Category Archives: Sealand

All information is accurate at the current time, and the TAT Newsroom will issue new updates as soon as further information becomes available. This will be the last update on the topic.

The interprovincial transportation has resumed new normal operations in line with the nationwide public health protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19.DOMESTIC AIR TRAVELAir Asia has announced that it will resume new normal operations of all 40 domestic routes from 1 April, 2021. Also, from the date, the airline will increase the frequency on several popular routes, including the ones linking Bangkok (Don Mueang) with Chiang Mai (13 daily flights), Phuket (11 daily flights), Hat Yai (eight daily flights), Surat Thani (six daily flights), and Chiang Rai, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani (five daily flights each), as well as ones linking Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport) with Chiang Mai, Nan, Phuket, Hat Yai and Nakhon Si Thammarat. In addition, the airline will resume all 14 cross-region routes to stimulate domestic tourism in Thailand.Bangkok Airways resumed its Phuket-Hat Yai flight from 28 March, 2021, bringing the total number of its destinations to eight, which are Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Krabi, Lampang, Phuket, Samui, Sukhothai, and Trat all operating from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi). However, it will delay the launch of two new planned routes: Bangkok Khon Kaen and Bangkok Hat Yai to 2022. At the same time, flights on the Phuket U-Tapao and Phuket Samui still remain temporarily suspended until further notice.

Thai Lion Air is operating new direct normal flights from Don Mueang International Airport to 13 Thai cities: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hat Yai, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phitsanulok, Phuket, Surat Thani, Trang, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, and Hat Yai Udon Thani.

Thai Vietjet Airlines is operating its new normal, cross-region flights including Phuket Chiang Rai, Hat Yai Chiang Rai, and Chiang Mai Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Meanwhile, U-Tapao Rayong Pattaya International Airport has announced the summer flight schedule for April October, 2021, with Air Asia operating on four cross-region routes including three daily flights on Chiang Mai U-tapao and one daily flight each on Hat Yai U-Tapao, Phuket U-Tapao, and Udon Thani U-Tapao, and Thai Lion Air operating a daily flight on Chiang Mai U-Tapao.

LAND TRAVELBus Interprovincial bus services resumed new normal operations in line with the easing of the COVID-19 control measures. However, bus schedules are only available 30 days in advance.

Train The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) also gradually resumed new normal train services to all regions, as well as weekend and special holiday trains.

Mass Transit Systems The Airport Rail Link, BTS Skytrain, and MRT Subway are operating as per normal.WATER TRAVELRaja Ferry Port continues its new normal operations on the Don Sak Samui route as usual, with ferry services scheduled during 05.00 19.00 Hrs. daily. For its Don Sak Phangan routes, passengers are advised to transit at Ko Samui. The company also offers airport transfer services, from either Surat Thani Airport or Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport to hotels on Ko Samui or Ko Phangan.

Ferry to Ko Chang from two piers are running new normal operations as usual with roundtrip ferry services between Ko Chang and the Centre Point Ferry Pier leave every hour from 06.00 19.00 Hrs., while boats between Ko Chang and theNatural Bay Pier leave every 45 minutes from 06.30 19.00 Hrs.

TAT is constantly providing updates on the tourism-related COVID-19 situation in Thailand at the TAT Newsroom (www.tatnews.org); Facebook (tatnews.org); and Twitter (Tatnews_Org).

For additional information and assistance relating to Thailands tourism, contact the TAT Contact Centre 1672 or Tourist Police 1155.

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Updated status of interprovincial air, sea, land travel in Thailand as of April 1 - Pattaya Mail

Local News2021-22 Kindergarten Registration Underway in North Haven

By Jenn McCulloch/Zip06.com 03/30/2021 12:43 p.m. EST

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Kindergarten registration is open for the future Class of 2034 in North Haven. The registration process is to be completed online at northhavenschools.org where required materials will be uploaded.

Superintendent of Schools Patrick Stirk expected a higher number of kindergarten registrants for the coming year as some families chose to opt out of the 2020-21 school year due to COVID-19. Registration opened on Feb. 1 and he noted that as of mid-March, there were 131 students registered for kindergarten this fall, which is higher for this point in the year as compared to past years.

While there is no deadline for registration, parents and guardians are encouraged to register students as soon as possible as kindergarten screenings happen at each school and are tentatively scheduled for mid-May.

The district is planning for these events to take place in-person, said Stirk. Our traditional screening practices will need to be altered due to the current social distancing practices. We are currently planning this event and more information will be shared with families in the coming weeks.

