UK has 'little to no scope' to relax Covid rules for Christmas unless rates fall

COVID-19 rapid antigen tests at grocery stores, pharmacies and other settings.A government source with knowledge of the plan told The Canadian Press that Health Minister Christine Elliott will announce more details on Wednesday.The source said there will be a limit of one box of five tests per household per visit, though some stores might have different processes.Ontario provided free rapid antigen test kits at malls and liquor stores in December ahead of the holidays.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Police confirmed the arrest of the main suspect wanted in connection with the attempted shooting of an ambulance driver on the 27th of January opposite the Panadura Base Hospital.Sri Lanka Police said 8 grams of heroin was seized from the possession of the 32-year-old suspect from Kuruppumulla on Tuesday (8) night.Detectives are planning on obtaining a detention order to detain and interrogate the suspect, after producing him to the Panadura Magistrate’s Court.Sri Lanka Police on Tuesday (8) also arrested a 51-year-old man in connection to the attempted shooting of an ambulance driver in Panadura, on the 27th of January 2022.The suspect was identified as the assistant to the ambulance driver who was the main target of the shooters.On Independence Day (4), the Kalutara Crimes Division arrested the ambulance driver who was the target of gunmen in Panadura.Sri Lanka Police said the ambulance driver was transferring an expectant mother to the Panadura Hospital when several people chased after him on four motorcycles and opened fire at him.However, the weapon used by the gunman had jammed.Police said the ambulance driver was arrested after it was revealed that he was transporting Heroin at the time of the incident.According to Police, the person who was driving the motorcycle and the person who assisted in the shooting were also arrested.The assistant to the ambulance driver had confessed to police that the ambulance was used to transport drugs on several occasions.In addition, another man was arrested from Panadura on Tuesday (8) for spying on the ambulance driver.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya on Wednesday (9) ordered to release of a Church worker, who was detained over the discovery of a hand grenade from All Saint’s Church in Borella.On the 2nd of February, the Additional Magistrate ordered to release of three other workers connected to the incident.Accordingly, all four church workers who were arrested and detained over the incident, have been released.Sri Lanka’s Attorney General had recommended that they be released given the fact that they were not involved in the incident.A week ago, Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris informed the court that it was revealed that the three other workers were not connected to the incident in any way, and the Attorney General had advised to release them.

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ANI reported. AIIMS Medical Superintendent DK Sharma in a letter today said in accordance with current ICMT's national guidelines, it has been decided to discontinue routine Covid-19 testing prior to inpatient hospitalisations (regular as well as daycare) and also prior to any minor or major surgical or interventional or non-interventional procedures and imaging in clinically asymptomatic patients.AIIMS, Delhi announces to discontinue routine COVID-19 testing prior to inpatient hospitalization and surgeries pic.twitter.com/R0wjcSdaFl

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Phillip Schofield has returned to This Morning after testing positive for coronavirus. The 59-year-old presenter had been forced to skip hosting This Morning and Dancing on Ice and admitted he was "bored out of his brain" while locked away in his home after testing positive for Covid seven days in a row.

Canada’s Meryeta O’Dine won the bronze medal in her Olympic debut at the Beijing Winter Games in women’s snowboard cross Wednesday.

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A review is set to be launched after four children were given Covid vaccine overdoses of more than twice the approved amount.

A Business Proposal has been pushed back by a week.Today (February 9), the show’s production team announced that the premiere of A Business Proposal has been pushed back by a week, attributing the delay to stricter COVID-19 protocols on the show’s set. The show will now premiere on February 28.“We have decided to inevitably postpone the first broadcast of A Business Proposal for a week due to COVID-19 in order to change the filming schedule and secure a safe production environment,” a representative from the show said, per Sports Chosun and translated by Soompi.“The first broadcast date has been changed from February 21 to February 28,” the representative added.

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COLOMBO (News 1st); The EU has urged Sri Lanka to continue reducing the use of the PTA, and to undertake further practical and administrative steps to release on bail those detained under the PTA without charges.The European Union (EU) and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka held their 24th meeting of the Joint Commission on 8th February 2022 in Brussels.During the meeting, Sri Lanka reiterated its objective to achieve measurable, tangible, and verifiable results on the ground in meeting its commitments.In this context, the EU welcomed the submission by the Government of Sri Lanka of amendments to the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - A juror in the Scott Peterson trial has been offered immunity before testifying at a hearing that could determine whether a new trial is granted, authorities said.Richelle Nice was Juror 7 in the trial that ended with Peterson's conviction for killing his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn son. However, Peterson's attorney said Nice was guilty of juror misconduct because she failed to reveal during the jury selection that she had been beaten by a boyfriend while she was pregnant. He said Peterson deserves a new trial.The offer to Nice will come before she testifies at a Feb.

