Existing COVID prevention guidelines extended to 28th February

#COVID19 cases, 20,439 recoveries, and 243 deaths in the last 24 hours.Active case: 1,11,472 (0.26%)Daily positivity rate: 1.00%Total recoveries: 4,22,90,921Death toll: 5,13,724 Total vaccination: 1,77,44,08,129 pic.twitter.com/Qtyuy9lm72

covid cases are on a decline, all are thinking is it the indicator of the end of this pandemic? Will this pandemic end now or if not now when is it going to end? Seeing the waning cases, countries have started opening up their borders and relaxing curbs that were in force to contain the spread of the virus.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Director-General of Health Services has announced that fully vaccinated travellers arriving in the country are exempted of a pre-departure COVID-19 test.This measure will come into effect from the 1st of March 2022.Read the latest guidelines for travellers below : 

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Ceylon Electricity Board has suggested an increase to the electricity charges.The CEB Spokesperson, Additional General Manager Andrew Navamani said that the proposal was made to bridge the gap between the cost of generating electricity in comparison to the cost of fuel.Spokesperson Navamani stated that the relevant proposal is expected to be forwarded to the Government by the Public Utilities Commission soon.He further pointed out that at present, although a unit of electricity costs around Rs. 16, the CEB has to bear a higher cost to produce a unit of electricity.Meanwhile, the Public Utilities Commission stated that there will be no power cuts today and tomorrow at night.The commission said it would reduce daytime power cuts to three hours today (26) on A,B,C, groups only and up to two and a half hours in other areas.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday that Canada will be placing sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Covid-19 cases, the Delhi Metro will allow passengers in standing position in trains from Monday onwards.

More than two thirds of eligible New Zealanders have now had their booster, a huge step in the fight against the spread of Omicron in our communities.

PERKASIE, Pa. - Officials have released the identities of the two men killed in when a single-engine plane crashed in a Perkasie neighborhood.The men were identified as 74-year-old Alfred George Piranian, of Chalfont, and 55-year-old Brian Fillippini, of Philadelphia. Both men died as a result of injuries sustained during the crash. It was revealed Friday that a report from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), the small plane with the two men aboard took off from Doylestown Airport with a destination of Gunden Airstrip. An NTSB investigator told reporters Thursday that the plane was a commercial instructional flight with one person onboard training for their commercial pilot's license. No one on the ground was hurt, but the crash sent flying debris through the wall of a home and into a second-floor bedroom. Hilltown Township Police Officer Christopher Englehart called the pilot a hero for managing to avoid homes that dotted the residential neighborhood. Residents recalled hearing the plane's engine cut out as it made its deadly descent.

People took shelter in a bowling alley in Cherkasy, Ukraine as Russian strikes continued around Ukrainian cities. Cosmos Bowling posted this footage on Feb. 25 on Instagram of people gathered inside the bowling alley and around snooker tables.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - FEBRUARY 26: A protester holds a banner calling for imminent help for Ukraine during a demonstration against Russia's invasion of Ukraine held in front the building of the Permanent Mission of Russia to the E.U. on February 26, 20 The Rev.

INDIANAPOLIS - Indianapolis police say two people were shot and wounded at a Jewish community center on Hoover Road on Saturday afternoon.Both people were hospitalized in stable condition, police announced at 2:30 p.m. ET. About 30 minutes later, police said they had ruled out a possible hate crime or religious motivation in the incident.Police shut down the area surrounding the JCC at 6701 Hoover Road, but said there was "no ongoing threat."RELATED: Israeli, Palestinian representatives propose 2-state confederation to work towards peace efforts"A perimeter has been set up nearby [and] residents can expect police activity in that area," the Indianapolis Metro Police Department tweeted. "Drivers are asked to avoid the area."Additional information about the suspect and victims was not immediately available. The JCC is a 108-year-old community center.

COVID-19 cases in Alberta grew last year after the province’s Open for Summer restrictions relaxation went into effect. When asked how to avoid a repeat of that situation in 2022, Premier Jason Kenney said the province is looking at data from places where Omicron hit earlier than in Alberta when making decision on moving forward.

PHILADELPHIA - A woman has been hospitalized after a shooting in North Philadelphia Saturday afternoon. The shooting happened shortly after 1 p.m. at 25th and Thompson Streets. Police say the 29-year-old woman was shot once in the right shoulder and was rushed to a local hospital.

JAMA Pediatrics.Researchers from The University of Calgary examined more the 89,000 children. Their results revealed that 24.7% of children younger than 2 years avoided screen time altogether.

