Lockdown extension fears that deadly new Covid strain will push lifting back

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia health officials on Wednesday announced new COVID-19 response levels that will now tie the city’s mask and vaccine mandates to specific metrics. Under the new multi-tiered systems, city and health officials say they will stop enforcing certain mandates as COVID-19 metrics improve. Should the numbers worsen, officials say they will use the same system to determine when those mandates should be enforced again. Based on current metrics, officials announced on Wednesday that Philadelphia had reached a Masks Precautions Only level - meaning that the requirement to show proof of vaccination at indoor dining establishments that serve food for onsite consumption was dropped, effective immediately. Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health will focus on four key metrics to guide decisions on mandates and restrictions. The metrics include average new cases per day, number of hospitalizations, percent of tests reported as positive, and the rate of change of new cases. City officials say tying their response to these metrics will help the public understand why the city is enforcing specific mandates, as well as what needs to happen in order the enforcement to stop. Philadelphia’s COVID-19 website will be updated to included detailed breakdowns of the four key metrics.On Wednesday, Philadelphia health Commissioner Dr.

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.

Queen Elizabeth was photographed for the first time since the public was concerned for her safety.

Other symptoms to look out for

Covid-19 outbreak in the US are pointing sharply downward.

Freedom Convoy” blockade of downtown Ottawa are being warned by police to “leave the area now” as questions heat up about when police will act to remove the demonstrators who have paralyzed the nation’s capital for 20 days.“You must leave the area now. Anyone blocking streets, or assisting others in the blocking streets, are committing a criminal offence and you may be arrested.

Ottawa blockade that has kept the capital at a standstill for nearly three full weeks are calling the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act a scare tactic.Trucks, RVs and other vehicles with Canadian flags or banners with the word “freedom” in giant letters along their front grilles remain on Wellington Street in front of Parliament Hill, with drivers saying they will stay put until all COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions are lifted.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the act on Monday for the first time in Canadian history, with details of the regulations contained in cabinet orders published Tuesday night.Under the act, bringing children to the antigovernment blockades, participating in the protests directly, or bringing aid such as food or fuel to those involved could result in a fine of up to $5,000 or five years in prison Bringing children, food or fuel to convoy blockades prohibited under Emergencies Act Blockades are not allowed on Parliament Hill and surrounding streets, official residences, war monuments, airports, harbours, border crossings, piers, lighthouses, canals, interprovincial and international bridges, hospitals and COVID-19 vaccine clinics, trade corridors and infrastructure needed for the supply of utilities including power generation and transmission.The cabinet orders are now in effect but must all be confirmed by motions to be put to both the House of Commons and the Senate for a vote.The government could take until next week to table the motion invoking the act itself, but has only until Thursday to do so for the motions on the specific powers being enacted, which will remain in place for 30 days unless the government revokes them sooner.

PHILADELPHIA - The Wells Fargo Center says fans will no longer be required to show proof of vaccination when attending events at the arena.The announcement comes as Philadelphia announced on Wednesday that it was immediately ending the vaccine requirement for establishments that serve food for onsite consumption. The arena fell under the city’s criteria for establishments that were required to ask for proof of vaccination from customers and staff.The vaccine requirement had gone into place on Jan. 3.

As the Emergencies Act is invoked to stop the convoy protests in Ottawa, the federal government is aiming to cut off the movement’s financial resources.

Renfrewshire children between the ages of five and 11 are to be offered a Covid-19 vaccine.

The Department of Health has been notified of a further 5,268 PCR-confirmed cases of Covid-19.

SAN FRANCISCO - Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has agreed to pay $90 million to settle a decade-old, class-action lawsuit over the social media giant’s use of "cookies" in 2010 and 2011 that tracked people online — even after they logged off of Facebook.The company, which posted profits of $39.37 billion in 2021, will pay the $90 million settlement to users who previously submitted verified claims, after lawyer fees are deducted. Meta has also agreed to delete all the data it "wrongfully collected" during that period. The proposed settlement was filed late Monday in the U.S.

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Authorities in Bucks County say they are looking to identify and locate a person of interest in a homicide that occurred on Tuesday. Bristol Township police responded to the 700 block of Winder Drive at 7:15 p.m. and found a deceased 78-year-old man inside of a home. After a preliminary investigation, authorities say they identified Brian Joseph Carey, 41, as a person of interest. The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office identified Carey as the victim’s stepson.Carey is believed to be driving a 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer that belonged to the victim.

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COVID-19 as the province began phasing out its vaccine passport system Wednesday.The daily tally showed pandemic-related hospitalizations stood at 1,995, a drop of 57 compared with the previous day. This includes 129 patients in intensive care units, a decrease of three.Officials say 130 people were admitted to hospitals in the past 24-hour period, while 187 were discharged.The province reported 2,328 new novel coronavirus cases, but the number isn’t representative of the situation since only high-risk groups can access government-run screening clinics.On that note, 23,053 tests were administered Monday.

Manitoba COVID-19 hospitalizations and ICU admissions down while no new deaths reported Global News will stream the press conference on this page.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The bicycle ride was hard enough already.And then add in getting charged by a bull.At least two videos have surfaced showing a bull in Bakersfield, Calif., charging a bicyclist, participating in the Rock Cobbler, an 80-mile course described as a "stupidly hard (bike) ride bordering on a race," according to the website.Richard Pepper, who shot one of the videos on Feb. 12, captured the moment a bull charged at a bicyclist, who didn't slow down or swerve on his path, but kept moving in the direction of the large animal, which butted its head twice at the rider, who fell off his bike. SEE ALSO: Video captures flock of birds suddenly falling from the sky in MexicoPepper told Storyful when he got to this part of the trail, there were already about 15 riders stopped because of the bull."More racers were coming in from behind.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia has dropped its vaccine mandate in indoor dining establishments and unveiled a new, multi-tiered system they say will guide decisions on easing - or implementing - restrictions in the future. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole announced the news during Wednesday, amid a recent drop in new cases and positivity rates in the city.Bettigole says the new system, made up of four tiers, will allow officials to use metrics to drive their decisions on COVID-19 restrictions.

