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COVID-19: Canada and World

The first line of vaccines was highly effective at restricting COVID-19’s damage

Nana Wu, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology, Concordia University; Keven Joyal-Desmarais, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology, Concordia University and Simon Ba, The Conversation 7 minute read Yesterday at 1:16 PM CDT

This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original site.

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Authors: Nana Wu, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology, Concordia University; Keven Joyal-Desmarais, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology, Concordia University and Simon Bacon, Professor of Behavioural Medicine, Concordia University

After more than three years of COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that over 763 million infections, and nearly seven million deaths, have been attributed to SARS-CoV-2.

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Court rules Austria can’t be held liable for early COVID infection at ski resort

The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Court rules Austria can’t be held liable for early COVID infection at ski resort

The Associated Press 3 minute read Yesterday at 7:41 AM CDT

BERLIN (AP) — An Austrian federal court said Thursday that the state can’t be held liable for a COVID-19 infection from an outbreak at an Alpine ski resort as the pandemic hit Europe in early 2020.

The Supreme Court of Justice announced its verdict in a long-running legal battle involving a German resident who traveled to Ischgl on March 7, 2020 and visited several apres-ski venues before returning home six days later. He experienced the first coronavirus symptoms shortly afterward.

The plaintiff sought damages and a ruling that the Austrian federal government was liable for harm to him resulting directly or indirectly from authorities' errors or failings connected to the “mismanagement” of COVID-19 in Tyrol province in late February and early March 2020.

The outbreak in Ischgl, a popular resort in western Austria, was considered one of Europe’s earliest “super-spreader” events of the pandemic.

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Yesterday at 7:41 AM CDT

FILE - Chairman of the consumer protection association Peter Kolba speakes during a press conference in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. An Austrian federal court says the state can’t be held liable for a COVID-19 infection in an outbreak at an Alpine ski resort as the pandemic hit Europe in early 2020. The Supreme Court of Justice on Thursday announced its verdict in a long-running legal battle involving a German resident who traveled to Ischgl on March 7, 2020 and visited several apres-ski venues before returning home six days later. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak, File)
FILE - Chairman of the consumer protection association Peter Kolba speakes during a press conference in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. An Austrian federal court says the state can’t be held liable for a COVID-19 infection in an outbreak at an Alpine ski resort as the pandemic hit Europe in early 2020. The Supreme Court of Justice on Thursday announced its verdict in a long-running legal battle involving a German resident who traveled to Ischgl on March 7, 2020 and visited several apres-ski venues before returning home six days later. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak, File)

Singapore prime minister tests positive for COVID again in rare rebound case

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Singapore prime minister tests positive for COVID again in rare rebound case

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 1:56 AM CDT

SINGAPORE (AP) — Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Thursday that he tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time in less than two weeks, in a rare case of a rebound.

Lee, 71, was diagnosed with COVID-19 for the first time on May 22, following work trips to Africa and Asia. He tested negative six days later. But in a Facebook post Thursday, Lee shared a photo of a positive antigen rapid test that he took.

"I feel fine but I am afraid I have turned COVID-19 positive again. My doctors say it is a COVID rebound, which happens in 5-10 percent of cases,” he said in his post.

Lee said he has been advised to self-isolate as the virus is still infectious, although the risk is lower compared to the initial infection. He said he had looked forward to attending the consecration ceremony of an Indian temple early Thursday but has to "miss it to keep others around me safe.”

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Updated: Yesterday at 1:56 AM CDT

FILE - Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks during ASEAN - India Summits in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Nov. 12, 2022. Lee said Thursday, June 1, 2023 that he tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time in less than two weeks, in a rare case of a rebound.(AP Photo/Anupam Nath, File)
FILE - Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks during ASEAN - India Summits in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Nov. 12, 2022. Lee said Thursday, June 1, 2023 that he tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time in less than two weeks, in a rare case of a rebound.(AP Photo/Anupam Nath, File)

Former Connecticut lawmaker gets 27 months in prison for stealing over $1 million in coronavirus aid

Dave Collins, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Former Connecticut lawmaker gets 27 months in prison for stealing over $1 million in coronavirus aid

Dave Collins, The Associated Press 5 minute read Wednesday, May. 31, 2023

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A former Connecticut state representative was sentenced to 27 months in prison on Wednesday for stealing more than $1.2 million from the city of West Haven — most of it in federal coronavirus-related aid — and using a good chunk of it to fuel his gambling addiction.

