-former director of communications, Marion Isabeau-Ringuette, reportedly donated $100 to the online fundraising platform on Feb. 5.First reported by QP Briefing, the alleged donation came a day after GoFundMe suspended another fundraising campaign over concerns the protest in Ottawa had become an occupation, and just ahead of blockades at the Ambassador Bridge.Ontario’s attorney general eventually stepped in to seek an injunction, freezing the funds for the GiveSendGo campaign several days later.

COVID-19 patients in the hospital are dropping, he still figures it could be months before the facility will be able to return to pre-pandemic surgical volumes.Dr. Craig Ainsworth, director of the cardiac care unit at Hamilton General Hospital, told 900 CHML’s Hamilton Today that Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) is still only operating at 50 to 60 per cent of surgical activity levels which will delay some non-urgent and non-emergent services.“It would be silly for me to say we’ll be back at 100 per cent by tomorrow or next week, but we’re trying very hard to get to get there as fast as we can, but it’s likely going to be months,” said Ainsworth.

COVID-19 PCR test requirements for fully vaccinated travellers at the end of the month, officials say.“Today I’m announcing we are easing our border measures,” federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said Tuesday in Ottawa. “It is time to adjust our approach.”As of Feb.

Speaking to reporters in Hamilton, Ont. on Tuesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford was asked about the dilemma faced by business owners once the vaccine mandate becomes optional, potentially alienating some customers regardless of which option they choose.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Monday that the province would drop the proof of vaccination requirement starting March 1, though masking would remain in place. Capacity limits will also be removed on restaurants, bars and other indoor venues on Feb.

COVID-19 pandemic to be undone.Premier Doug Ford unveiled on Monday that Ontario would be fast-tracking previously announced steps to lift restrictions, including moving the next step of its reopening plan up to Thursday instead of next Monday.Social gathering limits will increase to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors on Thursday, while capacity limits will be removed in places such as restaurants, bars, gyms and movie theatres. Capacity at businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies and retail stores will be set at the number of people who can maintain a distance of two metres.Less than two weeks later, on March 1, capacity limits will be lifted in all remaining indoor public settings, and proof-of-vaccination requirements will end for all settings.

Ontario is ending its vaccine certificate system on March 1, when capacity limits in public settings and restrictions on social gathering sizes will fully lift as well, though masking requirements will remain for now.Premier Doug Ford insisted the steps are not a result of pressure from anti-vaccine mandate protesters.“Today’s announcement is not because of what’s happening in Ottawa or Windsor, but despite it,” he said Monday. Ontario to end COVID proof of vaccination March 1, mask mandate to remain in place “The extraordinary measures that we introduced during this pandemic were always intended as a last resort.

COVID-19 vaccine passport system starting on March 1. However, the mask mandate will remain in place.“Ontario will also lift proof of vaccination requirements for all settings at this time. Businesses and other settings may choose to continue to require proof of vaccination,” the government said.A firm date for lifting the use of masks or face coverings was not set.“Masking requirements will remain in place at this time, with a specific timeline to lift this measure to be communicated at a later date,” the government said.Capacity limits in all indoor public settings will also be eliminated.Ford made the announcement on Monday morning alongside health minister Christine Elliott and Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr.

Doug Ford says the province is on track to “very soon” lift “almost all” COVID-related restrictions on businesses.The premier made the remarks during a press conference Friday morning, where he declared a state of emergency in the province due to ongoing protests and blockades, sparked by opposition to COVID-19 measures.Ford said he understands many people are frustrated, but urged the “illegal occupation” in Ottawa and at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor to end.“There’s no doubt these were the right decisions,” Ford said of his government’s move to impose measures in a bid to combat COVID-19. Timeline to lift all COVID-19 measures in Ontario coming soon, top doctor says “There’s no doubt they protected our hospitals from collapse and saved lives.

Premier Doug Ford says he is declaring a state of emergency in Ontario and will enact emergency orders to end the protests that have crippled Ottawa for the last two weeks and have recently blocked the land border crossing in Windsor.

Disruptive blockades protesting COVID-19 mandates are escalating in Ontario, prompting more calls for the province to take action. So why has Ontario Premier Doug Ford been mostly absent over the unrest? Eric Sorensen explains the possible strategy behind keeping a low-profile, as concerns grow over potentially politicizing pandemic strategy.

Ontario’s top doctor says a timeline for lifting all COVID-19 measures in the province is coming soon.Dr. Kieran Moore was asked during a COVID-19 media briefing Thursday whether the public can expect an update soon on when measures, including masking and the proof of vaccination system, will be lifted.“We will be reviewing the evidence and … the evidence is showing we’re making remarkable improvement in all of the key metrics in Ontario and that forces us to review all public health measures that are in play,” Moore said.

Dr. Kieran Moore was asked on Thursday about the eventual removal of COVID-19 restrictions in the province, including mask mandates and proof of vaccination.