Fears level four lockdown 'could last months' to stop spread of new Covid strain

KRESGEVILLE, Pa. - A late-night house fire claimed the lives of five people in Pennsylvania, authorities said.The victims are an adult female and four children, Monroe County Coroner Tom Yanac said.The fire broke out late Thursday night in the ranch-style home on Brook Road in Polk Township.

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 :

Wells Fargo continues to make disconcerting claims about Wendy Williams’ health.

Kate Middleton is giving viewers a look into how she reads her bedtime stories to her three children — Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3.The 40-year-old Duchess of Cambridge took part in a special on-camera reading of the children's book,, on the BBC's show. The wife of Prince William participated in the reading as part of Children's Mental Health Week. On Friday, released a clip from the episode, showing Kate signing off. In the video, the duchess is sitting on a blanket in a white printed turtleneck sweater and jeans as a crackling fire goes next to her. «Wow, what an encouraging tale,» she says.

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.

Hillary Clinton, former U.S. secretary of state, speaks virtually during the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore, on Friday, Nov.

In Ipsos polling exclusive to Global News, nearly half of Canadians say while they may not agree with everything that is being said, protesters’ frustration is legitimate and worthy of sympathy. A slim majority think the opposite.

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.

Wordle game displayed on a phone screen and The New York Times logo displayed in the background are seen in this illustration photo. (Photo illustration by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NEW YORK - Puzzle fans looking for their fix of gray, yellow and (hopefully) green squares are finding that Wordle has moved, a few weeks after its purchase by the New York Times.Users logging on Thursday and Friday are beginning to be redirected from the familiar plain white website and instead winding up on a similar page hosted by the Times.

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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SpaceX owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk poses on the red carpet of the Axel Springer Award 2020 on December 01, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Britta Pedersen-Pool/Getty Images) SpaceX’s Elon Musk said Thursday that the first orbital flight of his towering Starship — the world's most powerful rocket ever built — could come in another month or two.While he anticipates failures, he’s confident Starship will reach orbit by the end of this year.Musk provided his first major Starship update in more than two years while standing alongside the 390-foot (119-meter) rocket at SpaceX's Texas spaceport.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at Germanna Community College in Culpeper, Virginia, on Feb. 10, 2022.

The University of Regina Cougars Women’s Hockey team picked up two key victories last weekend against the Manitoba Bisons, thanks in no small part to the play of winger Lilla Carpenter-Boesch.

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

Dustin Lynch’s album "Blue in the Sky" has finally dropped. The country star announced the surprise follow-up to "Tullahoma" in a tweet on Jan. 19 – about a year after releasing the project that included a duo of No.

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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Barbara Corbo, a former Mercy Career & Technical High School teacher, was accused of engaging in "sexual contact" with a student.  PHILADELPHIA - A former Philadelphia teacher has been charged after being accused of sexually assaulting a student, according to police. On Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, Philadelphia police arrested 30-year-old Barbara Corbo on the 800 block of Kelly Drive in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. Corbo taught at Mercy Career & Technical High School in Philadelphia.

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.

East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow MP, Dr Lisa Cameron, attended a drop in event in the Houses of Parliament to mark Children’s Mental Health Week 2022.

Scottish Government has announced. The latest figures show that 8.2 per cent of the total number of tests came back positive overnight.

direct to your inboxNicola Sturgeon has apologised after she breached coronavirus lockdown rules.Scotland's First Minister took off her face mask at a funeral wake to chat to three women in a bar, a photograph published in the Scottish Sun showed.While Ms Sturgeon kept her distance, under Scottish Government Covid rules, customers in hospitality venues must wear a face covering except when seated and must wear one when moving around.Ms Sturgeon was attending a funeral wake for a Scottish Government civil servant.She said: “Last Friday, while attending a funeral wake, I had my mask off briefly.

Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter.Homeware stores and garden centres in Lanarkshire are to close from Boxing Day with the exception of click and collect.Members of the public within level 4 are also being urged to stay close to home where possible to help stop the spread of Coronavirus.The stricter definition of essential retailers and new stay at home message have been introduced to help tackle the new variant of the virus which can spread far more quickly and easily.The changes were announced during a statement to Parliament by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.She said:“Given the severity of the situation we face and the need to limit interactions as much as possible, we intend to

LONDON – Scotland’s leader, Nicola Sturgeon, has apologised for breaching coronavirus restrictions when she took off her face mask at a funeral wake. A photograph published in the Scottish Sun newspaper showed Sturgeon chatting to three women in a bar while standing at a distance but without wearing a mask.

held up at Dover since France closed its borders fearing the spread of a new strain of coronavirus from the south-east. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today called for action and said: "There is no time to lose." Sturgeon raised her concerns at the Scottish Parliament where she stressed there are no "immediate concerns" for food or medicine supplies across the country.

Perth and Kinross councillors believe council frontline workers should get a £500 bonus just like NHS and social care staff.

March.

Perthshire North MSP John Swinney spoke following the announcement that Boxing Day will see all non-essential shops and hospitality businesses in Perth and Kinross close for three weeks.