In order to register a child for kindergarten, parents or guardians will need to upload a birth certificate with a raised seal and three forms of proof of residency, which can include a drivers license, mortgage statement or rental contract, or utility bills. All students will also need a current physical and medical forms.

Families will then receive an email with PowerSchool login information and need to create an account to complete registration forms. Those who are unsure which school their child will attend can search their address on the District Schools by Street Name tab.

Once registration is complete, families can view the Welcome to Kindergarten presentation for their students school, which has been created by each schools principal. The presentations include information for students and their parents about what to expect in the school day and throughout the year. There are also lists of resources for learning.

Families will receive information about kindergarten screenings in the coming month. In the meantime, Stirk encourages families to work with incoming students on the following skills:

Writing first/last name, using appropriate upper/lowercase letters

Recognizing and identifying letters in the alphabet

Associating sounds with letters

Recognizing/counting numbers from 0 to 20

Identifying colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black, pink, white)

Identifying shapes (square, rectangle, oval, circle, triangle, hexagon)

Fine-motor skills such as coloring, cutting, and drawing a person

Self-help skills, such as putting on a coat and a smock, zipping, snapping, buttoning, opening lunch/snack items, etc.

Reciting the days of the week and months of the year

Learning birthday, address, and phone number

For information, visit http://www.northhavenschools.org. For assistance, email support@northhavenschools.org or call 203-780-9566.

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2021-'22 Kindergarten Registration Underway in North Haven - Zip06.com

By Lorraine Loomis

Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

Treaty tribes and our state salmon co-managers are looking ahead to another grim year of fishing because of poor ocean conditions that reduce marine survival, and the ongoing loss of freshwater habitat.

Higher marine water temperatures, changing currents and a disrupted ocean food chain are the main causes of reduced ocean survival. The salmon that do return are often smaller than normal and females carry fewer eggs.

Queets River coho is one of the weak stocks driving fisheries constraints during this years North of Falcon process that sets salmon fishing seasons. While overall coho returns are expected to be better this year, the stock continues to decline despite a rebuilding effort that began in 2017. Coho from Strait of Juan de Fuca tributaries and the Snohomish River are also failing to recover under rebuilding plans. Tighter conservation closures will likely be necessary to ensure escapement goals are reached to produce the next generation of fish.

Stillaguamish River chinook returns are expected to be low again this year. Skagit River summer and fall chinook are also concerning. The summer run is expected to return in low numbers that will constrain fisheries and require close monitoring to avoid a closure. This is especially worrisome because Skagit River summer and fall chinook are the most abundant and healthiest natural chinook stock in Puget Sound.

Chum salmon, traditionally one of the most plentiful salmon species, are expected to be dramatically lower this year in large part because of low marine survival from changing ocean conditions. Were particularly concerned about stocks from southern Puget Sound streams.

Tribal and state co-managers face increasingly difficult decisions because we must also factor in increasing seal and sea lion predation and the needs of southern resident orcas on top of the ongoing decline of salmon caused by changing ocean conditions and lost freshwater habitat.

Salmon were abundant in western Washington for millions of years. Their sheer numbers, naturally high productivity and plenty of good habitat made them resilient from the effects of disease, drought, poor ocean conditions and a host of other environmental factors.

We must rebuild that resilience if we are going to recover salmon and we need properly functioning habitat to do that. One way is to focus on what we can do to improve freshwater habitat.

A new joint tribal/state riparian habitat initiative is taking that task on through a uniform, science-based management approach to restore and protect streamside vegetation. Trees, shrubs and other plants along streams help lower water temperatures, filter pollutants and reduce sediments that can smother salmon eggs.

The tribal and state salmon co-managers alone cant recover salmon. We need help from federal agencies, local governments, environmental groups, agriculture and others if we are going to be successful.

We also must continue to build resiliency in the co-manager relationship created by the 1974 ruling in U.S. v. Washington that upheld tribal treaty-reserved rights and established the tribes as salmon co-managers with the state.

As salmon continue to decline, every decision carries greater potential impacts to fishermen and the resource. As a result, our co-management relationship is increasingly tested every year. Still, we remain committed to cooperative co-management because our history shows we are better together.

Lorraine Loomis is chairwoman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. Her column, Being Frank, represents the interests and concerns of treaty Indian tribes throughout western Washington. Its meant to enhance communication between the Indian and non-Indian communities.

