University of Vavuniya – Sri Lanka’s 17th State University, declared open

Wairarapa has become the seventh DHB area to reach 90% fully vaccinated for Māori. This milestone is another opportunity to celebrate the mahi of staff at vaccine clinics, health providers and iwi who are working to ensure Māori are well protected against COVID-19.

Wearing a protective face covering has been a tool in the pandemic, and also a symbol of the COVID-19 divide. As the mask mandate is lifted in Edmonton, Morgan Black explores the mask divide and how to move past it.

COVID-19 has been declining in Saskatchewan over previous weeks, but Dr. Alyson Kelvin doesn’t believe the pandemic is over yet.“I can’t predict anything other than expecting that we’ll see new variants and they… (will have) various degrees of severity,” she said, in an interview with Global News.“It’s something that keeps me up at night.”Kelvin is a vaccinologist and virologist at the University of Saskatchewan’s VIDO-InterVac lab, where she’s developing a new COVID-19 vaccine.

Ukraine as Russia wages war, and some U.S. citizens are ready to ship off to join the battle.Fox News correspondent Douglas Kennedy spoke with New Yorkers like former Marine Dennis Diaz who’s prepared to channel his military background in Iraq and Afghanistan."We’re going to go out there, and we’re going to straighten it out," he said. "There’s a lot of similarities between what we did in Iraq and Ukraine."Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a plea last month, offering up citizenship to foreign fighters who are willing to defend Ukraine from Russian attacks.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at The Rosen Shingle Creek on February 26, 2022 in Orlando, Florida.

WASHINGTON (AP) - With gas prices at record highs across the U.S., an increasing number of governors and state lawmakers are calling for the suspension of gas taxes to provide relief to motorists who are facing the prospect of even higher pump prices as the country cuts off Russian oil imports.Proposals for a "gas tax holiday" to counter inflation had been moving slowly in Congress and state capitols before Russia invaded Ukraine, but they have gained momentum this week amid surging prices that averaged $4.25 a gallon on Wednesday, according to AAA.Republican legislative leaders in Michigan and Pennsylvania announced proposals Wednesday to suspend or reduce state gas taxes. That came after the Republican governor of Georgia and Democratic governor of California both called for relief from state gas taxes Tuesday, when President Joe Biden ordered a ban on Russian oil imports.Meanwhile, the Democratic governors of Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin sent a joint letter to congressional leaders urging them to support legislation suspending the federal government's 18.4-cent-a-gallon gas tax through 2022.Critics of the proposals say there is no guarantee the savings would get passed on to consumers and worry that suspending gas taxes could hurt funding for road projects.

Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver faced a tough crowd in Edmonton Wednesday, when he spoke to the Alberta Municipalities spring caucus one day after introducing Bill 4 — legislation to limit their authority to impose COVID-19 mask and proof of vaccine rules. Tom Vernon reports.

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - As the Major League Baseball lockout continues, it is having an impact on regular season games, as the league has announced the cancellation of all games until at least April 14.Here's what you should know about the situation, as it stands now.Currently, there is a player lockout amid a labor dispute.In a statement released on March 9, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred provided updates on the ongoing negotiations."In a last-ditch effort to preserve a 162-game season, this week we have made good-faith proposals that address the specific concerns voiced by the MLBPA and would have allowed the players to return to the field immediately," Manfred wrote. "The Clubs went to extraordinary lengths to meet the substantial demands of the MLBPA.

Ontario will no longer mandate face mask use in schools as of March 21, also bringing an end to COVID-19 cohorting and physical distancing requirements.“As we continue to ease public health measures, we are also working with the Ministry of Education to align measures in schools and child care with those in the community as much as possible,” said Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore.

