The Philippines placed its Manila capital region under a two-week lockdown on Friday as the Southeast Asian country’s Health Ministry reported 10,623 new coronavirus cases, the largest single-day jump in infections for almost four months.
The Philippines is battling one of Asia’s biggest COVID-19 outbreaks and has seen a steady rise in infections over the last two weeks that health officials have attributed to the highly contagious delta variant of the virus.
“The national government together with local governments should act aggressively, as if there is already community transmission,” Health Ministry spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire told a news conference, referring to the highly contagious variant.
The surge has pushed the number of confirmed cases in the Philippines to more than 1.6 million, while the 247 additional deaths recorded on Friday brought the fatality count in the country to 28,673.
A police officer checks documents of motorists at a border checkpoint in Marikina City, suburban Manila, on Friday. (Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images)
To enforce lockdown orders, police have set up quarantine checkpoints around the Manila capital region, an urban sprawl of 16 cities home to more than 13 million people. Just 9.8 million people, or nearly nine per cent of the Philippines’ population of 110 million, have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Manila officials said they would use the two-week lockdown period to vaccinate four million people in the capital region. The Philippines is aiming to vaccinate up to 70 million people this year.
A total of 450 confirmed cases of the delta variant of COVID-19 have been detected in the Philippines. Experts believe the true figure could be much higher, however, because of a lack in genome sequencing capacity in the country.
— From Reuters, last updated at 6:55 a.m. ET
What’s happening in Canada
WATCH | Probe finds nursing home unprepared for COVID-19 outbreak:
An independent probe by Saskatchewan’s ombudsman found Extendicare was ‘woefully unprepared’ for a COVID-19 outbreak that killed 39 residents at its Parkside nursing home in Regina. The report states 98 per cent of the nursing home’s residents contracted COVID-19 and workers cared for residents while showing symptoms. 2:04
What’s happening around the world
A man shows his health pass before entering the Colosseum as Italy brings in tougher restrictions where proof of immunity will be required to access an array of services and leisure activities in Rome on Friday. (Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters)
As of early Friday morning, more than 200.9 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported around the world, according to the coronavirus tracker maintained by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. The reported global death toll stood at more than 4.2 million.
In Europe, visitors to Italy’s museums and theatres must show proof they’ve had a COVID-19 vaccine, prove they’ve recovered from the coronavirus or recently tested negative. A certification rule took effect countrywide on Friday. It also applies to gyms, inside restaurants, indoor swimming pools and crowded outdoor events such as concerts.
In Africa, Senegal’s Institut Pasteur of Dakar has reached a deal with U.S. company MedInstill for the bottling of COVID-19 shots, an EU document shows, marking a step to becoming a fully fledged maker of coronavirus vaccines for Africa.
In the Asia-Pacific region, China recorded another 80 locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 on Friday, as the country seeks to control its widest flare-up since the original outbreak with a combination of lockdowns, mass testing and travel restrictions. Of the new cases, 58 were found in the eastern city of Yangzhou in Jiangsu province, where the highly contagious delta variant spread among airport workers in the provincial capital of Nanjing.
The update came as China’s president pledged that two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines would be supplied to the world through this year, increasing China’s commitment as the largest exporter of the shots. The figure likely includes the 770 million doses China has already donated or exported and it’s not clear if it includes a COVAX agreement for Chinese producers to supply 550 million doses.
People line up for COVID-19 tests at the gym of a company in Wuhan in China’s central Hubei province on Thursday. (AFP/Getty Images)
Hundreds of millions of Chinese shots, the vast majority of which are from Sinopharm and Sinovac, have already been administered to people in many countries across the world. However, there are concerns about whether they protect adequately against the new, highly transmissible delta variant.
In the Middle East, Iran on Thursday reported 38,674 new cases, down slightly from Wednesday’s single-day high of 39,357. The country, which is dealing with another rapid uptick in cases, reported 434 additional deaths on Thursday.
In the Americas, United Airlines became the latest company to require all its U.S.-based employees to be fully vaccinated.
The news came after top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday the U.S. is working to give additional COVID-19 booster shots to Americans with compromised immune systems as quickly as possible, as cases of the novel coronavirus continue to rise.
The U.S. is joining Germany, France and Israel in giving booster shots, ignoring a plea by the World Health Organization to hold off until more people around the world can get their first shot.