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Commentary: Ocean conditions, lost habitat drive salmon concerns - The Daily World

Lt. Michael Wicks with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office said you can "run, hide, fight" if a shooter gets in.

Do you know how to escape from Target without using the main entrance?

Does stacking furniture in front of a door actually make it harder to open?

What's the difference between "cover" and "concealment" and why should you care?

Most Americans aren't searching Google for the answers to these questions. But in the age of the active shooter, they may want to start.

Make no mistake: The odds of being caught in a mass shooting are slim. But the randomness with which gunmen strike is disconcerting, as evidenced by the twin massacres this month atAtlanta spasand a supermarket in Colorado.

"It used to be the wrong place at the wrong time; now it's any place at any time," said Clint Emerson, a retired Navy SEAL and founder of Escape the Wolf, a global crisis management company.

And experts say it could worsen this year as local and state governments loosen lockdowns and revise social distancing measures that kept us safe from the novel coronavirus whichburdened citizens with extraordinary amounts of stress.

"The lockdownhas certainly exacerbated the big issues that push people toward violence everything is a little bit worse for everyone," Emerson said. "My guess is 2021 will probably be the year of the active shooter."

Everyone in America hopes he's wrong. But in case he's not, here aresome tips on how to survive.

The federal government pushes a simple plan for coping with mass shooters on ready.gov, a website run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

If bullets start to fly, run away. Ifyou can't do that, hide until the threat moves on. And if that doesn't happen, prepare to fight for your life.

Even the most hardened skeptics have embraced the plan's framework because it's so intuitive. But it can and should be broken down further to cut the chances for error, experts said.

For instance, when do you run and when do you hide? And if you flee, in which direction should you go?

The answer's not always clear, saidKelly McCann,a security consultant and owner of the Virginia-based Kembativz Brand.

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The sound of a gunshot reverberates indoors, making it tough to figure out where the shooter is, McCann said. Especially during a panic-inducing adrenaline dump.

McCann tells clients totake a breath, calm themselves and search for the nearest exit. Don't just join the herd of people charging one way or another.

"Just because everybody seems to be running in a particular direction doesn't meant that's necessarily the right direction somebody might have just bolted," McCann said. "The right direction is where you know there's an exit, and it's unlikely the shooter will be between you and that exit."

Sodon't panic. Of course. But how do you not panic when your friendly neighborhood grocery store just collapsed into a war zone?

Preparation is key, experts said.

When you're in a store, at the movies or eating out, take a second to find alternative exits, Emerson said. If, in that moment, you heard the crackling of gunfire, how would you react? Where would you go?

Even just thinking through the event will help inoculate your mind againstthe inevitable surge of terror, he said.

Former Bergen County Police Chief Brian Higgins(Photo: Chris Monroe/NorthJersey.com)

"Some people will call that paranoid, but it's not," Emerson said. "It's a mindful preparedness for the environmentyou're in. You're just taking a moment to think it through ... so ifit does happen in reality, you've trained yourself to be a little more coherent and thoughtful before you make big moves."

Most importantly, don't freeze in place, said Brian Higgins,a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan who also trains corporateclients ofBrosnan Risk Consultants in how to combatactive shooters.

"Do something. Period. Do not freeze, even if you're not sure those are gunshots," Higgins said. "The probabilityyou'll survivewill go up exponentially."

Higgins speaks frompersonal experience. As a former chief of the Bergen County Police Department, he helped lead the law enforcement response to the November 2013 shooting at Westfield Garden State Plaza inParamus.

The six-hour nightmare started when a Teaneck man, dressed in black, stalked into the mall with a rifle, firing random shots as he went. But he didn't appear to have a specific target, and he inflicted no casualties before eventually killinghimself in a remote storage area.

If you don't think you can make it to an exit safely,seek cover immediately, McCann said.

Not concealment, if you can help it.Actual cover. What's the difference?

Window drapes or a slab of drywallwill cloak theperson hiding behind them, but they won't stop a pistol or rifle round. That's concealment.

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The stone pillar, concrete planter or brick wall that halts lead slugs in their tracks? That's cover.And that's what you're looking for.

From there, dart from bulwark to bulwark as you head toward the door, McCann said.

"You might go to one position, take a breath, look around, see what's going on, move to the next position and so on, until you're further and further away from the source of fire," McCann said.

If you have to hide, Emerson said, avoid rooms with only one entrance, such asbathrooms or closets.Ideally, you'd find a space with windows or some other way out, then barricade the door.