COVID-19 mask policy following Ontario’s decision to lift the provincial mandate after the March Break.In a release on Wednesday afternoon, Hamilton Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) chair Dawn Danko says their governors will be meeting Thursday to review the province’s move and assess the future of a local mask measure for its younger students.“At HWDSB, the Board of Trustees previously approved a motion that includes mask-wearing for students in Kindergarten to Grade 3,” Danko said.“Trustees will review the motion, the direction from the province and share further details as soon as possible.” Ontario lifts mask mandate in most settings March 21, all directives to drop by April 27 Currently both of Hamilton’s public school systems require masking for all students up to Grade 12 inside their facilities, unless exempt for medical or human rights causes."We know that there are mixed reactions to this change. At HWDSB, we have remained committed to taking a cautious gradual approach to removing safety protocols, along with clear communication with our community when there are changes."Full statement: https://t.co/qOZJ4LW8WZ— HWDSB (@HWDSB) March 9, 2022Dr.

Award-winning Toronto filmmaker, Domee Shi is blazing the trail in the world of animation. The Chinese-Canadian’s latest film, ‘Turning Red’ is already generating plenty of buzz–and on the heels of the film’s Toronto premier, Shi returned to her roots to inspire the next generation of animators.

COVID-19 hospitalization numbers continued to slowly decline Wednesday with 1,087 people in hospital with the virus.Of that number, 78 people were receiving care in the ICU.That’s compared to 1,106 people with COVID-19 in hospital — with 77 in the ICU — on Tuesday. Alberta municipalities will need province’s OK for face mask or COVID-19 vaccine passport bylaws Over the past 24 hours, seven additional COVID-19 deaths have been reported to the province, bringing Alberta’s pandemic death toll to 3,986.During the same time frame, the province identified 552 new lab-confirmed cases from 3,069 tests.

Ukraine accused Russia on Wednesday of bombing a children’s hospital in the besieged port of Mariupol during an agreed ceasefire to enable civilians trapped in the city to escape.

Match Group, whose brands include Tinder, Match, Meetic, OkCupid, Hinge, Pairs, PlentyOfFish, OurTime and many more, will now allow Tinder users and the general public to have access to a low-cost background check option, the company announced on Wednesday. In a continued partnership with Garbo, "a female-founded, first-of-its-kind, non-profit background check platform," the Match Group will allow users access to Garbo’s database at $2.50 per search, according to a company news release. Tinder users will be given two free searches upon launch which can amount to up to 500,000 free searches in total. "We know that the biggest indicator of future abuse or violence is a history of these types of behaviors. Whether it's online dating or the dozens of other ways we meet strangers in today's digital age, we should know if we're potentially putting our safety at risk," said Kathryn Kosmides, founder of Garbo.

EXTON, Pa. - A bizarre social media challenge led to the arrest of a man and woman after police say they hid inside a Chester County Target overnight and filmed for their YouTube channel.West Whiteland Township Police were dispatched to the Target in Exton off Route 100 for a tripped alarm on Feb. 21.

A Newmarket senior admits she fell for a fraudulent Facebook pitch and lost almost $200,000. But, she says her bank did nothing to prevent her loss.

After the March break, students and staff in Ontario schools will no longer be required to wear masks. Caryn Lieberman reports.

Ontario lifts mask mandate in most settings March 21, all directives to drop by April 27 With the masking rule for schools lifting right after March break, Dr. Summers urged parents to still encourage their children to wear the masks.“Recognizing that masks are not the perfect solution, they can still be of great help, and so for parents and guardians out there, if you’ve got a kid who’s happily wearing a mask, I would continue to strongly encourage them to do so,” he said.Dr.

Ontario is about to make some major changes with its approach to the pandemic. The biggest changes you will notice – will be the dropping of mask mandates in most settings.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Quebec are expected to plateau after weeks of steady declines.“For the first time since the peak of the fifth wave, which took place in mid-January, projections show a stabilization in the number of new hospitalizations,” the Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux said in a statement. As Quebec continues to reopen, what to do if you have COVID-19 The number of new hospitalizations is projected to remain relatively steady over the next two weeks at around 68 cases daily.

homelessness.Luke Thiessen, communications manager at Siloam Mission, says as COVID-19 restrictions lift, they’re getting a clearer picture of the impact the pandemic has had on the homeless population.“For a while, the challenges around social distancing and some of those health measures made it hard to tell exactly where things were going,” Thiessen told Global News.“As we’re lifting (restrictions), we’re seeing very tangibly the difficulties in more people needing services, mental health challenges that have come out of this, and overall health challenges. There’s just lots of ways we’re seeing that come together.” Winnipeg’s Siloam Mission takes next step in relationship with Indigenous community Siloam Mission expanded its bed capacity just a few months into the pandemic, and Thiessen says this winter brought about the most demand they’ve seen yet.“For awhile we had extra space, and this winter is when that headroom – we lost that completely,” he said.“We filled right up this winter in a way that we didn’t last winter.