“I stole that money. That is on me,” Michael DiMassa said as he apologized during sentencing before Judge Omar Williams in federal court in Hartford. “It’s hard to find the word to express how I feel. I feel ashamed, embarrassed, mortified."

The 32-year-old West Haven Democrat pleaded guilty in November to three counts of wire fraud conspiracy, admitting he, his wife and others billed the city for services never rendered.

DiMassa could have gotten more than four years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines. But the judge gave him credit for fully accepting responsibility, cooperating with investigators and testifying against a co-defendant.

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Wednesday, May. 31, 2023

FILE - Former state Rep. Michael DiMassa, left, arrives at U.S. District Court in Hartford, Conn., with his attorney John Gulash, Nov. 1, 2022. DiMassa is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday, May 31, 2023, for stealing more than $1.2 million from the city of West Haven, Conn., most of it in federal coronavirus-related aid, and using a good chunk of it to fuel his gambling addiction. (Jessica Hill/Hartford Courant via AP, File)/Hartford Courant via AP)
FILE - Former state Rep. Michael DiMassa, left, arrives at U.S. District Court in Hartford, Conn., with his attorney John Gulash, Nov. 1, 2022. DiMassa is scheduled to be sentenced Wednesday, May 31, 2023, for stealing more than $1.2 million from the city of West Haven, Conn., most of it in federal coronavirus-related aid, and using a good chunk of it to fuel his gambling addiction. (Jessica Hill/Hartford Courant via AP, File)/Hartford Courant via AP)

UK government fights demand to hand over Boris Johnson’s messages to COVID-19 inquiry

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

UK government fights demand to hand over Boris Johnson’s messages to COVID-19 inquiry

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press 4 minute read Tuesday, May. 30, 2023

LONDON (AP) — As Britain’s prime minister, Boris Johnson established an independent public inquiry into his government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now the inquiry wants to see, in full, what Johnson wrote to other U.K. officials as the outbreak raged — but the government is fighting a demand to hand over the material.

Inquiry chairwoman Heather Hallett, a retired judge, has asked the Conservative government, now led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, to produce full copies of Johnson’s WhatsApp messages and notebooks, after initially being given redacted versions.

Government officials said they only cut out material that was “unambiguously irrelevant” to the investigation, but Hallett wants to be the judge of that. She said “the entire contents of the specified documents are of potential relevance to the lines of investigation being pursued by the inquiry.”

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Tuesday, May. 30, 2023

Boris Johnson leaves his house in London, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was fined for breaking his own government's pandemic lockdown rules, has been reported to police again over more potential breaches. The Times of London said Tuesday May 23, 2023, that Johnson was reported by civil servants over alleged visits to Chequers, the prime minister's official country retreat, as well as potential breaches in the leader's Downing Street residence. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)
Boris Johnson leaves his house in London, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was fined for breaking his own government's pandemic lockdown rules, has been reported to police again over more potential breaches. The Times of London said Tuesday May 23, 2023, that Johnson was reported by civil servants over alleged visits to Chequers, the prime minister's official country retreat, as well as potential breaches in the leader's Downing Street residence. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)

US study finds 1 in 10 get long COVID after omicron, starts identifying key symptoms

Lauran Neergaard, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

US study finds 1 in 10 get long COVID after omicron, starts identifying key symptoms

Lauran Neergaard, The Associated Press 3 minute read Friday, May. 26, 2023

WASHINGTON (AP) — About 10% of people appear to suffer long COVID after an omicron infection, a lower estimate than earlier in the pandemic, according to a study of nearly 10,000 Americans that aims to help unravel the mysterious condition.

Early findings from the National Institutes of Health’s study highlight a dozen symptoms that most distinguish long COVID, the catchall term for the sometimes debilitating health problems that can last for months or years after even a mild case of COVID-19.

Millions worldwide have had long COVID, with dozens of widely varying symptoms including fatigue and brain fog. Scientists still don’t know what causes it, why it only strikes some people, how to treat it -– or even how to best diagnose it. Better defining the condition is key for research to get those answers.

“Sometimes I hear people say, ’Oh, everybody’s a little tired,'" said Dr. Leora Horwitz of NYU Langone Health, one of the study authors. “No, there’s something different about people who have long COVID and that’s important to know.”

