Fuel standards NOT changed & Fuel stocks will increase weekly – Gammanpila

The Big Boost push continues to see tens of thousands of people going out to get their booster dose each day. Yesterday, 40,452 booster doses were administered across the motu and brings the total so far to more than two million doses.

More than 3 million Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) have been distributed across New Zealand for workers who keep New Zealand’s critical services and supply chains moving, and those in our community most at risk from the effects of COVID-19, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says.

SCITUATE, Mass. - A Massachusetts man got a big surprise on Valentine’s Day, but it wasn’t a surprise in the traditional sense. Steve Maguire, who ironically teaches meteorology to high schoolers, accidentally left the family van’s sunroof open before a heavy snow day. The family had been quarantined for several days after some family members contracted COVID-19 and had gotten a tad stir-crazy. Maguire figured it’d be a nice treat to drive around in the family van to get them out of the house. "We had the windows open, and we had the sunroof open, and it was 63 degrees here in Scituate, and it’s February, it’s amazing," Maguire told Boston 25 News. Photos showing snow inside Steve Maguire’s van. RELATED: Chicago weather whiplash: Temps climb into the 50s followed by more snow However, when they returned home from their drive, Maguire forgot to close the sunroof on Feb.

ARLINGTON, Va. - The U.S. Marines is testing new technology that can readily produce hydrogen fuel to use as an energy source rather than relying on petroleum or batteries. Recently, Marines saw a demonstration of the hydrogen tactical refueling point (H-TaRP) at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

US Senate Candidate Gary Chambers burns the confederate flag. (Gary Chambers)NEW ORLEANS (AP - A Louisiana candidate for the U.S.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Wednesday that it sent 80 unruly airline passenger cases to the FBI for possible criminal prosecution. The FAA told FOX Business that these were the "most egregious" incidents out of the nearly 6,500 cases reported since January 2021. Airlines have already reported 499 cases of unruly passenger incidents since the beginning of 2022, according to FAA data.

TRENTON, NJ. - Amazon's Black Employee Network donated 10,000 to a cemetery in Mercer County, New Jersey. On Wednesday, Amazon workers presented the checks to the Locust Hill African Cemetery and Museum Project in Trenton. According to the official website, the project is focused on restoring the cemetery and creating a museum to honor the Black people laid to rest there. Locust Hill is Trenton's largest Black burial ground.

Reuters, Fauci said U.S. states are facing tough choices in their efforts to balance the need to protect their citizens from infections and the growing fatigue with a pandemic that has dragged into its third year.

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B.C. health officials release a written report Wednesday, Feb. 16, with the daily COVID-19 case numbers. Legislative bureau chief Keith Baldrey has analysis and how the province is looking as most restrictions are dropped tonight at 11:59 p.m.

While many COVID-19 restrictions are lifting in Alberta, some businesses are taking a cautious approach, including Edmonton’s Varscona Theatre. This comes as Alberta’s chief medical officer of health is reminding us that people have different risk tolerances.

PENNSAUKEN, N.J. - A nine-year-old girl who was attacked by a dog at a Pennsauken park on Monday has reunited with the three Good Samaritans who rescued her.On Tuesday, Erika Rivera spoke to FOX 29 after she rushed her daughter to Cooper University Hospital the day before.PREVIOUS: Mother searching for strangers who saved her daughter from dog attack in PennsaukenRivera was so focused on her daughter that she didn't get a chance to thank the three people who saved her and drove her to her aunt's house.The power of social media helped them connect and on Wednesday, Billy Jackson and his friends met with Rivera and brought Toni balloons.Jackson said he was sitting in the car with his friends when he saw the dog wrestling with the girl. After realizing Toni was not playing with the dog and was instead being attacked, he quickly jumped into action.Rivera's social media post searching for the Good Samaritans was sent to him by a family friend and he commented to make the connection."Glad I was there to help her," he said.

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said residents should stay on the line when calling 911, even if the wait time gets lengthy. Outlaw addressed the issue of 911 wait times on Wednesday during a bi-monthly gun violence response briefing. FOX 29 obtained data that shows about 2.3 million 911 calls were made in 2020. More than 11,000 of those calls had a wait time anywhere from one-and-a-half to more than two minutes for a dispatcher to answer the phone.