Tempe Diablo Stadium SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - On March 1, Baseball players have rejected a final offer by Major League Baseball to end the ongoing lockout.The offer was made by MLB officials about 90 minutes before a self-imposed 5 p.m. deadline for a labor deal to avoid canceled games.

Jazmine Sullivan is on the road to recovery and getting back onstage.Sullivan originally had kicked off her North American tour with a show in Vancouver on Feb. 14. The trek was expected to include stops in Houston, Atlanta, Brooklyn and Toronto, before concluding March 30 in Chicago. But on Feb.

The Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield leads a briefing for media organisations to provide updates on the response to the Omicron outbreak at 1pm today.

Toronto’s northwest.The pair of recent postgraduates show up here several times a week, part of a more than 100-kilometre round trip to six community sites where they collect wastewater samples to test for COVID-19 levels.Those samples — and others collected at major treatment facilities in the east and west ends of Toronto and several downtown sites — are key to tracking the rise and fall of infection rates, which are no longer accurately recorded by individual testing. Toronto should drop COVID-19 mask mandate when province does, city’s top doctor says “There’s always a lovely aroma with wastewater,” Johnston said as she lifts the cover of the sampler box Toronto Water installed next to the manhole and pulls out one of the bottles it had partially filled over a recent 24-hour period.Winter’s frozen temperatures can make it more difficult to get enough samples for a composite, says the 26-year-old, who has worked with her alma mater X University (formerly Ryerson University, currently in the midst of a name change) on the project for almost a year.On this visit, the site could only offer a one-off “grab sample” for the pair to send back to the laboratory for processing.The university (along with the University of Toronto) teamed up with the province, the city’s Toronto Public Health and Toronto Water, and Unity Health’s St.

COVID-19 outbreaks in areas of concern, the lowest total since last November.Then, the list also included businesses and schools, among other places, whereas now it is just areas of concern, which includes hospitals, retirement homes and congregate settings. Ontario lifts mask mandate in most settings March 21, all directives to drop by April 27 Outbreaks were declared over at Grand River Hospital and in a congregate setting, which left the area with three outbreaks at hospitals and one in a congregate setting.The area’s three hospitals continue to see a decline in COVID-19 patients as there are now 21, including 10 that need intensive care.

The world's COVID-19 cases declined last week for the fifth week in a row, but hot spots remain in a handful of countries, especially in Asia, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest weekly update.

LOS ANGELES - Get ready! America’s favorite guessing game "The Masked Singer" is set to kick off Wednesday, and FOX is giving an exclusive first look at the new season.According to the sneak peek video released by FOX, the seventh season will feature a "new twist." Three new teams will battle it out: The Good, The Bad and The Cuddly — which is also the season’s new slogan.RELATED: ‘The Masked Singer’: Nick Cannon and Ken Jeong discuss working on FOX show togetherThis time around, a whopping 15 mystery celebrities will join the show and sing their hearts out for a chance to win the coveted "The Masked Singer" Trophy.And, once again, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong, Robin Thicke and Nicole Scherzinger will grace the show as panelists, vying for the chance to win the Golden Ear Trophy."You can expect more shocking reveals, more emotional confessions, more incredible performances right before your beautiful eyes," the panelists said in the video teaser. McTerrier in the premiere episode of THE MASKED SINGER airing Wed. March 9 on FOX.

Doug Ford has lifted the provincial mask requirements, that does not mean they will completely disappear in Waterloo Region as there are also local face-covering bylaws in effect.On Wednesday, Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, announced that masks will no longer be required in most social settings such as restaurants, gyms, large event spaces and even schools.

Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) says people can expect to be required to continue to wear masks in hospital settings “for some time,” despite the announcement that the mandate will be lifted in most public spaces across the provinceIn a statement issued Wednesday, OHA president and CEO Anthony Dale said this is a “patient safety measure.”Dale said hospitals in Ontario will be “adopting and implementing certain protective measures, including requirements related to personal protective equipment and health care worker vaccination, into their own health and safety policies and procedures.” Ontario lifts mask mandate in most settings March 21, all directives to drop by April 27 The statement comes after the province announced it would be lifting the COVID-19 mask mandate in many indoor public settings beginning March 21.According to the province, while masking requirements will be removed “in most places” later this month, the mandate will remain in place in some settings, including on public transit, in long-term care facilities in retirement homes and other health-care settings, in congregate care settings, in shelters and in jails.The province’s plan says masking requirements in “all remaining settings” will be removed on April 27.However, the plan released by the Ford government on Wednesday said that as directives are revoked, “individual organizations will continue to have the authority to keep requirements in place.”In the statement Wednesday, Dale said hospitals are “committed to protecting patients, staff and visitors, and ensuring safety is a top priority.”“The hospital sector routinely establishes policies and requirements regarding infection prevention and control, personal protective equipment, and

COVID-19 public health measures, including mandatory masks and workplace vaccination policies, by the end of April. Here’s a look at what’s changing and when:Close contacts of people with confirmed COVID-19 infections or symptoms don’t need to isolate if the person lives outside their household.

Police in Pennsylvania said a man impersonated a Walmart employee to steal an expensive VR headset.

LOS ANGELES - A cow made its way onto the 210 Freeway in the Lake View Terrace area Wednesday afternoon. SkyFOX was live over the scene as Animal Control and California Highway Patrol worked to corral the animal to safety.A cow made its way onto the 210 Freeway Wednesday afternoon in the Lakeview Terrace area.

NEW DELHI :

Cognitive impairment was more common among COVID-19 patients 60 years and older—particularly those with severe illness—released from hospitals in Wuhan, China, than among their uninfected peers, according to a 1-year follow-up study yesterday in JAMA Neurology.

Continuing the corticosteroid dexamethasone after hospital release didn't benefit COVID-19 patients who didn't complete the 10-day drug regimen during their stay, finds a study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open.Kaiser Permanente Southern California researchers studied the conti

Rates of Covid-19 have gone up in all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester for the second day in a row.

most popular baby names of 2022?Names.org has revealed its predictions for this year — and there are definitely a few surprises. According to the database company, its predictions have proven to be some of the most accurate of name predictions online."From 2018 to 2020, 95% of our predictions top 10 lists were in the actual top 10 once official numbers were released. Official numbers for 2021 are not yet available to compare to our predictions last year," the company wrote. Photo of baby (Credit: DIDIER PALLAGES/AFP via Getty Images) The results are based on findings using the Social Security Administration data on births in 2020 (the most recent year released) and data found from the United States Census Bureau. 1.) Liam 2.) Noah3.) Oliver4) Elijah5.) William6.) James7.) Benjamin8.) Henry9.) Lucas10.) AlexanderThe name Liam tops the names list for boys — and the organization predicts that 18,960 babies will be named Liam in 2022.