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Friday, May. 26, 2023

FILE - This undated, colorized electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in February 2020 shows the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, indicated in yellow, emerging from the surface of cells, indicated in blue/pink, cultured in a laboratory. The sample was isolated from a patient in the U.S. There’s less risk of getting long COVID in the omicron era than in the pandemic’s earlier waves, according to a study of nearly 10,000 Americans that aims to help scientists better understand the mysterious condition, published in JAMA on Thursday, May 25, 2023. (NIAID-RML via AP, File)
FILE - This undated, colorized electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in February 2020 shows the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, indicated in yellow, emerging from the surface of cells, indicated in blue/pink, cultured in a laboratory. The sample was isolated from a patient in the U.S. There’s less risk of getting long COVID in the omicron era than in the pandemic’s earlier waves, according to a study of nearly 10,000 Americans that aims to help scientists better understand the mysterious condition, published in JAMA on Thursday, May 25, 2023. (NIAID-RML via AP, File)

COVID pill Paxlovid gets full FDA approval after more than a year of emergency use

Matthew Perrone, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

COVID pill Paxlovid gets full FDA approval after more than a year of emergency use

Matthew Perrone, The Associated Press 3 minute read Thursday, May. 25, 2023

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pfizer received full approval on Thursday for its COVID-19 pill Paxlovid that's been the go-to treatment against the coronavirus.

More than 11 million prescriptions for Paxlovid have been dispensed since the Food and Drug Administration allowed emergency use in late 2021. The emergency status was based on early studies and was intended to be temporary pending follow-up research.

The FDA granted full approval for adults with COVID-19 who face high risks of severe disease, which can lead to hospitalization or death. That group typically includes older adults and those with common medical conditions like diabetes, asthma and obesity.

The decision allows Pfizer's drug to remain on the market indefinitely and to be marketed similarly to other drugs.

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Thursday, May. 25, 2023

FILE - The anti-viral drug Paxlovid is displayed in New York, Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. Pfizer received full approval for the COVID-19 medication on Thursday, May 25, 2023, winning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's full endorsement for a drug that has been the go-to treatment against the virus for more than two years. (AP Photo/Stephanie Nano, File)
FILE - The anti-viral drug Paxlovid is displayed in New York, Monday, Aug. 1, 2022. Pfizer received full approval for the COVID-19 medication on Thursday, May 25, 2023, winning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's full endorsement for a drug that has been the go-to treatment against the virus for more than two years. (AP Photo/Stephanie Nano, File)

Why are people in Britain talking about Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages?

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Why are people in Britain talking about Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages?

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press 4 minute read 8:00 AM CDT

LONDON (AP) — Critics accuse the British administration of running “government by WhatsApp” because of the popularity of the messaging app with politicians and officials.

So it feels inevitable that a tussle over WhatsApp messages is at the heart of Britain’s official inquiry into how the country handled the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thousands of messages exchanged during the pandemic between then Prime Minister Boris Johnson and government ministers, aides and officials form key evidence for the investigation chaired by retired judge Heather Hallett. The Conservative government, now led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, wants to be able to edit the messages before handing them over, saying some are personal and irrelevant to the inquiry. It has filed a legal challenge against Hallett’s order to surrender the unredacted messages.

WHAT IS THE INQUIRY INVESTIGATING?

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8:00 AM CDT

FILE - Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson leaves a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street after the general election in London, Tuesday, June 13, 2017. The British government is facing a Thursday deadline to hand over a sheaf of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s personal messages to the country’s COVID-19 pandemic inquiry. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)
FILE - Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson leaves a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street after the general election in London, Tuesday, June 13, 2017. The British government is facing a Thursday deadline to hand over a sheaf of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s personal messages to the country’s COVID-19 pandemic inquiry. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

Brain inflammation found in long COVID patients

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Brain inflammation found in long COVID patients

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Yesterday at 4:05 AM CDT

Leslie Ann Coles knew "almost immediately" something was wrong after her COVID-19 infection in January 2021.

The filmmaker from Woodbridge, Ont., had never had writer's block in her life — but she couldn't find the words to make revisions to a screenplay she'd been working on.

"It was really, really frightening," Coles said.

Her emotional state changed too.