Conestoga High School switched back to remote learning on Feb. 14 after the school received threats over its mask policy.  BERWYN, Pa. - A Chester County high school banned a parent who officials say snuck into the locker room and delivered a speech to members of the wrestling team about defying the school's mask rule.Officials at Conestoga High School said the incident happened last Friday and the parent has since been banned from being on Tredyffrin/Easttown School District property. The school said police were contacted about the incident, but no charges have been reported. "Entering the locker rooms by anyone other than authorized students or staff is prohibited," the district said in a short statement.

Concordia University student unions say students don’t feel safe about heading back to campus.They say they believe the university is not doing enough to keep them safe from COVID-19 transmission since they returned to in-person classes on Feb.

The firing of a senior staff member in the Solicitor-General’s office over an apparent donation to the ‘Freedom Convoy’ has opposition members demanding more answers from the Ford Government. Matthew Bingley reports.

The province has released more numbers showing just how effective the vaccine has been in Manitoba.

Ford government to provide more details after the leak of donations made to the so-called “Freedom Convoy” GiveSendGo campaign cost a senior staff member her job.The solicitor-general’s now-former director of communications, Marion Isabeau-Ringuette, reportedly donated $100 to the online fundraising platform on Feb. 5.First reported by QP Briefing, the alleged donation came a day after GoFundMe suspended another fundraising campaign over concerns the protest in Ottawa had become an occupation, and just ahead of blockades at the Ambassador Bridge.Ontario’s attorney general eventually stepped in to seek an injunction, freezing the funds for the GiveSendGo campaign several days later.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Great Scott! After almost forty years on the shoulder, the DeLorean is coming back to the roads. It's going to be all electric and, yes, according to the company's CEO, it will have the iconic doors.The DeLorean is one of the most iconic, albeit shortlived, cars ever to be made in American history.

Hazelton Newman, 30, is accused of using Snapchat to try to coax an underage girl to meet up for sex, according to prosecutors.

Quebec opposition parties call for end of COVID-19 state of emergency In another volatile question period, the leader of the Official Opposition lobbed stinging accusations.“The premier has forgotten what it means to govern in a democracy,” said Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade.“(The state of emergency) allows the premier to decide there will be a curfew without debate at the National Assembly, without the opinion of public health,” she continued.However, the government says it needs the state of emergency to uphold things it has already brought in by decree, like salary bonuses for nurses and mask mandates. Premier François Legault said the government intends to lift the state of emergency in a few weeks.

COVID-19 cases across the globe declined last week for the second week in a row, with illness levels dropping in every region except the Western Pacific, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday in its weekly pandemic snapshot.

Quebec health experts stress COVID-19 booster shot still necessary despite vaccine passport removal The other puts in place a ban on outdoor cooking and consuming alcohol in parks and in public spaces that Marchand says will be revisited this summer.Quebec City police issued 170 tickets and made three arrests during protests in front of the legislature during the first weekend in February. 

The federal government’s move to invoke the Emergencies Act marks an attempt to cut off funds directed to the “Freedom Convoy,” including new cryptocurrency channels.

ATLANTA - COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is already recommended to prevent severe illness and death in pregnant women, but a new study shows the vaccine may also protect a mother’s newborn baby. According to the study, published Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, completion of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccination series during pregnancy may help prevent hospitalization from the virus among infants who are less than six months old.A group of researchers at the Overcoming COVID-19 network conducted the study at 20 pediatric hospitals in 17 states between July 1, 2021 and Jan. 17, 2022. Among 176 hospitalized infants with COVID-19 aged less than six months, 84% were born to mothers who were not vaccinated during pregnancy. A pregnant woman holds her belly on September 27, 2016 in Cardiff, United Kingdom.