To do that, stack furniture linearly, not vertically, Emerson said. In other words, shove a desk against the door, wedge a filing cabinetagainst the desk and so on until you reach the opposite wall, if possible. That willbrace the furniture against the door and jam it inplace.

Then go to the corner of the room and get low, Emerson said.Shooters are likely aiming chest-high, and lying flat on the ground means shots fired through the wall should sail harmlessly overhead.

Attacking the assailant is by far the most dangerous option and should be used only as a measure of last resort, experts said.

But if you must engage, keep it simple and savage. Emerson said team up with others if you can and focus on seizing control of the weapon.

For instance, ask two or three people to tackle the shooter's bodywhile you latch on to the rifle, Emerson said. Get two hands on the gun and let gravity do the rest.

"You're just going to drop to the ground hold on to that thing and let your weight go to Earth," he said. "No one can withstand that. Not even the strongest Navy SEAL can maintain control of that gun if someone's hanging from it."

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Get the shooter to the floor, pile on and wait for law enforcement, Emerson said.

But again, running and hiding are better, safer choices. Higgins, of John Jay, said fighting is a "last-ditch effort for when all options are gone."

It's also a good idea to prepare for the aftermath by learning basic first aid skills, McCann said.

"If you're on-scene, there are mass casualtiesand you're able to assist in that first hour after the incident, you can significantly contribute to saving lives," he said.

In the end, it's up to people to prepare themselves for these tragedies, McCann added. Mass shootings start suddenly and end within minutes, and the police are rarely in position to help.

If civilians "don't do something for themselves, who's going to?" McCann said. "As much as you wish you weren't there, you are. So you've got to do something about it."

Steve Janoski covers law enforcement for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important newsabout those who safeguard your local community,please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email:janoski@northjersey.com

Twitter:@stevejanoski

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Here's what to do in an active shooter situation - NorthJersey.com

Visitors entering Wales will be given an exceptionally large welcome back once cross border travel restrictions are lifted.

Dandy's Topsoil is planning to fly what is believed to be the 'largest Welsh flag' in the United Kingdom as a way of greeting people once they are allowed back into Wales.

The Topsoil and Turf firm is based on the A548 Sealand Road - one of main entry points on the Wales/ England border at Flintshire.

Cross border travel with England and the rest of the UK from high incidence coronavirus areas, was initially banned in October - except for those travelling for work or educational purposes.

But in a tweet on Friday First Minister Mark Drakeford said he was looking to allow travel in and out of Wales from April 12.

The giant flag - which will fly approximately 110ft above sea level and measure 26ftx15.5ft - is being produced by North Yorkshire-based company, Flying Colours Flagmakers and will fly from their Sealand Landscape Supplies Centre.

Amanda Arnold, director of marketing at Dandys said: We wanted to do something to welcome visitors back to Wales after such a terrible year for the country as a whole once lockdown was lifted.

"What better way than by commissioning what will be the largest Welsh flag to be flown anywhere in the UK on our giant flag pole above the gateway from England into Wales where our head offices are based.

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"Due to the sheer size of the flag we have spent months researching and testing different flag materials, as well as speaking with the owners of the largest flag currently flying in the USA at Acuity Insurance in Wisconsin and adapting stitching patterns to ensure it lasts as long as possible.

"The flag will also be lowered during bad weather to help extend its life."

Owner of Dandys, Adam Dandy, will raise the flag with help from a local politician to welcome people back to the country in the near future.

You can have your say on this story by using the comments section below.

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'Largest Welsh flag in the UK' to welcome back visitors to Wales after 'terrible year' - North Wales Live

The Nicola from Al Khums to Izmir, the Jaguar from Naples to Tunis, the Contship Cub from Trapani to Sfax (all CMA CGM Malta Agency Ltd), the Sealand Washington from Barcelona to Gioia Tauro (also Thomas Smith and Co. Ltd), the Jolly Express from Tunis to Tunis (both John Ripard and Son Ltd) and the MV Eurocargo Venezia from Catania to Catania (Sullivan Maritime Ltd) today.

The Charlie from Izmit to Misurata, the Atlantic Monaco from Bizerte to Catania, the Oued Ziz from Tunis to Tunis, the Alexandra from Algeciras to Livorno, the Contship Gin from Skikda to Taranto (all CMA CGM Malta Agency Ltd), the MV Neptune Thalassa from Catania to Catania and the MV Lake Wanaka from Catania to Catania (both SMS Shipping Ltd) tomorrow.