PHILADELPHIA - A rideshare driver was shot in Fairmount on Wednesday morning before driving to police headquarters to escape the gunfire, police say.According to authorities, the incident happened just after 3 a.m. in the area of North 24th and Poplar Streets.Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small says as officers were responding, a 2013 GMC SUV showed up at the new police headquarters at North 15th and Callowhill Streets.Small says the 42-year-old driver had a graze wound on his back and officers took him to the hospital, where he is listed in stable condition. He was allegedly waiting for a passenger when a white Chevy Impala with dark rims and tinted windows began following him and firing shots. Police say the driver's car was hit 12 times by gunfire, with three bullet holes in the front windshield and nine on the passenger side.The motive is unknown at this time, according to police.Authorities believe the suspects in the white Chevy Impala may be connected to an incident at a Sunoco convenience store two blocks away.The convenience store clerk allegedly told police he got into an altercation with men who he believed were going to steal.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz (2) walks back to the sidelines after Indy is forced to punt during the game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars on January 9, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, FL (Photo by I WASHINGTON - Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz is heading back to the NFC East, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.The former #2 overall pick has reportedly been traded to the Washington Commanders after a single season with the Indianapolis Colts. Schefter reports that the Commanders will receive Wentz and a 2022 second-round pick in the deal. In return, the Colts will receive a second and third round pick in 2022, and a third round pick in 2023 that can become a second round pick if Wentz plays 70% of the team’s games.The Eagles sent Wentz to the Colts following a tumultuous final season in Philadelphia where he was supplanted as the starter by Jalen Hurts. The trade to Indianapolis brought the Eagles draft picks in return, including a first round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

42 last Wednesday, also with five or fewer in adult critical care. LHSC says five or fewer of its COVID-19 inpatients are in Children’s Hospital, while zero are in pediatric critical care. Last week, there were five or fewer COVID inpatients in Children’s Hospital with five or fewer in pediatric critical care.

Linsey Godfrey is so relieved to finally have a grasp on her mental health.

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is transitioning from daily to weekly COVID-19 data reporting effective immediately. Case counts and vaccination updates will be published on the DOH COVID-19 dashboard every Wednesday beginning March 16.“Our decisions have always been based on trends, not single day counts. There is greater focus now on weekly hospital admissions, weekly hospital occupancy, and weekly case counts when calculating the current community levels of COVID-19.

COLOMBO (News 1st): The foreign exchange shortage experienced in Sri Lanka will be short-lived, said the country’s Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa.Speaking to officials at the Finance Ministry of Friday (11), Rajapaksa said the government expects to minimize the effects the forex shortage might have on the people.On Monday (7) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa instructed the officials to take steps to immediately release the containers containing essential items at the custody of Customs.The President also appointed a committee headed by Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa to ensure that there is no shortage of essential commodities including food, and this committee met for the first time on Friday (11).A statement from the Finance Ministry noted that though there is a shortage of Milk Powder, Gas, Wheat Flour, and Cement in the local market, there are sufficient stocks of all other essential items and there will be no shortage.In addition, the tax reliefs granted by the government for essential food items not being enjoyed by the people were discussed and it was revealed at the meeting that errant traders abuse the concessions granted by the government and sell goods at exorbitant prices.The implementation of a new mechanism to expedite the release of essential commodities including food to the market, and to regulate and oversee this matter, was also discussed.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday (9) said that his policies and the policies of the government were prepared with the future generations in mind.President Rajapaksa assured that all promises will be fulfilled.He said the government is facing challenges in various sectors, including education, agriculture, and electricity.Noting that the economy is reviving following the pandemic, President Rajapaksa urged the masses to obtain the booster dose and not leave any reason for the country to go into lockdown again.The President urged the public sector employees to fulfill their duties and responsibilities in line with the government’s policy statement.“I promised the farmers that fertilizer will be given for free and the certified price for paddy will be increased, and that was my first duty,” said the President while addressing a crowd at the Salgado Stadium in Anuradhapura.The President also promised to increase the income of the local farmers by 100% with or without fertilizer.

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.

COLOMBO (News 1st); President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed officials to take the necessary steps to release freight containers with essential items that are held by Sri Lanka Customs.The President had reached this decision with the objective of ensuring that there is no shortage of food and essential goods in the local market.The President had also appointed a committee headed by Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa to ensure that there is no shortage of food and essential items.The President on Monday (7) had stressed the need to provide the general public with the opportunity to make purchases for the upcoming holiday season without having to experience any shortage.The President had noted that the opportunity will be given to import selected essential items and there should be no room for anyone to import in excess for ulterior motives and to conceal stocks for profits.The committee led by Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa was tasked with preparing streamlined mechanisms to release essential items to the local market while regulating and monitoring the process.