Gojira have rescheduled their upcoming UK and European tour due to COVID-19 restrictions.The French metal titans were supposed to hit the road last month, beginning in Helsinki, with stop-offs in Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Berlin, Prague, Budapest and other cities throughout January into February and March.However, they’ve announced that they will now kick off their European tour on July 5 in Brussels and conclude it in Milan on July 31 at Carroponte.The UK and Ireland leg of the tour, meanwhile, has moved to 2023 and will begin on February 11 in Dublin and conclude at London’s Alexandra Palace on February 22.Gojira will then play rescheduled shows in Bordeaux, Paris, Luxembourg and Lyon between February 24 and 28, 2023.“We cannot express how much we appreciate your continued patience and support while we worked through last month’s postponement,” the band said in a social media post.“Despite our best efforts to resume touring this month, the continued uncertainty in various territories has left us with no other choice but to reschedule the remaining dates of the tour as well.“In light of this unfortunate news we are pleased to share the rescheduled dates for the entire European Tour below.”A post shared by Gojira Official (@gojiraofficial)Original tickets for the tour – which sees support from special guests Alien Weaponry and Employed To Serve – remain valid.

Today during a White House press briefing, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, said she was cautiously optimistic about the trajectory the United States was currently on, 2 months after the Omicron variant became the dominant strain in the nation.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Quebec is expected to continue to decline over the next two weeks, a government health-care research institute projected Wednesday.By the end of the month, the number of people in Quebec hospitals with COVID-19 should drop by about 500, to 1,500 patients, according to the Institut national d’excellence en santé et services sociaux. There should be about half the number of intensive care patients by that time, or about 60, it added.“For all of Quebec, the projections suggest a slight decrease in new hospitalizations,” INESSS said in a news release, adding that it expected the number of new hospitalizations to reach around 90 per day within the next two weeks.The research institute said its projections should be interpreted with caution as it cannot forecast the effect of changes to COVID-19 restrictions. Quebec reopened gyms and spas on Monday, shortly after lifting restrictions on private gatherings and limits on the number of people who can dine together at restaurants.A separate health-care research institute said Wednesday that preliminary results from a vaccine study indicate three doses of COVID-19 vaccine offer more protection compared with two doses against severe and mild forms of the disease caused by the Omicron variant.“The effectiveness is highest against serious COVID-19 infections — those that lead to hospitalizations,” the Institut national de santé publique du Quebec said in a news release.

COVID-19-related deaths on Wednesday, lifting the death toll in the area to 387.“Today we are reporting two deaths in our community related to COVID-19. One individual was a male in his 60s.

SOMERSET COUNTY, N.J. - Authorities in New Jersey are investigating what the governor called a "racially disparate" response by police to a fight between two teens at a mall in Bridgewater Township over the weekend.Video captured and shared by Sienna Freidinger shows two teens arguing and then physically fighting at the Bridgewater Commons Mall on Saturday, Feb. 12.

Stock image of generic crime scene tape.  COATESVILLE, Pa. - Police in Coatesville and Chester County are investigating the "suspicious death" of a woman. According to police, 59-year-old Donna Louise Taney was found dead on the floor in her bedroom on Tuesday morning. A search warrant was issued allowing authorities to search her residence. Authorities are investigating as they wait for results from the autopsy. Police believe this is an isolated incident that presents no danger to the community. Anyone with information is urged to contact the police at 610-384-2300 ext.

The Lincoln Memorial is seen on President's Day in Washington, DC. President's Day was first observed in 1796 in recognition of George Washington's birthday.

Mark Wahlberg stars as Victor "Sully" Sullivan and Tom Holland is Nathan Drake in Columbia Pictures' UNCHARTED. Photo by: Clay Enos Chicago - Here’s the assorted loot you’ll find in the treasure chest of "Uncharted": Two slam-bang action setpieces, some lackluster plotting, a charming leading man turn from Tom Holland, an ensemble of wasted supporting players and a woefully miscast Mark Wahlberg.

mum who quit her banking job to become an OnlyFans star says Covid-19 has helped tackle sex work stigma with the rise of virtual living.Australian Lucy Banks makes a staggering £30,000 each month from adoring subscribers to her exclusive raunchy content online. In 2019 the mum-of-two from Perth sacked in her unfulfilling job and marriage to launch an OnlyFans account, which she has seen boom throughout the pandemic.Lucy believes the impact of lockdowns and isolation has helped to shift old attitudes towards sex work because so many more people 'craved intimacy'.

Seven of 10 US physicians say that the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened drug supply chain problems, limiting their ability to provide quality patient care, according to a new US Pharmacopeia (USP) survey.

