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
TOKYO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani’s feat of becoming the first major leaguer with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season was met with extra editions of newspapers for fans to read on their way to work on Friday morning in Japan.
Ohtani raced past the 50-50 milestone as he hit three homes and stole two bases in a game during the 20-4 rout of the Miami Marlins on Thursday, securing a playoff berth for the Dodgers.
The news topped morning headlines, and “Ohtani-san” was the No. 1 trending topic of social media platform X.
There was also praise from the Japanese government.
“We would like to express our heartfelt congratulations on his achievement of this giant record,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said as he responded to the first question at his regular news conference Friday. “We look forward to seeing more successes from Ohtani, who has already achieve numerous feats and pioneered new grounds.”
Ohtani, who debuted in Major League Baseball in 2018 with the Los Angeles Angels, has become Japan’s national icon and pride.
Yu Tachibana, a 44-year-old office worker, was a lucky one to get a copy of the special newspaper edition for her 18-year-old son who plays baseball. She says nobody had thought a Japanese player would so well a decade ago. “It is very encouraging,” she said, as she noted a saying where there is a will, there is a way.
A wave of congratulatory messages were posted on social media.
“Japan’s record-making machine has done it again,” U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said in his message on X. “Congratulations to Shohei Ohtani on an incredible baseball achievement. A true global ambassador of the game.”
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Already an NBA MVP and an Olympic gold medalist, All-Star center Joel Embiid now has until the end of the decade to try to win his first NBA championship with the Philadelphia 76ers.
With another maximum contract secured, Embiid wants to chase that title in Philly — and remain a Sixer for the rest of his career.
“Philadelphia is home,” Embiid wrote on Instagram.
A seven-time NBA All-Star, Embiid and the 76ers agreed to a $193 million extension with a player option for the 2028-29 season, a person familiar with the deal said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms have not yet been announced.
The 30-year-old Embiid, who graduated from a Florida high school and played a season in college at Kansas, broke his own news early Friday morning when he posted a photo on Instagram of him signing a contract alongside team owner Josh Harris.
“I want to be here the rest of my career. I love this community and everything you’ve given me and my family,” Embiid wrote. “There is a lot more work to do. You guys deserve a championship and I think we’re just getting started.”
Embiid, who dropped a franchise-record 70 points last season against San Antonio, signed off with the familiar 76ers hashtag, “#trusttheprocess.”
Embiid — still in the second year of a $196 million extension he signed ahead of the 2021 season — became the third cornerstone player this offseason to sign a massive contract with the 76ers. The team hasn’t won an NBA title since 1983.
The 76ers enticed Paul George to leave the Los Angeles Clippers and sign a four-year, $212 million contract. The NBA’s Most Improved Player last season, Tyrese Maxey, was rewarded with a five-year, $204 million extension. The 76ers committed more than $400 million in salary to two players they believe position them as the top contender to dethrone the NBA champion Boston Celtics.
George and Maxey both congratulated Embiid on the extension on Instagram.
Throw in Embiid’s deal and the Sixers are counting on a Big Three that can contend for the life of their contracts. Embiid, though, has a history of injuries and has yet to lead to the franchise out of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Embiid has never played more than 68 games in a season and averaged 34.7 points in just 39 games last season.
Originally selected by the 76ers with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, Embiid was named NBA MVP in the 2022-23 season and he won a gold medal with Team USA at this year’s Paris Olympics.
He has five All-NBA Team honors, seven consecutive All-Star selections from 2017-24, three All-Defensive Team nods, and twice has been the NBA scoring champion.
“Joel has cemented himself as one of the greatest Sixers of all time and is well on his way to being one of the best players to ever play the game. We’re ecstatic that this extension keeps him and his family in Philadelphia for years to come,” Harris said. “Joel is a great family man, leader, and person. He is an elite two-way player with a combination of size, strength, and athleticism that this league has rarely – if ever – seen. He is integral to this franchise’s quest for another NBA Championship, and we are honored that he continues to choose this organization as his NBA home.”
In 433 games (all starts) with the franchise, Embiid has averaged 27.9 points on 50.4% shooting, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 blocked shots across 31.9 minutes per contest. He ranks first in franchise history in scoring average (27.9 points per game), fifth in blocked shots (720), tied for sixth in triple-doubles (seven), and seventh in total points scored (12,071). Embiid also ranks third on the franchise list with eight 50-point games.
“I had no idea when I was drafted as a 20-year-old kid from Cameroon how lucky I was to be in Philadelphia,” Embiid said in a team statement. “Through all the ups and downs, this city and the fans have been everything, and I am so grateful for how they’ve embraced me.”
A youth soccer player, Embiid didn’t pick up a basketball until he was a teenager in Africa, when a friend informed him that very few 7-footers succeed in soccer.
A few months later, Embiid was lured to a basketball camp in the capital of Yaounde run by NBA veteran Luc Mbah a Moute, one of just two players from Cameroon to have played in the NBA. Mbah a Moute persuaded Embiid’s parents to let him move 6,000 miles to Florida, and helped enroll him at Montverde Academy, one of the best high school programs in the country. He played just 28 games in his lone season at Kansas before leaving for the NBA.
Embiid missed his first two full seasons with injuries before settling in as one of the top big men — and richest players — of his generation.
CALGARY – It will be the last show for longtime children’s TV star Ron (Buck Shot) Barge as a memorial is held Friday in Calgary.
For 30 years, Buck Shot and his sidekick Benny the Bear entertained Calgarians with songs, puppets, the birthday book and his nifty battered cowboy hat.
Barge died at home last month just 10 days short of his 88th birthday.
The memorial is set for noon at the Centre Street Church.
“It’s like the last show. That’s why we did it at noon,” said his son Ken.
“It’s at noon because that’s when ‘The Buck Shot Show’ would start … 12 o’clock every day,” added his daughter Brenda.
“We’re looking forward to it. It’s going to be nice to have the memorial because Dad would love it.”
“Buck Shot” was one of the longest-running children’s shows in Canada, surpassing “Mr. Dressup,” which ran for 29 years, and “The Friendly Giant,” which aired for 27.
Barge was asked to develop the show when he was a cameraman and floor director at CFCN in Calgary. He had a knack for interviewing kids in the audience and getting actual responses.
The show ran from 1967 to 1997, but Barge continued in his role making special appearances at events.
“It’s just for people who want to celebrate him. We’ve had so many beautiful things said online,” Brenda Barge said.
“It’s been such a reawakening of who my dad was because it’s been a lot of years since he was Buck Shot.”
A musician most of his life, Barge played in bands from the time he was 16. He played piano and sang with the Stardells for more than 20 years in Calgary.
His family said he loved the show and the character he created. Since the show was done live, it led to a number of pranks being played by people working on it.
“The birthday book was the primary target and the hired hands would put either a bad joke or a bad picture or something that was not appropriate for children’s television and my dad would have to keep a straight face while he was holding that stupid book,” said Ken.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2024.
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