U.K. drops COVID-19 restrictions, scraps mandatory face masks

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ivermectin did not prevent patients with Covid-19 from becoming severely ill, a study by Malaysian researchers has revealed. 

tensest standoff with the West since the Cold War, Russia plans to give its nuclear weapons apparatus a practice run this weekend.The multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles set for Saturday follow a warning from U.S. President Joe Biden that Russia could invade Ukraine within days.NATO says Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed to keep his promises of withdrawing some of an estimated 150,000 troops assembled around Ukraine’s borders, dashing hopes for an imminent de-escalation of the crisis.

virus and are primed to fight it off if they encounter omicron, or even another variant.About half of eligible Americans have received booster shots, there have been nearly 80 million confirmed infections overall and many more infections have never been reported. One influential model uses those factors and others to estimate that 73% of Americans are, for now, immune to omicron, the dominant variant, and that could rise to 80% by mid-March.This will prevent or shorten new illnesses in protected people and reduce the amount of virus circulating overall, likely tamping down new waves.

PHILADELPHIA - Work is finished on a multibillion-dollar pipeline system that connects the vast Marcellus Shale gas field in western Pennsylvania to an export terminal near Philadelphia, according to its corporate owner, which faces criminal charges that it fouled waterways and residential water supplies during pipeline construction.Energy Transfer said Wednesday that construction work on its Mariner East pipeline network was completed this month. The announcement was included in the company's fourth-quarter earnings report.

PHILADELPHIA - A person of interest is in police custody following in Thursday's shooting a food delivery driver in Center City, according to police.  The incident, which police say started over a parking dispute, occurred near 17th and Chestnut Streets just after 1:50 p.m.According to investigators, a delivery driver who was picking up a food order double parked his vehicle, blocking in another driver.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A family that died of heat exhaustion during a grueling summer hike in Northern California sent a last, desperate text pleading for help, authorities said Thursday.The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office released information pulled from the cellphone of Jonathan Gerrish after months of work with an FBI forensics team.One text made shortly before noon on Aug. 15 to a person whose name wasn’t released asked: "Can you help us" and added: "No water or ver (over) heating with baby," the San Francisco Chronicle reported.But the area had bad cellphone service and the text never went through.

cargo ship carrying vehicles from Germany to the U.S caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday and remains adrift near the Azores Islands.The Portuguese navy rescued all the 22 crew members from the ship, named the Felicity Ace, which was scheduled to arrive in the Port of Davisville, Rhode Island, on Feb. 23.No one was injured, but the Felicity Ace was carrying an unknown number of Volkswagen Group vehicles, including Porsches, in its hold, which has a capacity of 4,000 vehicles."Our immediate thoughts are of relief that the 22 crew of the merchant ship 'Felicity Ace' are safe and well," Porsche said in a statement to Fox News Autos."A number of our cars are among the cargo.

CAMBRIDGE, MA - FEBRUARY 17: University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas smiles on the podium after winning the 500 freestyle during the 2022 Ivy League Womens Swimming and Diving Championships at Blodgett Pool on February 17, 2022 in Cambridge, Ma CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - There isn’t much to indicate anything other than a typical college swim meet is taking place this week at Harvard University’s Blodgett Pool.No demonstrations or protests outside the building. But there is evidence of the discussion surrounding the sport during the past year.An "8 Against Hate" sign is displayed above the pool between flags representing each of the schools competing in the Ivy League women’s swimming championship.

COVID-19, a decrease of 68 compared with the previous day. Of those, 119 people were in intensive care units, a decline of five.This comes after a total of 112 patients were admitted while 180 were discharged across the province in the last day.Quebec also recorded 1,837 new novel coronavirus infections as part of its daily tally.

World Health Organization (WHO) said. Genomic sequencing is one of the best methods to identify new variants of the virus. 

Covid patients being forced to wait outside hospitals as the city battles the surging Omicron cases.Hong Kong has seen its highest daily toll of infections recorded – 6,600 cases on Friday (February 18) – since the beginning of the pandemic.The global city's insane "Covid zero" plan backfired when the government failed to keep the cases at bay despite closing its border to the world and maintaining a hellish 21-day quarantine for returning travellers.Videos shared on a local Facebook group show patients waiting on stretchers outside Caritas Hospital in Kowloon as ambulances pulled up at the kerb.Doctors and nurses, all covered in protective gear, are seen going back and forth to the A&E department to tend for the patients.In another video posted by local resident Po Sang, dozens of residents queue up around a block for a Covid rapid test.The mass queue has seen members of the public waiting for up to two hours to get tested.About 11 public hospitals are working beyond capacity, with a waiting time of up to eight hours at emergency rooms.