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Yesterday at 4:05 AM CDT

Leslie Ann Coles poses for a photograph in Toronto on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Coles knew "almost immediately" something was wrong after her COVID-19 infection in January 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Leslie Ann Coles poses for a photograph in Toronto on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Coles knew

UK government refuses to hand Boris Johnson’s unredacted messages to coronavirus inquiry

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

UK government refuses to hand Boris Johnson’s unredacted messages to coronavirus inquiry

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 11:40 AM CDT

LONDON (AP) —

The British government has refused an order to hand over a sheaf of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s personal messages to the country’s COVID-19 pandemic inquiry. It said Thursday it would try to challenge the order in court, setting up an extraordinary legal battle with an inquiry that Johnson himself set up.

The notebooks, diaries and WhatsApp messages between Johnson and other officials form key evidence that the head of the probe, retired judge Heather Hallett, wants to see. The government has handed over incomplete versions, saying it cut personal and private information that is “unambiguously irrelevant” to the investigation.

Hallett — who has the power to summon evidence and question witnesses under oath — wants to judge for herself, and set a deadline of 4 p.m. (1500 GMT) Thursday for the government to hand over the unredacted documents, covering a two-year period from early 2020.

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Updated: Yesterday at 11:40 AM CDT

FILE - Boris Johnson leaves his house in London, on March 22, 2023. Boris Johnson established an independent inquiry while he was U.K. prime minister into the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the inquiry wants to see what Johnson wrote to other U.K. officials as the outbreak raged. But the government is fighting a demand to hand over the material. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
FILE - Boris Johnson leaves his house in London, on March 22, 2023. Boris Johnson established an independent inquiry while he was U.K. prime minister into the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the inquiry wants to see what Johnson wrote to other U.K. officials as the outbreak raged. But the government is fighting a demand to hand over the material. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

N.S. ends special health orders for COVID-19

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

N.S. ends special health orders for COVID-19

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Tuesday, May. 23, 2023

HALIFAX - Nova Scotia's top health official says the province will soon be treating COVID-19 like any other respiratory illness.

Chief medical officer Dr. Robert Strang says in a news release the change reflects a recent declaration by the World Health Organization that COVID-19 no longer requires a global emergency-type response.

As of today, Nova Scotia has lifted orders under its Health Protection Act, which included mandatory vaccination protocols for high-risk settings including long-term care homes and correctional facilities.

On Thursday, the province's weekly COVID-19 dashboard will be updated for the last time as officials shift to monthly reports.

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Tuesday, May. 23, 2023

Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, fields a question at a COVID-19 briefing in Halifax on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. Strang says the province will soon be treating COVID-19 like any other respiratory illnesses. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, fields a question at a COVID-19 briefing in Halifax on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021. Strang says the province will soon be treating COVID-19 like any other respiratory illnesses. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Court acquits German coronavirus denier of incitement over Israel remarks

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Court acquits German coronavirus denier of incitement over Israel remarks

The Associated Press 2 minute read Tuesday, May. 23, 2023

BERLIN (AP) — A prominent critic of Germany's pandemic restrictions who repeatedly spread false information about the coronavirus has been acquitted of incitement to hatred for comments about Jews and Israel.

A regional court in the northern town of Ploen ruled Tuesday that Thai-German microbiologist Sucharit Bhakdi didn't break the law when he described Israel as worse than Nazi Germany.

In a video published online in 2021, Bhakdi also said that “the terrible thing about Jews is: they learn well” and described the country of Israel as a “living hell.”

The court concluded that it couldn't be determined without reasonable doubt that Bhakdi had been spreading antisemitic hatred toward Jews rather than criticizing the Israeli government and its policies, German news agency dpa reported.

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Tuesday, May. 23, 2023

BERLIN (AP) — A prominent critic of Germany's pandemic restrictions who repeatedly spread false information about the coronavirus has been acquitted of incitement to hatred for comments about Jews and Israel.

A regional court in the northern town of Ploen ruled Tuesday that Thai-German microbiologist Sucharit Bhakdi didn't break the law when he described Israel as worse than Nazi Germany.

In a video published online in 2021, Bhakdi also said that “the terrible thing about Jews is: they learn well” and described the country of Israel as a “living hell.”

The court concluded that it couldn't be determined without reasonable doubt that Bhakdi had been spreading antisemitic hatred toward Jews rather than criticizing the Israeli government and its policies, German news agency dpa reported.