WATCH | The push to reach unvaccinated Americans:
With daily COVID-19 cases across the United States reaching a six-month high, President Joe Biden is pleading with unvaccinated Americans to change their minds about getting the shot. 2:00
— From The Associated Press, Reuters and CBC News, last updated at 10:50 a.m. ET
VANCOUVER – Environment Canada is warning about an intensifying storm that is expected to bring powerful winds to Vancouver Island and the British Columbia coast this week.
Matt MacDonald, the lead forecaster for the BC Wildfire Service, says models predict “explosive cyclogenesis,” which is also known as a bomb cyclone, materializing Tuesday night.
Such storms are caused by a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure at the centre of a storm system that results in heavy rain and high winds.
MacDonald says in a social media post that B.C. coastal inlets could see “hurricane force” winds of more than 118 km/h and create waves up to nine metres off Washington and Oregon.
Environment Canada posted a special weather statement saying the storm will develop off the coast of Vancouver Island on Tuesday, bringing high winds and heavy rain to some areas starting in the afternoon.
It says the weather system may cause downed trees, travel delays and power outages, adding that peak winds are expected for most areas Tuesday night, though the severe weather is likely to continue into Wednesday.
B.C. has been hit by a series of powerful fall storms, including an atmospheric river that caused flash flooding in Metro Vancouver in mid-October.
A lightning storm overnight and early Monday covered parts of Metro Vancouver in hail.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2024.
This will allow CBP to enhance border security while facilitating legitimate cross-border trade and travel. CBP officers will be deployed to busier ports of entry, enabling the agency to use its resources most effectively for its critical national security and border security missions.
These adjustments formalize current operating hours that have been in effect for more than four years at 13 ports of entry across the northern border, with eight ports of entry expanding hours. A small number of ports will see reduced hours in an effort to continually align resources to operational realities. Travelers who use these affected crossing locations will have other options within a reasonable driving distance.
Importantly, these adjustments have been made in close coordination with CBSA, to ensure aligned operational hours that further enhance the security of both countries.
CBP continually monitors operations, traffic patterns and volume, and analyzes the best use of resources to better serve the traveling public. CBP will remain engaged with local and regional stakeholders, as well as communities to ensure consistent communication and to address concerns.
The vast majority of the 118 northern border ports of entry will continue to operate at existing hours, including many with 24/7 operations. Locate ports of entry and access border wait times here.
The following are the new permanent POE hours of operation for select New York POEs:
Chateauguay, NY new hours of operation – 6 am to 6 pm
Trout River, NY new hours of operation – 6 am to 6 pm
Rouses Point, NY new hours of operation – 8 am to 8 pm
Overton Corners, NY new hours of operation – 6 am to 10 pm
Again, these changes will go into effect beginning at midnight, January 6, 2025.
Below is a listing of each location with the closest border crossing that will remain open 24/7 for appropriate commercial and passenger traffic:
Chateauguay, NY – closest 24/7 port: Fort Covington – 27 miles
Trout River, NY – closest 24/7 port: Fort Covington – 11 miles
Rouses Point, NY – closest 24/7 port: Champlain – 8 miles
Overton Corners, NY – closest 24/7 port: Champlain – 5 miles
For additional information or to contact a port of entry, please visit CBP.gov.
Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @CBPBuffalo and @DFOBuffalo
For more on Customs and Border Protection’s mission at our nation’s ports of entry with CBP officers and along U.S. borders with Border Patrol agents, please visit the Border Security section of the CBP website.
Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @CBPBuffalo @DFOBuffalo and @USBPChiefBUN
OTTAWA – An Ottawa man is pleading not guilty to charges of terrorism and hate-speech related to the promotion of a far-right group.
RCMP charged Patrick Gordon Macdonald in July 2023, alleging he took part in activities of a listed terrorist organization.
It’s the first case in Canada where the government laid charges for both terrorism and hate propaganda against someone for promoting a violent, far-right ideology.
As the trial opened Monday in Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice, Crown prosecutors alleged Macdonald helped produce propaganda for the Atomwaffen Division, an international neo-Nazi organization Canada listed as a terror group in 2021.
Prosecutors alleged he aided in the production of three propaganda videos designed to recruit new members and incite hatred against Jews.
The allegations have not yet been proven in court.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2024.
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