The Atlantic Silver from Skikda to Taranto, the Langeness from Sfax to Koper, the Burgundy from Antalya to Gebze, the CMA CGM Fort St Pierre from Algiers to Mersin, the Bomar Milione from Algeciras to Piraeus, the Anne from Sousse to Catania (all CMA CGM Malta Agency Ltd), the Mando from Gioia Tauro to Bari (John Ripard and Son Ltd), the Paxi to Damietta/Nhava Sheva (Bianchi and Co. Ltd) and the MV Eurocargo Malta from Catania to Catania (Sullivan Maritime Ltd) on Saturday.

The Baltic Bridge from Piraeus to Genoa (CMA CGM Malta Agency Ltd) on Sunday.

The Contship Ace from Rijeka to Bejaia, the Atlantic North from Tripoli to Catania, the CMA CGM Fort St Georges from El Dekheila to Algiers, the Karina from Koper to Bejaia, the AS Freya from Piraeus to Casablanca, the CMA CGM Nabucco from Genoa to Port Said (all CMA CGM Malta Agency Ltd), the Conti Everest from Colombo to Gioia Tauro (John Ripard and Son Ltd), the MV Eurocargo Palermo from Catania to Catania and the MV Eurocargo Venezia from Genoa to Catania (both Sullivan Maritime Ltd) on Monday.

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Shipping movements - March 25, 2021 - Times of Malta

Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, held a press conference in downtown Pacific Grove on Saturday, March 27, standing behind a podium with the city's seal which features the iconic image of a monarch butterfly. One of his aides wanted to slap a Congressional seal over the city seal and Panetta said, "Not today!"

Panetta was there in the garden behind the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History to personally announce two bills meant to prevent extinction of the Western monarch butterflythat he and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, reintroduced on March 17, the Monarch Action, Recovery and Conservation Habitat, or MONARCH, Act and the Monarch and Pollinator Highway Act.

"Today we want to highlight our appreciation for the monarch butterfly but unfortunately our depletion of the monarch species and yes, solutions to save the monarch butterfly," Panetta said.

The 2020 monarch count was the worst ever, with zero butterflies recorded at the Pacific Grove Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. The previous year the count was 642. In 1997 the number recorded was more than 45,000.

Only 1,800 total were counted at all the sites. The Xerces Society estimates that the monarch population has decreased by 99 percent since the 1980s.

"Unfortunately something is wrong, something is leading to shrinking numbers of the monarch butterfly," Panetta said. "The results are absolutely staggering." Monarchs are important as a pollinator of agricultural crops, Panetta said, "and we don't want to lose this bright, bright icon of our culture."

Despite the dire numbers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in December that it would not put Western monarchs on the Endangered Species list yet. Instead they listed the monarch's status as warranted but precluded at this time by higher-priority actions." In other words, there were other species higher up on the FWS priority list for special protections.

The MONARCH Act would authorize $62.5 million for conservation projects and an additional $62.5 million to implement the Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation Plan which was prepared two years ago by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The funding would be divided into annual installments of $12.5 million for each effort.

The first $62.5 million for conservation efforts could mean grants for overwintering areas like Pacific Grove's sanctuary, Panetta said during the press conference. He was joined at the podium by Mayor Bill Peake, as well as by Santa Cruz Mayor Donna Meyers. Santa Cruz has two significant overwintering sites at Natural Bridges State Park and Lighthouse Field. Also on hand from P.G. were councilmembers Joe Amelio and Chaps Poduri.

The Monarch and Pollinator Highway Act would provide grants for conservation of habitat along highways in the Western states, planting native milkweed and nectar plants along the migratory routes of the monarchs as they make their way from the Rocky Mountains and states along the Canadian border to the California coast each winter.

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Rep. Jimmy Panetta takes up the cause of the disappearing monarch butterfly. - Monterey County Weekly

The magazines series of sponsored e-books continues with a discussion on the evolution of fluid-applied waterproofing.Photo courtesy W.R. Meadows

After centuries of use, fluid-applied waterproofing continues to evolve as the primary method of structural waterproofing. According to Grand View Research, fluid-applied waterproofing is predicted to be a $37-38 billion market by 2025. Historically, humans have used variations of liquid membranes to waterproof their structures since hunters and gatherers used large leaves and tree sap to protect their excess grain from moisture. In the Neolithic era, boats were sealed with bitumen emulsion from peat bogs to prevent water from deteriorating the wood. Ancient Egyptians perfected bitumen emulsion to seal and protect walls from the Nile River. With all the technological advancements over the years, it is remarkable these base chemistries are still used.