Singapore’s prime minister tests positive for COVID-19

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Singapore’s prime minister tests positive for COVID-19

The Associated Press 2 minute read Monday, May. 22, 2023

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Monday he tested positive for COVID-19 for the first time after returning home from work trips in Africa and Asia.

Due to his age, the 71-year-old said he was prescribed the Paxlovid antiviral medication.

“I tested positive for COVID-19 for the first time this morning,” Lee said on Facebook, where he posted a photo of a positive antigen rapid test. “I am generally feeling ok, but my doctors have advised me to self-isolate until I am asymptomatic.”

Lee was on an official visit to South Africa from May 14 to 16, and Kenya from May 17 to 19. He also attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Indonesia from May 10 to 11.

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Monday, May. 22, 2023

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Monday he tested positive for COVID-19 for the first time after returning home from work trips in Africa and Asia.

Due to his age, the 71-year-old said he was prescribed the Paxlovid antiviral medication.

“I tested positive for COVID-19 for the first time this morning,” Lee said on Facebook, where he posted a photo of a positive antigen rapid test. “I am generally feeling ok, but my doctors have advised me to self-isolate until I am asymptomatic.”

Lee was on an official visit to South Africa from May 14 to 16, and Kenya from May 17 to 19. He also attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Indonesia from May 10 to 11.

Alberta premier found in conflict of interest

Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Alberta premier found in conflict of interest

Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Thursday, May. 18, 2023

EDMONTON - Alberta's ethics commissioner says United Conservative Premier Danielle Smith undermined democracy and broke conflict-of-interest rules by intervening in a criminal case and pressuring her attorney general to "make it go away.”

Marguerite Trussler said Smith’s actions illustrate how democratic freedoms can quickly disappear when politicians start deciding who is and isn't above the law.

“(Judicial independence) is a fundamental pillar of our democracy,” said Trussler in a report released Thursday.

“The premier breached this principle by discussing the accused’s case with him.”

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Thursday, May. 18, 2023

United Conservative Party Leader Danielle Smith makes an election campaign announcement in Calgary, Thursday, May 11, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
United Conservative Party Leader Danielle Smith makes an election campaign announcement in Calgary, Thursday, May 11, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Maxime Bernier fined for COVID-19 tour

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Maxime Bernier fined for COVID-19 tour

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Tuesday, May. 16, 2023

WINNIPEG - People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier admitted Tuesday to violating COVID-19 restrictions in Manitoba and was fined $2,000 including surcharges.

Bernier was warned, handed tickets and eventually arrested in June 2021 after starting a planned tour of several Manitoba communities where he had scheduled public rallies.

"It was a deliberate choice not to respect the rule of law," provincial court Judge Anne Krahn said in her ruling.

Laws can be challenged in court, Krahn added, but if people could simply ignore ones they don't agree with, the result would be "chaos."

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Tuesday, May. 16, 2023

Maxime Bernier, leader of the People's Party of Canada, speaks to reporters in Winnipeg, Tuesday, May 16, 2023, after appearing in court and being fined $2,000 for breaking COVID-19 restrictions in Manitoba in 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Steve Lambert
Maxime Bernier, leader of the People's Party of Canada, speaks to reporters in Winnipeg, Tuesday, May 16, 2023, after appearing in court and being fined $2,000 for breaking COVID-19 restrictions in Manitoba in 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Steve Lambert

Kansas governor thwarts small legal settlement with business over COVID-19 restrictions

John Hanna, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Kansas governor thwarts small legal settlement with business over COVID-19 restrictions

John Hanna, The Associated Press 5 minute read Thursday, May. 11, 2023

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' Democratic governor on Thursday scuttled a small legal settlement favored by top Republican officials between the state and the owner of a Wichita fitness studio forced to shut down during the first months of the coronavirus pandemic and then operate under restrictions.

The settlement would have cost the state $4,305.46 and ended a lawsuit filed in December 2020 by Ryan Floyd and his business, Omega Bootcamps Inc. The case has yet to go to trial in Sedgwick County District Court in Wichita, and Attorney General Kris Kobach asked Gov. Laura Kelly and eight leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature to sign off, as required by state law.

Six of those eight legislative leaders are Republicans, and all six voted to approve the settlement during a live online WebEx meeting that Kelly convened. But Kelly opposed it, along with the House and Senate's top Democrats, and under Kansas law, the governor's action decided the issue.