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Fourteen people were shot before dawn Saturday morning at a hookah parlor and police said one person died and that two of the victims suffered critical injuries.Police Capt. Dori Koren said the shooting happened at about 3:15 a.m.

COVID-19 related deaths on Saturday and a drop in hospitalizations by 53.There are currently 100 people being treated in the intensive care unit, a drop of five.#COVID19 – En date du 25 février, voici la situation au Québec: https://t.co/pwoUoaBgaF pic.twitter.com/Zup7ydDZy4— Santé Québec (@sante_qc) February 26, 2022Health authorities are reporting 709 active outbreaks across the province.Over 16,985 PCR tests were administered in the last 24 hours, and 1,175 came back positive.The new deaths bring the provincial death toll to 13,969 since the start of the pandemic.This comes as Quebec gets ready to lift its work-from-home order this week.

Premier Jason Kenney said some people will be happy most public health restrictions are ending March 1, while other people will not, and said everyone will have to determine their own risk level and shift focus from a societal approach to personal responsibility when it comes to limits: “We cannot continue on as we have the past two years indefinitely — we are going to break society if we keep doing that.”

Alberta Health Minister Jason Copping shares details on the public health restrictions being removed when Alberta moves to Step 2 of its reopening plan come Tuesday, March 1.

The latest as of 2:20 p.m. ET Saturday:

After nearly two years of on and off COVID-19 health measures, Premier Jason Kenney said everyone had different levels of comfort when it comes to relaxing restrictions and asked citizens to be patient and compassionate as people make individual choices about things like continuing to wear masks in public.

COVID-19 “numbers continue to decline rapidly,” Premier Jason Kenney announced the province will move forward to Step 2 of its reopening plan come Tuesday, March 1.The announcement was made during the official opening ceremony of the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital in northwestern Alberta.Step 2 of the government’s plan to reopen includes:“We are in a position to safely move to Step 2 of our path back to normal and remove the vast majority of remaining public health measures in Alberta,” Kenney said.According to a government news release issued on Feb.

Premier Jason Kenney announced on March 1, the province will move to Step 2 of the plan to lift public health measures, which will see remaining school-related measures lifted, venue capacity limits ended, limits on social gatherings removed, the provincial mask mandate scrapped and the mandatory work-from-home order rescinded.

The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 has decreased by 47, according to the Department of Health.

An undated file photo of a gas pump.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 15: U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland delivers remarks at the 2021 Tribal Nations Summit, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on November 15, 2021 in Washington, DC.

PHILADELPHIA - The Internal Affairs Headquarters in Northeast Philadelphia was the scene of a shooting Friday night. The incident happened at approximately 10:45 p.m.

In early November 2021, Crew-2 ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet photographed the space station from above during the return trip home aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour (NASA/ESA/SpaceX) In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden announced new sanctions Thursday targeting the Russian economy and attempting to cut off access to emerging technology, which could impact the Russian space program, Roscosmos. "Between our actions and those of our allies and partners, we estimate that will cut off more than half of Russia's high-tech imports and will strike a blow to their ability to continue to modernize their military," Biden said Thursday. "It'll degrade their aerospace industry, including their space program, and hurt their ability to build ships, reducing their ability to compete economically."While Russian and U.S.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Kyiv residents braced Saturday for another night sheltering underground, as Russian troops closed in on Ukraine’s capital and skirmishes were reported on the outskirts. Ukraine’s leader, meanwhile, claimed the country’s forces had repulsed the Russian assault, and he vowed to keep up the struggle and appealed for more help from the outside world."The real fighting for Kyiv is ongoing," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video message in which he accused Russia of hitting infrastructure and civilian targets."We will win," he said.RELATED: Who is the 'Ghost of Kyiv'? Tale of Ukrainian fighter pilot trends on social mediaCentral Kyiv appeared quiet on Saturday, though sporadic gunfire could be heard.

DECATUR, Ga. - A soldier who’s returning from a year-long deployment said unwanted guests have been living in his house.Duncan Fowler has spent the last year in Poland. He's expected to officially finish his deployment in about a week and was planning on returning to Decatur. Unfortunately, it's not the homecoming he expected. INTERNATIONAL AFFIARS EXPERT BREAKS DOWN RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT"In the last two years, I’ve only been home for about eight weeks.

Russian troops stormed the city, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said Saturday morning.The strike set the building on fire and left a massive hole and an evacuation was underway, the government said. There was no immediate word on any potential fatalities or injuries. RELATED: Ukraine crisis: Russian troops close in on Kyiv as residents fleeRussian troops stormed toward Ukraine’s capital Saturday, and street fighting broke out as city officials urged residents to take shelter. Emergency services in Kyiv said six people were injured after a high-rise apartment building was damaged by shelling early on February 26, as the city faced increasing pressure from invading Russian forces. (Credit: Mykola Medinsky via Storyful)"Kyiv, our splendid, peaceful city, survived another night under attacks by Russian ground forces, missiles," Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba tweeted.