COVID on Friday, with 352 in intensive care units as figures continue to trend downwards. Hospitalizations are at the lowest point since early January.This is down by 61 hospitalizations and a decrease of four in ICUs since the previous day. Last Friday, there were 1,829 hospitalizations with 435 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 1,281 people in hospital with COVID-19, 51 per cent of them were admitted because of the virus, while 49 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for COVID-19.Of the 352 people in ICUs with the virus, 81 per cent were admitted because of COVID, while 19 per cent were admitted for other reasons.

MUMBAI :

pub broke Covid social distancing rules, local council chiefs have claimed. Ye Old Axe on Hackney Road, east London was slapped with a £1,000 fine for various breaches of coronavirus rules last year.As the venue applies to renew its sexual establishment licence, its shortcomings from last year have been revealed.

After an uncomfortable but relatively brief return to coronavirus restrictions triggered by the Omicron variant, England is going back to "Plan A" - learning to live with a disease that is probably here to stay.

Kate Garraway's first guests will include Welsh singer Charlotte Church and Liverpool FC legend John Barnes. READ MORE: Fans support Katie Price as she announces huge career move The move comes after the 54-year-old was made an MBE in the New Year Honours for her services to broadcasting, journalism and charity.

Sainsbury's and Waitrose are asking people to continue to wear a face covering in their stores when restrictions ease in England on Thursday.A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: "Safety remains our highest priority."From Thursday, we're asking our customers and colleagues in England to continue to wear a face covering in our stores if they are able to."In Scotland and Wales face coverings remain mandatory for those who can wear them in our stores, in line with the latest government restrictions."They added: "We continue to have a range of safety measures in all of our stores, including screens and sanitising stations."John Lewis and sister company Waitrose are also "suggesting" customers and staff should wear a face covering when inside their stores.Another high street giant, electronics specialists Currys, is asking staff to wear masks in-store. A release from the company said it would "continue to assess our approach based on infection rates and colleague feedback".Stay in the loop with all the latest Daily Star news by signing up for one of our free newsletters here.USDAW, the retail workers’ trade union is also urging shoppers to "observe Covid safety measures”as much as possible in order to protect its 360,000 members.

A nurse described as a 'hero' and 'incredibly compassionate' died from covid on the same day as an alleged party took place in Downing Street - breaking lockdown rules.

Coronavirus infections skyrocketed during the end of 2021 and early 2022 due to the emergence of the Omicron variant.

The Scottish Government have confirmed 33 people have died from coronavirus in the last 24 hours.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to face further questions over a police investigation into alleged Covid lockdown breaches at Downing Street, as No 10 braces for the submission of a report into the matter.

Plan B measures put in place to slow the spread of Omicron will be lifted completely this week.

The Scottish Government have confirmed 23 people have died from coronavirus in the last 24 hours.

Boris Johnson is facing more backlash after reports emerged of another party being held at Downing Street during the first lockdown.

coronavirus.Covid-19 began spreading rapidly once the new Omicron variant emerged.In early January, cases soared past the 200,000 mark despite Plan B restrictions that were put in place in England.Thankfully, although they are still high, the number of confirmed cases are much lower than they were at the beginning of the year.They are now down to 88,447 as of January 25, up from the previous day's figure of 78,317.Boris Johnson and his Cabinet are hoping this means the variant has now peaked, while some experts feel the changes still present a risk.As a result, restrictions that have affected when we wear a face mask and the way we act in shops, nightclubs and other public places are being lifted.So what are the changes?As the clock ticks down on Plan B restrictions, people can legally stop wearing them in public indoor spaces from Thursday January 27; Plan B expires the day before.The Prime Minister has already announced they no longer had to be worn inside the classroom by secondary school pupils and staff, but now people do not have to wear them in indoor public places if they so choose.People can still wear masks if they want to.Johnson said they now hope to be able to allow Plan B measures to expire and move to 'Plan A' Covid rules.The PM said: "The Cabinet concluded that because of the extraordinary booster campaign together with the way the public have responded to the Plan B measures - we can return to Plan A in England and allow Plan B regulations to expire."This means the end of NHS Covid passes needed for large venues and work-from-home guidance has already been scrapped.Venues can choose to enforce the use of Covid passes on entry to their venue if they wish to do so.People will be able to visit care homes

Nicola Sturgeon will make her weekly statement on coronavirus today as Omicron restrictions in Scotland are finally scrapped.