Kelly did not explain why she opposed the settlement, though a spokesperson later said in a text that the settlement “is not in the best interest of the state.” The governor and the lawmakers had no public discussion of the settlement but met in private for 35 minutes with two members of Kobach's staff.

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Thursday, May. 11, 2023

FILE - Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach answers questions from reporters during a news conference outside his office, Monday, May 1, 2023, in Topeka, Kan. Kobach has proposed a settlement to end a state court lawsuit filed by a Wichita fitness studio owner who was forced to shut down in the first months of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/John Hanna, File)
FILE - Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach answers questions from reporters during a news conference outside his office, Monday, May 1, 2023, in Topeka, Kan. Kobach has proposed a settlement to end a state court lawsuit filed by a Wichita fitness studio owner who was forced to shut down in the first months of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/John Hanna, File)

Ex-Kansas legislator convicted of COVID relief fraud sentenced to more than 2 years in US prison

John Hanna, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Ex-Kansas legislator convicted of COVID relief fraud sentenced to more than 2 years in US prison

John Hanna, The Associated Press 3 minute read Thursday, May. 11, 2023

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former Kansas lawmaker who was convicted of 12 felonies for lying on applications for federal COVID-19 relief was sentenced Thursday to two years and three months in prison, according to online court records.

An attorney for former Republican state Rep. Michael Capps argued for probation in court documents, citing Capps’ Air Force service in a combat zone. But prosecutors asked for a sentence of four years and three months in prison, arguing in court documents that he “continues to show neither remorse nor contrition" over stealing nearly $500,000 in funds meant to help businesses remain afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition to the prison time, U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren sentenced Capps to two years of supervised release, and he ordered him to pay more than a half-million dollars in restitution and the forfeiture of illegal proceeds, The Wichita Eagle reported.

A jury convicted the 45-year-old former lawmaker in December of four counts of wire fraud, four counts of money laundering, three counts of making false statements on loan applications and one count of bank fraud. The jury acquitted him of six charges, and another charge was dismissed before his trial.

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Thursday, May. 11, 2023

FILE - Kansas state Rep. Michael Capps, R-Wichita, testifies during a committee hearing, Jan. 30, 2020, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. The former Kansas lawmaker who was convicted of 12 felonies for lying on applications for federal COVID-19 relief is trying to avoid spending any time in prison, with his attorney citing his Air Force service in a combat zone as one reason. (AP Photo/John Hanna, File)
FILE - Kansas state Rep. Michael Capps, R-Wichita, testifies during a committee hearing, Jan. 30, 2020, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. The former Kansas lawmaker who was convicted of 12 felonies for lying on applications for federal COVID-19 relief is trying to avoid spending any time in prison, with his attorney citing his Air Force service in a combat zone as one reason. (AP Photo/John Hanna, File)

As public health emergency ends, pandemic-era support programs have already been fading away

Ashraf Khalil, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

As public health emergency ends, pandemic-era support programs have already been fading away

Ashraf Khalil, The Associated Press 6 minute read Thursday, May. 11, 2023

WASHINGTON (AP) — The formal end of the national Public Health Emergency on Thursday is largely a symbolic and psychological step, representing the country’s formal emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic.

But behind the scenes, several core aspects of America’s pandemic-era emergency safety net are also coming to a close, from extra food assistance to automatic reenrollment in Medicaid. While these measures were always designed to be temporary, their expiration is inevitably producing hardship and confusion.

“People are starting to get their jobs back, but it's still not all the way back and everything is more expensive than before the pandemic,” said Radha Muthiah, president of the Capital Area Food Bank. “The people we serve always seem to be playing catch-up.”

At Thursday's White House briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre took note of the end of the public health emergency. “The work won't stop,” she said, with the administration working to ensure continued access to COVID vaccines, treatments and tests and to tackle long-COVID.

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Thursday, May. 11, 2023

Helena Smith, right, of Washington, chooses fresh food items while being helped by Bread for the City volunteer, Pixie Alexander, of Washington, Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at the food pantry in Washington. The formal end of the national Public Health Emergency on Thursday marks the end of several U.S. pandemic-era emergency support program, from extra food assistance to automatic enrollment in Medicaid. "I like this a lot because they give us a variety of fruit," says Smith, "instead of just cans." (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Helena Smith, right, of Washington, chooses fresh food items while being helped by Bread for the City volunteer, Pixie Alexander, of Washington, Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at the food pantry in Washington. The formal end of the national Public Health Emergency on Thursday marks the end of several U.S. pandemic-era emergency support program, from extra food assistance to automatic enrollment in Medicaid.