Maharashtra in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative caseload to 78,50,494, said the state health department on Wednesday. 

#COVID19 restrictions in the state. pic.twitter.com/7HgNPxxQds

Coachella has loosened the reigns on COVID-19 safety even more. In a shocking return to pre-pandemic form, Goldenvoice, the company that produces Coachella, Day N Vegas, Camp Flog Gnaw, and formerly Panorama NYC, has announced that there will now be no protocols in place for the 2022 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

A covert operation conducted by an Edmonton security firm determined some protesters occupying the Coutts border had become so emboldened by the blockade’s success they discussed blocking cargo terminals at airports across the country in an ongoing attempt to force a change of government in Ottawa.

Paislee Shultis, a young girl kidnapped two years ago at the age of four, has been found alive in her home state of New York.

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COVID on Wednesday, with 364 in intensive care units as overall figures continue to trend downwards.This is down by 147 hospitalizations but a decrease of 20 in ICUs since the previous day. Last Wednesday, there were 2,059 hospitalizations with 449 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 1,403 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 364 people in ICUs with the virus, 82 per cent were admitted because of COVID, while 18 per cent were admitted for other reasons.

Danger AheadIt is also a political headache for the premier, who is facing opposition from members of Parliament his own Conservative party to any moves to delay unlocking the economy. Johnson has defended his “cautious" approach to ensure that lifting restrictions, saying he wanted each step to be “irreversible," making the lockdown at the start of the year the country’s last.The number of confirmed infections of the India strain more than doubled in the past week to 1,313 from 520, according to Public Health England.

‘Cycle of Infection’“We have got to break the cycle of infection, because one of those big tests was infection rates have to be suppressed, and the other big test is variants," Zahawi told LBC radio. “If those cause a problem, then the tests will fail."Still, ministers are more likely to back a targeted surge in the vaccination program in areas where the India variant is more prevalent, rather than order local lockdowns, people familiar with the matter said.Prime Minister Boris Johnson would face resistance from within his ruling Conservative Party to any slowdown in lifting the lockdown.

Boris Johnson says the UK will continue to take the next step towards freedom on Monday despite the new Indian coronavirus variant threatening "serious disruption" to the roadmap. However he has not ruled out that the strain could prevent the UK from achieving its plan for a full reopening next month on June 21.

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Scotland within the last 24 hours while almost three million people have received at least one dose of a vaccine.Fresh data has been published this afternoon by the Scottish Government as part of its national COVID-19 daily briefing.And the figures come as Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed concern with regards to the so-called Indian variant while First Minister Nicola Sturgeon admitted an outbreak in Glasgow was also being monitored closely.Much of Scotland is set to move into Tier 2 status with the exception of Moray which is trying to get an outbreak back under control.According to Public Health Scotland's rolling seven-day infection rate per 100,000 population, Moray still has the highest infection rate in the country – at 98.1 as

covid cases in Glasgow which could be linked to the new, highly transmissible strain of the virus.A spike in covid cases in Glasgow over the last six days has left a decision on whether the city can ease out of lockdown with rest of the country in the balance.Scientists are keeping a close eye on the spread of the Indian variant across the UK.The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) is holding a meeting on Thursday to discuss the spread of the Indian variant, amid fears it could have an impact on the Government’s road map out of lockdown.Speaking to cameras on a school visit he Prime Minister said: “It is a variant of concern, we are anxious about it.“At the moment there is a very wide range of scientific opinion about what

Covid variant threatens to delay the end of lockdown. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) is set to meet on Thursday amid rising fears the June 21 date for lockdown easing will be pushed back.Bolton was this week named the UK's "ground zero" for the B1617.2 strain which has become the dominant strain in four areas, figures show.Boris Johnson said it has become "of increasing concern" in Britain as data is set to show a worrying three fold increase in infections of the highly transmissible mutation.Experts advising the Government believe the final stage of Boris Johnson's road map out of lockdown -set for June 21 -could now be pushed back.

The number of people testing positive for coronavirus in Bolton is continuing to increase dramatically, the latest figures show.

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday an independent public inquiry into the U.K.’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DON'T MISS...Jane McDonald makes career announcement after partner's death [UPDATE]Jenson Button aimed fire at 'weird' Lewis Hamilton: 'He's changed' [INSIGHT]Ray continued: “Can someone tell me why the f**k we are paying for this? It’s like another tax isn’t it.”“Now the government tell us that on May 17 that maybe people can go on holiday again to certain countries, but can someone tell me how a normal family can afford a holiday and then probably have to find another £2000 on top to pay for these tests.

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LONDON – The British government plans to expand student loan programs to give all adults access to four years of university or job training throughout their lifetimes as part of a legislative program designed to help the U.K. recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 roadmap when people are no longer required to socially distance.Earlier today (May 10) Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that the penultimate phase of the coronavirus lockdown easing, which will allow for six people from different households (or two households) to meet indoors from May 17, will go ahead as planned.

COVID-19 Monday, the first time this has happened in more than a year.While Wales reported a total of four deaths on May 10, 2021, there were none reported in England, Northern Ireland or Scotland, according to official statistics posted on the U.K. government’s website.The last time England reported zero COVID-19 deaths was in March 2020.

LONDON – In England, it's going to be time to hug again.