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Ontario will remove most pandemic restrictions, including vaccine passports, by March 1 and loosen capacity limits sooner, Premier Doug Ford announced Monday. Masks will still be required indoors in public spaces until at least mid-March. The announcement, which came as convoy protesters occupied Ottawa for an 18th day and the federal government enacted the Emergencies Act, brought accusations that the province had caved in to convoy demands. Ford denied that, saying Monday’s announcement occurred “not because of what is happening in Ottawa and Windsor, but in spite of it.” Still, at least some saw the announcement as a victory for...

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Friday that plans are underway to remove “almost all restrictions for businesses,” including the controversial “vaccine passport system” that inspired the Freedom Convoy protests. On Sunday, the vital Ambassador Bridge linking Ontario with Michigan was reopened after police cleared the protesters who had blocked it for six days. “Today we are on track to very soon remove almost all restrictions for businesses as part of our reopening plan. And we heard from Dr. Moore last week, and again yesterday, that he is now working on a plan that will allow us to remove the...

HELSINKI (AP) – Norway says it is lifting almost all remaining COVID restrictions as it doesn´t see a major health threat to citizens any more, even though the omicron variant is still spreading in the Nordic nation. “This is the day we have been waiting for,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere during a news conference in Oslo on Saturday. “We are removing almost all coronavirus measures.”

Dr. Leana Wen, who appears on CNN frequently as a medical analyst, got tongues wagging earlier this week when she was asked by CNN anchor John Berman whether she supported the lifting of mask mandates across the country. "I do," Wen said. "(T)he science has changed." She continued, "We know that vaccines protect very well against omicron, which is the dominant variant." Wen also announced her support for what she called "one-way masking." "We also know that ... even if other people around you aren't wearing masks, if you wear a high-quality mask, that also protects you." If you've followed...

As provinces begin lifting COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, psychology experts expect stress and anxiety to run high among those who remain wary of letting their guards down.It will take time for many to adjust, they say, but the quick approach some provinces are taking could make the transition more jarring."I have every intention of still sending them to school with masks," she said. "With Omicron not gone yet... it's terrifying."Raissa Zukowski, a 33-year-old Calgary resident who was born with spina bifida, feels the same way.Zukowski said she's anxious about Alberta's swift reopening approach, and often feels people don't understand her trepidations.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned Americans on Monday that as COVID-19 restrictions are dropped, there is an increased risk for “acts of violence” such as mass shootings. “The United States Remains in a heightened threat environment fueled by several actors, including an online environment filled with false or misleading narratives and conspiracy theories,” the DHS warned. “As COVID-19 restrictions continue to decrease nationwide, increased access to commercial and government facilities and the rising number of mass gatherings could provide increased opportunities for individuals looking to commit acts of violence to do so, often with little or no warning,”...

President Joe Biden’s coronavirus policies remain frozen in place as federal health advisers remain unwilling to lift national restrictions. The president largely ignored governors who asked the administration for a path out of the pandemic and restoring some degree of normalcy to the daily life of Americans.

Sweden and Switzerland joined Denmark, Norway, Finland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Italy, Lithuania, France and the UK in announcing they will lift COVID restrictions and open up their countries.(Children’s Health Defense) – Europe is accelerating steps to roll back COVID restrictions as efforts to control the spread of the virus have failed and countries downgrade the threat posed by SARS-CoV-2.Sweden and Switzerland joined Denmark, Norway, Finland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Italy, Lithuania, France and the U.K. in announcing they will lift COVID restrictions and open up their countries.Top Israeli officials also announced this week they are abolishing the country’s “Green Pass” COVID...

During his February 3 YouTube livestream, outspoken conservative rocker Ted Nugent discussed his plans to hit the road in support of his new album, "Detroit Muscle", which is due on April 29 via Pavement Music. The follow-up to 2018's "The Music Made Me Do It" was recorded with Ted's current band, which includes bassist Greg Smith and drummer Jason "Tickets go on sale tomorrow, I think, for this gonzo beach party rock and roll concert headlined by Ted Nugent in Panama City [Florida] on April 29th," Ted said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "Write that down. That's confirmed. There'll be no...