South Korea to lift quarantine mandate for COVID-19 and end testing recommendation for travelers

Kim Tong-hyung, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

South Korea to lift quarantine mandate for COVID-19 and end testing recommendation for travelers

Kim Tong-hyung, The Associated Press 4 minute read Thursday, May. 11, 2023

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea will drop its COVID-19 quarantine requirements and end testing recommendations for international arrivals starting next month after the World Health Organization declared the end of the global health emergency.

In lowering the coronavirus alert level from “critical” to plainly “alert” starting June 1, health authorities will also lift mask mandates in pharmacies and small clinics but will continue require mask wearing in large hospitals and long-term care facilities and other medical venues with high infection risks.

The decision was announced during a meeting attended by President Yoon Suk Yeol, where he thanked the country’s medical workers and said it was “delightful that people are getting their normal lives back after three and a half years.”

He said his government will take steps to improve the country’s capacity to deal with future pandemics, including providing stronger support for vaccine developments and expanding international cooperation.

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Thursday, May. 11, 2023

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, applauds to encourage medical workers during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters about measures to deal with the coronavirus pandemic at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 11, 2023. South Korea will drop its COVID-19 quarantine requirements and end testing recommendations for international arrivals starting next month after the World Health Organization declared the end of the global health emergency. (Yonhap via AP)
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, applauds to encourage medical workers during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters about measures to deal with the coronavirus pandemic at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 11, 2023. South Korea will drop its COVID-19 quarantine requirements and end testing recommendations for international arrivals starting next month after the World Health Organization declared the end of the global health emergency. (Yonhap via AP)

White House eases COVID protocols as emergency lifts

The Associated Press 1 minute read Preview

White House eases COVID protocols as emergency lifts

The Associated Press 1 minute read Tuesday, May. 9, 2023

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pandemic-era rules on COVID-19 testing for White House journalists are being loosened as the public health emergency declaration expires Thursday. It’s another sign of how a vast web of policies designed to limit the spread of the virus is dissipating.

As part of the shift, reporters will no longer be required to get tested for COVID-19 while covering events with President Joe Biden in Washington. The rules have applied to journalists who are in the pool, a rotating group that covers the president on behalf of the press corps.

In addition, the White House won’t ask reporters whether they’re vaccinated.

However, reporters will still need to take COVID-19 tests to fly on Air Force One or Air Force Two, which is used by Vice President Kamala Harris, or before interviews with key administration figures.

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Tuesday, May. 9, 2023

A Marine stands guard outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 9, 2023. President Biden is meeting with Congressional leaders to discuss the debt limit. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
A Marine stands guard outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 9, 2023. President Biden is meeting with Congressional leaders to discuss the debt limit. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Why we still need masks in some settings

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Why we still need masks in some settings

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Monday, May. 8, 2023

Even before the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic was no longer a "public health emergency of international concern" on Friday, many Canadians had already given up wearing masks as mandates lifted in most public places.

Although WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted Friday's declaration "does not mean COVID-19 is over," many people will likely interpret it that way, said Dr. Allison McGeer, infectious diseases specialist and microbiologist at Sinai Health Systems in Toronto.

"Truthfully, at least in Canada, most behaviour is already reflecting most people’s opinion that the pandemic is over," McGeer said.

Still, infectious diseases specialists are hoping the practice of masking, which emerged in this country as a response to the pandemic, will continue at certain times and in certain places to help reduce the spread of not only COVID-19, but influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as well.

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Monday, May. 8, 2023

People wear face masks as they walk through a subway station in Montreal, Sunday, July 17, 2022. Infectious diseases specialists are hoping the practice of masking, which emerged in this country as a response to the pandemic, will continue at certain times and in certain places to help reduce the spread of not only COVID-19, but influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as well. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
People wear face masks as they walk through a subway station in Montreal, Sunday, July 17, 2022. Infectious diseases specialists are hoping the practice of masking, which emerged in this country as a response to the pandemic, will continue at certain times and in certain places to help reduce the spread of not only COVID-19, but influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as well. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

High level of COVID-19 immunity in B.C.: officials

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

High level of COVID-19 immunity in B.C.: officials

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Friday, May. 5, 2023

VICTORIA - British Columbia health officials say the World Health Organization's declaration of the end of COVID-19 as a global health emergency is an "important milestone," but warn the virus will still be around for the foreseeable future.