Remote clinical trials with inclusive social media recruitment may help improve racial, ethnic, and geographic diversity among clinical trial participants, according to a US study published early this week in JAMA Network Open.

Guelph General Hospital says they are hopeful and cautiously optimistic as COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift in the province.But Melissa Skinner said in an interview this week that capacity issues the hospital had pre-pandemic have not gone away.“Over the past several years, based on the size of our hospital and the size of our community, each day we have struggled with having enough beds,” she said. “COVID has just exacerbated that and really shown how much pressure there really is on a system and on our hospital.” Doctors’ group proposes Ontario fund new surgical centres to catch up on procedures Even before the pandemic, one official described the situation at Guelph General in October 2019 as “bursting at the seams.”For example, the hospital’s emergency room was seeing 15,000 more annual visits than it was originally designed to handle.Construction to expand the department by 6,400 square feet is currently underway to address overcrowding.As for the current COVID-19 situation, Skinner said the hospital is still seeing high volumes in the emergency department but added that it is manageable and an improvement from just a few weeks ago while Omicron COVID-19 cases were peaking in the community.“The impact of COVID — we are seeing a decline.

Middlesex-London Health Unit reported no new deaths on Wednesday and 85 COVID-19 cases.This marks just the fourth day this month that no new virus-related deaths were reported by the MLHU, with the other days being Feb. 7, 9 and 14.

A new study comparing excess years of life lost (YLL) during the first year of COVID-19 in parts of England and Wales shows that economically deprived areas suffered three times as many deaths as affluent regions, and young adults (15 to 44 years old) were 11 times more likely to die from the virus in poorer parts of the United Kingdom. The study is published in PLOS Medicine.Though excess deaths have been used as a metric during the pandemi

COVID-19 testing clinic on Holiday Inn Drive was forced to close on Wednesday afternoon after its phones and internet access went down.A spokesperson for the hospitals says all of the tests and assessments for the afternoon have been cancelled.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - NASCAR on Wednesday named FOX CEO Lachlan Murdoch the honorary starter of the season-opening Daytona 500.Murdoch, the executive chair and chief executive officer of FOX Corp., will wave the green flag Sunday to start "The Great American Race." Murdoch served as Executive Chairman of 21st Century FOX prior to the closing of the merger of 21st Century FOX and The Walt Disney Company in March 2019. RELATED: 64th annual Daytona 500 is sold out(Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic) The 64th running will be aired live on FOX, which is in contract negotiations with NASCAR on the current television deal that expires at the end of the 2024 season.RELATED: Country music star Trace Adkins to sing national anthem at Daytona 500The Daytona 500 will have a heavy Fox presence: Pro Football Hall of Famer Charles Woodson, a Fox Sports analyst, will give the "Drivers, Start Your Engines" command as grand marshal for the Great American Race at 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 30: A boxed AirTag on display at the Apple Store George Street on April 30, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. Apple's latest accessory, the AirTag is a small device that helps people keep track of belongings, using Apple's Find My PHILADELPHIA - Attorney General Josh Shapiro is issuing a consumer alert Wednesday in regards to Apple AirTags. The consumer alert is an effort to share safety recommendations with Pennsylvanians that  "will protect them from the malicious misuse of Apple AirTags." Apple AirTags have recently been used to track people in many situations, which has raised an alarm for authorities. According to the AG Shapiro, some individuals have reported finding unknown AirTags attached to their cars, in their purses, coat pockets, and other personal property while others have reported receiving alerts on their phones that their location information is being shared.