GoFundMe says it won’t be giving the C$10 million ($8 million USD) raised to support the truckers protesting COVID-19 mandates to the organizers anymore, saying it will instead work with the organizers to send the funds to “established charities verified by GoFundMe.” “To ensure GoFundMe remains a trusted platform, we work with local authorities to ensure we have a detailed, factual understanding of events taking place on the ground,” the fundraising platform said in a statement on Feb. 4. “Following a review of relevant facts and multiple discussions with local law enforcement and city officials, this fundraiser is now in...

STOCKHOLM — The Swedish government will lift most Covid restrictions next week, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden announced on Thursday. The move adds Sweden to the growing list of European nations, including Denmark and Norway, that are scrapping pandemic protocols even though new cases continue to soar in Europe. Starting on Feb. 9, there will be no limit on how many people can gather at restaurants, sports stadiums, and other events, according to Lena Hallengren, the minister of health and social affairs. People will no longer be required to work from home. And travel restrictions on visitors from other...

Alberta’s ruling United Conservative Party has denied that members have been negotiating with an anti-coronavirus restriction trucker border blockade, but nevertheless noted that vaccine passports could end in the province within days.United Conservative Party (UCP) caucus chair Nathan Neudorf dismissed claims that rural UCP members of the Alberta legislative assembly (MLAs) had negotiated a deal with the trucker blockade at the border town of Coutts to end the coronavirus restrictions in the province in exchange for opening the border.“Reports have surfaced that the United Conservative rural caucus has negotiated an agreement to temporarily end the Coutts blockade pending the...

In a press conference on Thursday morning, the Swedish government announced plans to remove the majority of restrictions against Covid-19 on February 9th, the Local.se reported.Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, Health Minister Lena Hallengren and the Director General of the Public Health Agency, Karin Tegmark Wisell, announced that almost all restrictions will be removed on February 9th, and that those working from home should prepare to return to work.Health Minister Lena Hallengren, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Director General of the Public Health Agency Karin Tegmark Wisell at Thursday's press conference. Photo: Marko Säävälä/TT“The pandemic is not over, but is entering...

Regional governments in Canada have begun announcing plans to drop onerous civil rights restrictions on their citizens meant to contain the Chinese coronavirus this week following mounting pressure from national protests, most prominently the “Freedom Convoy” in Ottawa.

JUST IN - Switzerland eases Covid restrictions "as we are about to enter the endemic phase," says Health Minister Berset. No more contact quarantine or home office requirements. Further steps (mask mandates, vaccine pass) are to follow in 2 weeks, pending further consultations. https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1488875889207263235

Can’t believe I agree with Megyn Kelly, a self-confessed “Never Trumper,” but, will giver her credit when she does the right thing.Megyn nails it on the never ending emergency of covid. https://youtu.be/lUMN6xFng6M

The Dutch government has said it will ease its Covid-19 restrictions, among Europe's toughest, from Wednesday. Dutch hospitality settings, including bars, restaurants and museums, have been shut since 18 December in a bid to curb the spread of the Omicron variant, reports BBC. But despite the restrictions, Covid-19 cases have continued to increase, with some 60,000 now recorded per day. Prime Minister Mark Rutte told a news conference that the country was "taking a risk" in easing the restrictions. Mr Rutte, who has faced growing calls for a relaxation of restrictions in recent weeks amid falling deaths and admissions to...

Leftists on “The View” took offense Monday to comedian Bill Maher, who dared to criticize the use of masks and other “silly” Covid-19 restrictions at this point in the pandemic. "It’s just gone on too long. Nobody cares anymore. I don’t want to live in your paranoid world anymore, your masked paranoid world,” he said on “Real Time With Bill Maher.” "You know, you go out, it’s silly now. You know, you have your mask, you have to have a card, you have to have a booster, they scan your head like you’re a cashier and I’m a bunch of...

New Zealand is rolling out new COVID-19 restrictions as the country works to prevent an outbreak in cases driven by the omicron variant. Just before midnight on Sunday, New Zealand will move into its Red setting, triggering a number of mitigation measures to tame the spread of the virus, according to a statement from the government.

<p>Ireland is set to scrap almost all its COVID-19 restrictions after coming though the storm of the Omicron variant that led to a massive surge in infections, Prime Minister Micheal Martin says.</p><p>Ireland had the second highest incidence rate of COVID-19 in Europe just last week but also one of the continent's highest uptake of booster vaccines, which has helped keep the number of seriously ill people well below the previous peak.</p>