Convicted rapist and murderer Wayne Couzens has been placed in isolation after catching coronavirus in prison with reports suggesting he is "suffering badly".

Train services are set to increase again as ScotRail recovers from staff shortages following a Covid surge over the festive period.

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WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 1: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks during a news conference after a lunch meeting with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill February 1, 2022 in Washington, DC. McConnell told reporters he disagrees with fo WASHINGTON - Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is going against the Republican National Committee calling the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Deputy Director-General of Public Health Services, Dr. Hemanth Herath has slammed the organizing of mass gatherings in the wake of the COVID-19 spread in the island.‘This is not something that needs to be said over again.

Truckers paralysing the Canadian capital in anger at Covid rules show no sign of backing down, as several of the nation's provinces announced it was time to roll back restrictions that count among the world's toughest.

First nasal spray for covid-19 treatment in India: For the treatment of adult patients suffering from Covid-19, pharma company Glenmark has launched Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray (FabiSpray) in India. The nasal spray was launched by the pharma company in partnership with SaNOtize. "Phase 3 trial in India met the key endpoints and demonstrated reduction of viral load of 94 per cent in 24 hours and 99 per cent in 48 hours. Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray (NONS) was safe and well-tolerated in COVID-19 patients. Glenmark to market NONS under the brand name FabiSpray," the company said in a statement.

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Brexit trade negotiations were not torturous enough, the coronavirus added a twist at a crucial stage on Thursday when top-level talks had to be suspended because an EU negotiator tested positive for COVID-19.It added uncertainty to the negotiations as a deadline looms ever closer and both sides are still divided on three key issues. Boris Johnson’s proposed Brexit treaty-breaking laws rejected in Parliament EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said that together with his U.K.

Boris Johnson has no plans to ban mistletoe this Covid Christmas.

Boris Johnson will refuse to seek a fresh Brexit extension, despite Covid-19 drawing negotiations to a halt.

Christmas "bauble" over the festive season to allow families to meet indoors. The First Minister coined the pun as she revealed discussions between devolved administrations and the UK Government were being held on easing some lockdown restrictions next month.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted he will continue to lead his government's pandemic response as he self-isolates after meeting an MP who tested positive for Covid-19.

Boris Johnson has said that England will be returned to the three-tired system that it was under before the shutdown. Now fears are growing that the restrictions will be toughened up - and potentially threaten family get-togethers this Christmas.

Britain's Health Secretary was unable to rule out an extension to the latest lockdown as a health chief warned the tiered system that ministers want England to return to may have to be strengthened.

BAFTA-winning filmmaker Michael Winterbottom and his Revolution Films production company have signed an exclusive first-look deal with TV giant Fremantle. The deal — done in collaboration with Richard Brown and his Passenger banner —will see Winterbottom, best known for film and series such as Welcome to Sarajevo, 24 Hour Party People, The Trip and recent satire Greed and his regular collaborations with Steve Coogan, develop and produce scripted series and films with Fremantle co-producing and distributing the projects worldwide.

Boris Johnson says he is following through on an order to self-isolate despite being “bursting with antibodies” after recovering from the coronavirus earlier this year.Johnson, who was seriously ill with the virus in April, insisted in a Twitter video that he feels as “fit as a butcher’s dog” after being contacted by the national test-and-trace system. U.K.’s Boris Johnson self-isolating after contact with coronavirus case Johnson met with a group of Conservative MPs for about 35 minutes on Thursday.

U.K.

Mass screening for Covid-19 should be paused because current tests available are not reliable enough, experts have warned.

LONDON – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he is as “fit as a butcher’s dog” after being instructed to self-isolate for 14 days because he recently came in contact with someone who has since contracted coronavirus.In a video message posted Monday on Twitter from his London apartment at Downing Street, Johnson said it didn’t matter that he has already endured COVID-19 and is “bursting with antibodies.” The quarantine requirement comes at the start of a crucial week for Johnson’s Conservative government that includes discussions over a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union.

coronavirus strategy could see parts of the country placed into on-off regional circuit breaker lockdowns in a bid to "pump the breaks" on the deadly virus, it has been reported.