Ontario fund a new model for outpatient health-care centres to help tackle a growing backlog of surgeries and other procedures.A new report from the Ontario Medical Association outlines a proposal to create Integrated Ambulatory Centres across the province, which would work with local hospitals to perform medical services insured by the province.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila says the government had decided to make a USD payment to two oil tankers anchored at the Colombo Port.“Therefore, there will be no power cuts,” said Minister Gammanpila on Monday (24).He said at a meeting with respective stakeholders it was agreed that if payment is made to one of the oil tankers, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation will be able to deliver Diesel to the WestCoast Power Plant instead of Furnace Oil, and deliver Furnace Oil to the Sapugaskanda Power Plant.Therefore, we can deliver the Diesel and Furnace Oil for electricity Generation.Further, the President had instructed the Treasury to release necessary funds to the Ceylon Electricity Board to settle its Rs. 93 Billion debt to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, he said.The Minister further added that the Sapugaskanda Power Plant will be able to recommence generating electricity by the 30th of January 2022.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers Association on Sunday (23) warned that there will be four-phase power cuts with effect from Monday (24). However, it is due time to examine the different views of parties involved in the power crisis.What is the current fuel status of power plants?Sapugaskanda has come to a standstill due to lack of oil, and according to the trade unions, the power plant has less than 24 hours to run on fuel.Meanwhile, the Yugadanavi power plant has fuel for only 10 days.What does the Minister of Energy say about this?The Energy Minister, Udaya Gammanpila stated on Sunday (23) that the stocks of fuel have been depleted due to a weakness in the CEB’s calculations.The Minister said that the CEB had requested the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation to supply only enough fuel for 10 days.Minister Gammanpila also stated that the stock of fuel was handed over to the CEB last week as agreed during the discussion held with the President’s participation.Moreover, Minister Udaya Gammanpila added that a ship carrying 37,500 metric tons of diesel has arrived near the Sri Lankan sea border.He also said that fuel could be supplied to the CEB if the relevant stock of diesel is released after obtaining dollars.What does the Minister of Power say?Power Minister Gamini Lokuge said that the CEB is currently managing the fuel stocks it has received so far.The Minister of Power and Energy also stated that due to this, there will be no need for a power cut from next Tuesday (25) onwards.However, the Unions state something completely different.Ananda Palitha, the  Media Spokesperson of the United Trade Union Force revealed that the Petroleum Corporation is the sole supplier to supply on demand.

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers Association on Sunday (23) warned that there will be four-phase power cuts with effect from Monday (24). However, it is due time to examine the different views of parties involved in the power crisis.What is the current fuel status of power plants?Sapugaskanda has come to a standstill due to lack of oil, and according to the trade unions, the power plant has less than 24 hours to run on fuel.Meanwhile, the Yugadanavi power plant has fuel for only 10 days.What does the Minister of Energy say about this?The Energy Minister, Udaya Gammanpila stated on Sunday (23) that the stocks of fuel have been depleted due to a weakness in the CEB’s calculations.The Minister said that the CEB had requested the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation to supply only enough fuel for 10 days.Minister Gammanpila also stated that the stock of fuel was handed over to the CEB last week as agreed during the discussion held with the President’s participation.Moreover, Minister Udaya Gammanpila added that a ship carrying 37,500 metric tons of diesel has arrived near the Sri Lankan sea border.He also said that fuel could be supplied to the CEB if the relevant stock of diesel is released after obtaining dollars.What does the Minister of Power say?Power Minister Gamini Lokuge said that the CEB is currently managing the fuel stocks it has received so far.The Minister of Power and Energy also stated that due to this, there will be no need for a power cut from next Tuesday (25) onwards.However, the Unions state something completely different.Ananda Palitha, the  Media Spokesperson of the United Trade Union Force revealed that the Petroleum Corporation is the sole supplier to supply on demand.

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka’s Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila has warned that if the fuel imported to the country is released to the Ceylon Electricity Board for electricity generation, there will be a shortage of fuel for vehicles.“We were compelled to reach a decision to only release fuel to the CEB if they deliver payment in USD,” the Minister told News 1st adding that Sri Lanka does not have oil deposits or large stocks of fuel to be given to the CEB.“We can only procure fuel for the CEB if they can provide us with payment in USD,” he said.The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has already delivered 1,500 metric tons of diesel per day in the last two days.“At present, there are two tankers anchored at sea with a total of 76,000 MT of diesel. If the (CEB) can provide us with the US Dollars to unload one of them, we can deliver diesel to the Ceylon Electricity Board,” he told News 1st while denying that he will be held accountable for any power-cuts that may arise over the shortage of fuel to generate electricity.Minister Gammanpila said he is NOT vested with the responsibility of sourcing US Dollars for the country, adding that he has no power to even print US dollars.“The issue is not the fact that the CEB owes the CPC over Rs.