SAN DIEGO - A new study shows performing routine activities such as housework, gardening and cooking can significantly improve cardiovascular health for older women. Health officials said heart disease is the leading cause of death in U.S.

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Mumbai's Covid count stands at 902. As many as 20,073 new samples were examined in the last 24 hours, taking the tally of the number of tests to 1,61,53,525. Mumbai's recovery rate is 98 per cent, while Covid caseload doubling time is 4,450 days. As per civic body officials, Mumbai reported zero deaths on 7 days this month -- February 15,16, 17,20, 23, 25 and now 26. A similar feat was achieved in December 2021 as well.

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Instagram to announce that she had to have emergency surgery on her oesophagus. After the horrific attack on the now 38-year-old, Piper was put into an induced coma for 12 days. Using skin grafts and a plastic face mask, which she wore for 23 hours a day, the entire surface of the model's face was reconstructed.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Although the country is being ruled by the Government in a manner which ensures the freedom of the people, that freedom is being misused by many, says President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Speaking at the event of distribution of 100,000 Mahaweli Ranbima deeds at the Mahaweli Stadium in Embilipitiya today (26), the President stated that especially today, himself and the present Government is ruling the country in a way which democracy is ensured.President Rajapaksa also said that the cause of the foreign exchange crisis is not his own fault or the fault of the government.The 100,000 Mahaweli Ranbima deed program is being implemented in line with the Government’s policy statement, “Vision of Prosperity”. Under this program, the Government plans to complete the distribution of 100,000 land deeds to farmers in the Mahaweli areas before the end of next year.35,000 deeds settled under the first phase will be handed over to farmers in 10 Mahaweli zones, and deeds were symbolically awarded to 30 persons today.The President further went onto state that although there are many complaints about the lack of power and electricity in the country, the previous Government did not take any action to implement a single power plant in the country after former President Mahinda Rajapaksa established the Norochcholai power plant.President reiterated that he has been able to reaffirm the security of the country.Citing the promises made to implement a green agriculture in the policy statement, the President said that unfortunately the intent was not able to be communicated to the farmers in the correct manner, and many remained misinformed.

Queen’s battle with Covid has now made her able to “relate” with Brits after going through symptoms and sacrificing time with family, according to an expert.Her Majesty, 95, tested positive for the virus last Sunday and has since postponed virtual engagements while she recovers from mild cold-like symptoms. However, the Queen was able to have a telephone audience with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday.

Mainland China reported 249 new confirmed coronavirus infections for yesterday, health officials said, up from 224 a day earlier, with a record number of imported cases including dozens among arrivals from Hong Kong, where infections are surging.

An Ayrshire man who survived two car crashes, a coma, losing his leg and even Covid-19 has been selected to represent Team GB at the upcoming Paralympics.

John Mayer has tested positive for COVID-19 a second time, leading to the next four shows on his ‘Sob Rock’ tour being pushed back to May.The songster shared his diagnosis overnight (February 25), confirming that alongside himself, several members in his band have also wound up with the virus. It comes just days after Mayer’s touring drummer tested positive, with Questlove stepping in to fill his role at the band’s New York City gig.Whelp.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A FedEx driver is caught on video cruising around Detroit with an alleged prostitute in his truck. The driver makes some curious stops, and even some deliveries -- before dropping her off.Peter Anderson thought he’d seen it all until Wednesday.

The first Jollibee restaurant in the province helps generate some excitement for a part of the city that’s been struggling to overcome the impacts of the pandemic. Emad Agahi reports.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Health authorities are urging the public to avoid nonessential trips over the long weekend as COVID-19 infections being reported have recorded a steady rise.The Deputy Director General of Health Services, Dr. Hemantha Herath responded to the question whether the OMICRON variant is at a community spreading rate or not, by stating that it cannot be confirmed exactly according to the definition of the term ‘community spread’, however, if the variant has reached that stage, the public should be careful in their conduct.Meanwhile, member of the Central Committee, of the GMOA, Dr.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Ministry of Education said that reports have surfaced from across the island about students and teachers testing positive for COVID-19.The Ministry said that it’s constantly monitoring the situation at hand, adding that it hopes to obtain the necessary advice from the Health Ministry on detecting COVID cases and taking necessary measures.Besides, the Ministry has instructed all education authorities to follow the health guidelines issued.Deputy Director-General of Health Services Dr. G.