Joe FitzPatrick, who left the post last week.FitzPatrick quit after being roundly criticised over drugs death figures.Gougeon, SNP MSP for Angus North and Mearns, was the Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment.In her new post, she will play a key role in tackling the pandemic and will have responsibility for COVID-19 testing.Angela Constance has been nominated to be the new Minister for Drugs Policy.First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "Mairi Gougeon has proven herself to be a highly effective Rural Affairs minister working with stakeholders, balancing competing interests and taking on difficult policy challenges."She will now be part of the team protecting and improving Scotland’s public health, and will play a key role in

Boris Johnson is resisting mounting pressure to extend the Brexit transition period after border chaos following the discovery of a new coronavirus strain.

Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter.Coronavirus cases in Lanarkshire have fallen for the fourth consecutive week.Last week, 860 new Covid-19 case were recorded in the region - the lowest since the week beginning September 21.However, yesterday saw 239 new confirmed cases in Lanarkshire - the highest for a single day since November 21.At her daily briefing in Edinburgh, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said a backlog in tests being processed was partly to blame.She added that 1,504 new cases announced in Scotland today also indicated that the virus was beginning to spread and that case numbers were increasing again.Last week, case numbers in Lanarkshire fell by just two per cent in what was

new covid strain.France has also banned hauliers crossing the Channel, sparking fears about the impact of goods being able to come in and out of the country.The possibility of a no-deal Brexit has led to questions being raised on the supply of food and medicines.Speaking at her daily briefing, Nicola Sturgeon said:“The stockpile of medicines that were being built up ahead of Bexit are in place, and so while we monitor medicine supply very carefully, we have no immediate concerns about medicine supplies.

Sign up to the weekly West Lothian Courier newsletter for the latest West Lothian news and sport.West Lothian Council have told people they must comply with the latest restrictions issued by the Scottish Government.Nicola Sturgeon announced at the weekend that Scotland would enter into Level Four from Boxing Day and scrapped the previously agreed five-day relaxation of the rules.The First Minister confirmed that the school holidays are now to be extended in January.She said “firm preventative action” was required immediately due to the emergence of a faster spreading strain of the coronavirus.Leader of West Lothian Council, Councillor Lawrence Fitzpatrick, says he understands how saddening it is for people to learn that they will not see

Coronavirus has put considerable strain on the UK welfare system causing an increase in demand for services and support. On November 2, 2020, the Scottish Government introduced a five level tiered system of preventative measures to protect people from the pandemic and over the weekend, First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, announced that from Boxing Day, all regions within mainland Scotland will observe Tier 4 restrictions.

direct to your inboxThere are tonight calls for an extension on the EU transition period as a deadline for a Brexit deal set by European Parliament passed with no sign of progress.Brexit trade talks may now grind on through Christmas until December 31.The deadline to reach a deal tonight was set by the European Parliament.The UK will continue in its efforts to persuade Brussels to agree on key points of contention.In a tweet this evening the Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was among many who urged Boris Johnson to seek an agreement to extend the Brexit transition period.She wrote: "It’s now imperative that PM seeks an agreement to extend the Brexit transition period."The new Covid strain - & the various implications of it - means we

Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter.Police in Paisley were forced into breaking up a number of house parties in the wake of the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s Covid-19 crackdown.Officers responded to Covidiot complaints involving a string of defiant gatherings on Saturday evening, with a number of people warned over ignoring public health guidance.Chief Inspector Rhona Fraser said police in Paisley were tasked with a “very busy night” involving officers visiting houses and speaking to occupants about breaking strict pandemic regulations.She said: “It was a very busy night with officers attending homes in Paisley where people were in breach of Covid-19 regulations.“It is unknown if this

Get the stories that interest you straight to your inbox every day with our personalised newsletterA further 30 people in Scotland have died after contracting coronavirus.The death toll was revealed this afternoon as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged caution over the relaxation of restrictions at Christmas.She is urging Scots to limit their Christmas bubbles to two households despite previously published rules stating that up to three would be possible.She said: "The safest way to spend Christmas this year is to stay within your own household and your own home and my strong recommendation is that that is what people should do if at all possible."Latest figures from the Scottish Government show 858 people tested positive for Covid-19 in

coronavirus deaths recorded in Scotland in the last 24 hours, according to official figures Nicola Sturgeon also revealed at First Minister's Question s this lunchtime that there were 858 new cases of Covid-19 record overnight, taking the total figure to 109,296.

poorest areas had a higher chance of critical care admission, and that intensive care units in such areas were more likely to be overcrowded.

Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter.New coronavirus cases in Lanarkshire fell by almost 11 per cent last week.At her daily press briefing in Edinburgh today (Monday, December 14), First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed there had been 95 new cases in Lanarkshire on Sunday.As a result, last week there were 880 new Covid-19 cases in the region – a 10.9 per cent decrease on the previous week.Last week was the final week after the Scottish Government moved Lanarkshire into the top tier of coronavirus restrictions in a bid to reduce the “stubbornly high” prevalence of the virus in the region before Christmas.After three weeks in level four of the tiered system, cases in Lanarkshire have