The Daily Star's FREE newsletter is spectacular! Sign up today for the best stories straight to your inboxScientists believe the spread of coronavirus across the UK is slowing following recent weeks of intensified lockdown.Figures from the Office of National Statistics revealed that the death rate is slowing – with a 7.7 percent increase reported on Sunday, giving rise to hopes that the number of fatalities may be flattening.While other statistics released by ONS show that the daily case totals, although still rising, are doing so at a slower rate that previous weeks.The latest numbers come less than two weeks after Prime Minister Boris Johnson plunged England back into a national lockdown.While Wales had been in lockdown before England,

The UK's daily coronavirus testing capacity is set to more than double with the opening of two new "megalabs" in early 2021, the Government has announced.

Boris Johnson is self-isolating after a meeting with a Member of Parliament who later tested positive for COVID-19, Downing Street said.Johnson had been notified by the National Health Service (NHS) Test and Trace that he came in contact of someone who has tested positive and he must self-isolate, the prime minister's spokesperson said on Sunday.“The prime minister will follow the rules and is self-isolating. He will carry on working from Downing Street, including on leading the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic," the spokesperson said."The PM is well and does not have any symptoms of COVID-19," the spokesperson added.Johnson spent three nights in intensive care at St.

FILE - Prime Minister Boris Johnson (seen wearing a face mask with a number 10 embroidered into it) attends a service to mark the centenary of the burial of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey on November 11, 2020 in London, England.

Boris Johnson is self-isolating in Downing Street after hosting a Tory MP who was infected with coronavirus and later tested positive.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been told to self-isolate after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19, Downing Street has said.

The Daily Star's FREE newsletter is spectacular! Sign up today for the best stories straight to your inboxPrime Minister Boris Johnson is being forced to self-isolate after coming into contact with a Covid-19 positive person.The 56-year-old political leader – who was almost killed by the virus when he contracted it back in April – will continue to lead the government and lead the ongoing battle against the Covid-19 virus while isolating from Downing Street.News of the PM's new brush with Covid-19 emerged on Sunday night with a spokesperson sharing an update with LBC presenter Ben Kentish.Taking to Twitter on Sunday night, Mr Kentish wrote: "Boris Johnson isolating after coming into contact with someone with Covid-19."Mr Kentish continued:

Boris Johnson faces the challenges of soaring virus deaths and looming Brexit talks, two of his closest aides have resigned amid reports of bitter infighting.The British prime minister's top aide and the organiser of the "Vote Leave" campaign, Dominic Cummings, walked out of Downing Street on Friday holding a cardboard box.This came a day after the resignation of Johnson's communications director Lee Cain, a close Cummings ally who also worked on the "Leave" side of the 2016 referendum.While Cain was little-known to the British public, Cummings became massively unpopular in May when he failed to apologise for violating the government's strict coronavirus lockdown measures with lengthy road trips, while Johnson took his side.Cummings had

Boris Johnson, United Kingdom Prime Minister, extended wishes on the occasion of Diwali. He also expressed his "respect" for the way British Hindus, Sikhs and Jains have "gone out of their way" to help others during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.In a video message that he posted on his Twitter, Johnson could be seen lighting the lamp.

LONDON – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s top adviser plans to step down at the end of the year after a bruising battle for influence at the heart of the British government fueled by tensions over Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.Amid speculation that he would leave government, Cummings late Thursday night told the BBC that he planned to be “largely redundant” by Christmas. Political commentators had suggested Cummings would step down after one of his allies was denied an appointment as Johnson’s chief of staff.Cummings, a chief architect of the campaign to have Britain leave the European Union, has been a divisive figure inside the Conservative government since Johnson became prime minister 18 months ago.

coronavirus vaccine as England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer said he would be happy to work evenings and weekends to vaccinate people himself.

coronavirus deaths.New government data shows the number of people who have died within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test has risen to more than 50,365, up by 595 fatalities in the past 24 hours.A total of 61,648 people have now died since the start of the pandemic whose death certificate mentioned Covid-19 as one of the causes, with 1,597 in the past week, the figures show.Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the figures showed, despite hopes for a vaccine, "we are not out of the woods".He said: "Every death is a tragedy," but added: "I do think we have got now to a different phase in the way that we treat it."Speaking during a visit to a Tesco distribution centre in Erith, south-east London, he added: "After the tough autumn measures which

coronavirus-fighting tier system once the current lockdown in England ends, it has emerged. Brits were plunged into a 2nd lockdown on November 5 and will not be able to mingle with other households or visit restaurants or bars until it ends on December 2.