LONDON :

The Scottish Government have confirmed no people have died from coronavirus in the last 24 hours.

Boris Johnson has confirmed that fully-vaccinated travellers arriving in England will no longer have to take a coronavirus test.

Boris Johnson has scrapped covid tests for vaccinated travellers arriving in the UK signalling a move towards a return to more normal summer holidays.

Boris Johnson has announced coronavirus passports and mandatory face masks are to be scrapped in England as Plan B measures are lifted.

Boris Johnson has announced that Plan B restrictions put in place to tackle Omicron are coming to an end.

Boris Johnson has announced a relaxation of Covid rules, with certain measures set to be dropped over the next week.

Anum Qaisar is calling for Boris Johnson to “resign immediately” after she tackled the latest lockdown party revelations at Prime Minister’s Questions – and accused him of “the ultimate betrayal”.

Dr Hilary Jones has said he is unhappy with the government's decision to change the restrictions on Covid 19 - as he warned people to be cautious.

Spain is leads calls for governments to start tackling Covid-19 as any other endemic respiratory virus like seasonal flu, despite opposition from the World Health Organization and warnings that the approach is premature.

The data shows Omicron is in retreat, but it’s not the end of the road.The best step we can all take is to get vaccinated and I want to thank the staff, volunteers and everyone who’s come forward so far. pic.twitter.com/2zDV3j7hj6

Boris Johnson's daughter Romy was hit "quite badly" by Covid-19 but is now "on the mend", it has been reported. Last week, Downing Street had announced that a member of the 57 year old Prime Minister's family had tested positive for the virus, but did not specify who it was.The PM, who shares a stunning home with wife Carrie after a pricey refurbishment, had pulled out of a visit to Lancashire after Downing Street revealed he'd been in close contact a with relative who had coronavirus. At the time, a No10 spokesperson said he would "follow the guidance for vaccinated close contacts, including daily testing and limiting contact with others".

Face masks will no longer be mandatory in public places and schools in England and COVID-19 passports will be dropped for large events as infections level off in large parts of the country, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday.

Boris Johnson has announced a series of coronavirus rule changes in line with Plan B measures being lifted in England.

A further 8,495 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Scotland with the disease claiming another 29 lives.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid will be hosting a Downing Street press conference later today.

Boris Johnson said the legal requirement on people with coronavirus to self-isolate will be scrapped in March.

LONDON :

Britain's Boris Johnson is expected to announce an easing of England's coronavirus restrictions as he battles to save his premiership.

Boris Johnson is expected to announce an easing of England’s coronavirus restrictions tomorrow.

Boris Johnson has claimed that he wasn’t informed that a Downing Street garden gathering that’s been alleged to have been party was against COVID rules at the time.The Prime Minister said in a new interview that he “humbly apologises” to people for “misjudgements” that were made, but that he wouldn’t have attended the gathering on May 20, 2020, if he thought it broke the rules.He told Sky News today (January 18): “I’m saying categorically that nobody told me, nobody said this was something that was against the rules, doing something that wasn’t a work event because frankly, I can’t imagine why it would have gone ahead, or it would have been allowed to go ahead if it was against the rules.”"I carry full responsibility for what took place, but nobody said to me that this was an event that is against the rules."Boris Johnson recalls what he remembers about an alleged party in the Downing Street garden during lockdown.Latest: https://t.co/lE3sSg2vbt pic.twitter.com/k50uWKeYmD— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 18, 2022Under the rules that applied at the time of the alleged party, which dozens of Downing Street staff were invited to in an email sent by principal private secretary Martin Reynolds, people in England were subject to “not meeting up with any more than one person from outside your household” [via FullFact].The law in May 2020 said “no person may participate in a gathering in a public place of more than two people” unless it was for one of a number of stated reasons. These included when the gathering was “essential for work purposes” or “all the persons in the gathering are members of the same household”.