Minister of Health Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry say in a joint statement that COVID-19 is no longer causing severe disease in most people.

They attribute the "high level of population immunity" to vaccination and the combination of boosters and infection.

The statement says the province has been transitioning out of the emergency phase of the pandemic for a while.

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Friday, May. 5, 2023

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry speaks with Minister of Health Adrian Dix at the Victoria Conference Centre vaccination site to promote walk-in Wednesdays, an effort by the province to encourage those needing a first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during a site tour in Victoria, B.C., on Tuesday, August 3, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry speaks with Minister of Health Adrian Dix at the Victoria Conference Centre vaccination site to promote walk-in Wednesdays, an effort by the province to encourage those needing a first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during a site tour in Victoria, B.C., on Tuesday, August 3, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

COVID-19 emergency over but threat remains: Duclos

Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

COVID-19 emergency over but threat remains: Duclos

Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Friday, May. 5, 2023

OTTAWA - COVID-19 isn't over even after the World Health Organization declared Friday that the illness no longer qualifies as a global emergency, Canada's Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said.

The declaration made the WHO in Geneva is a symbolic end to the devastating coronavirus pandemic that triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions of people worldwide.

Duclos said it's a good sign but COVID-19 still must be taken seriously and its lasting impact on our health care system is still playing out.

"This is the end of an emergency, this is not the end of the threat," he said, speaking to reporters at the Liberal policy convention in Ottawa. "COVID-19 is still with us."

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Friday, May. 5, 2023

Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos speaks to reporters on the sidelines of the Liberal Convention in Ottawa, on Friday, May 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos speaks to reporters on the sidelines of the Liberal Convention in Ottawa, on Friday, May 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

WHO says COVID emergency is over. So what does that mean?

Maria Cheng, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

WHO says COVID emergency is over. So what does that mean?

Maria Cheng, The Associated Press 5 minute read Friday, May. 5, 2023

LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization downgraded its assessment of the coronavirus pandemic on Friday, saying it no longer qualifies as a global emergency. The action reverses a declaration that was first made on January 30, 2020, when the disease had not even been named COVID-19 and when there were no major outbreaks beyond China.

A look at what WHO's decision means:

WHY END THE GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY?

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the pandemic has been “on a downward trend for more than a year, with population immunity increasing from vaccination and infection." That, he said, has allowed most countries “to return to life as we knew it before COVID-19,” meaning that the worst part of the pandemic is over.

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Friday, May. 5, 2023

FILE - Commuters wearing face masks ride bicycles along a street in the central business district in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. The World Health Organization downgraded its assessment of the coronavirus pandemic on Friday, May 5, 2023, saying it no longer qualifies as a global emergency. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
FILE - Commuters wearing face masks ride bicycles along a street in the central business district in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. The World Health Organization downgraded its assessment of the coronavirus pandemic on Friday, May 5, 2023, saying it no longer qualifies as a global emergency. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

WHO downgrades COVID pandemic, says it’s no longer emergency

Maria Cheng And Jamey Keaten, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

WHO downgrades COVID pandemic, says it’s no longer emergency

Maria Cheng And Jamey Keaten, The Associated Press 5 minute read Sunday, May. 7, 2023

GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization said Friday that COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency, marking a symbolic end to the devastating coronavirus pandemic that triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions of people worldwide.

The announcement, made more than three years after WHO declared the coronavirus an international crisis, offers some relief, if not an ending, to a pandemic that stirred fear and suspicion, hand-wringing and finger-pointing across the globe.

The U.N. health agency's officials said that even though the emergency phase was over, the pandemic hasn't finished, noting recent spikes in cases in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

WHO says thousands of people are still dying from the virus every week, and millions of others are suffering from debilitating, long-term effects.

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Sunday, May. 7, 2023

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), speaks to journalists during a press conference about the Global WHO on World Health Day and the 75th anniversary at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday April 6, 2023. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), speaks to journalists during a press conference about the Global WHO on World Health Day and the 75th anniversary at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday April 6, 2023. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)

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