Fluid-applied waterproofing materials offer certain advantages over self-adhered sheet membranes, primarily the ease of installation, simplified detailing, and cost efficiency. Many challenges associated with sheet membrane waterproofing systems, such as fish mouths, uneven seams, difficult end lapping, and complexity of installing a straight flat sheet on a polygonal structure, are eliminated in a fluid-applied system. An article in our newest sponsorede-bookdiscusses the evolution of fluid-applied waterproofing.

This article appears along with a couple of others inHow Best to Waterproof Concrete, a free, downloadable resource. To get your copy in either pdf or digital edition, visitwww.constructionspecifier.com/ebook/kryton-how-best-to-waterproof-concrete-e-book.

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Latest e-book explores evolution of fluid-applied waterproofing - Construction Specifier - The Construction Specifier

MANILA While there is no evidence yet to support claims that there are fake COVID-19 vaccines in the Philippines, the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday called on both the public and the private sector to be vigilant against counterfeit drugs.

This, after the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) found 400 ampoules or 2,400 doses of fake COVID-19 vaccines in a warehouse in South Africa earlier this month.

We act on all reports that we receive at FDA and we send investigators. So far the reports that we receivewhen our inspectors visit the place, we didnt find any vaccine or fake vaccine or even genuine ones as reported, said Dr. Oscar Gutierrez, Deputy Director General of the FDA.

He also said the FDA is acting on all reports within 24 hours.The public can however discern whether a vaccine is fake or not, he added. Here's a checklist on what consumers must know before getting inoculated with the vaccine.

WHERE IS IT AVAILABLE?

Although protocol changes might be expected since the private sector has reportedly been allowed to buy COVID-19 vaccines for their employees, Gutierrez reminded that the vaccines are still under emergency use authorization (EUA), which means they cannot be sold in the market.

So far only Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sinovac and Gamaleya Institutes Sputnik V vaccines have EUAs granted by the Philippines.

Gutierrez said COVID-19 vaccines currently cannot be sold online, in marketplaces, drug outlets, or even clinics and hospitals.

The current vaccines in the country are also offered for free by the government in Department of Health-authorized vaccination sites.

HOW IS IT GIVEN

Gutierrez said COVID-19 vaccines also require pre-vaccination screening by a healthcare professional. The person who will administer the dose should also be a healthcare worker.

After vaccination, the recipient should also be observed for any side effects.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

Fake vaccines are produced by criminals to imitate the genuine ones and they are labelled and packaged to a high standard. Sometimes a laboratory test is the only way to identify the difference, Gutierrez said.

But while it is difficult to spot fake vaccines, he said criminals may also make mistakes.

He said counterfeit products are usually not correctly labelled or not labelled at all. The packaging may also not include an expiry date or information on how to store the medicine.

Poor packaging, false spelling or grammatical errors may also be good red flags, he said.

Gutierrez said dirty or scratched vials, dented or broken caps, already punctured rubber seal and cloudy solution or foreign matter in the vial may also be signs that the vaccine is fake.

The Philippines has so far received more than 2.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Sinovac and AstraZeneca. Of those, more than 650,000 have been administered to mostly health workers.

COVID-19 vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines, fake vaccine, counterfeit vaccine, Department of Health, Food and Drug Administration

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Beware of fake COVID-19 vaccines: Here's how to spot one - ABS-CBN News

Whether youre looking forward to BBQing, leisurely afternoons spent kicking back on the patio or exploring all your favourite trails on your bike, we know youve been waiting months to get outside and enjoy what Canada has to offer this spring. From how to clean and prep your BBQ to how to find the best E-mobility vehicle for you, Everything Awaits at Canadian Tire.

Photo via Getty Images

With the arrival of spring after what feels like a long and dreary winter, Canadians are no doubt looking forward to warmer weather and more time spent outdoors.

One of the best ways to kick back and enjoy the season is by taking advantage of your homes outdoor space, no matter whether youve got a condo-sized balcony or a spacious backyard.

In order to make the most comfortable, inviting and relaxing outdoor space, it may also be time to spruce up your outdoor areas in order to have them looking their best all season long. With these quick and easy projects, you can have your space spring-ready in no time so you can enjoy all that the warmer months have to offer.

Photo via Canadian Tire

Canadian winters can wreak havoc on all kinds of surfaces, from metal to wood to concrete, and everything in between. Rather than tossing your existing objects, why not give them a seasonal refresh that will have them looking as good as new?

For wooden trim and furniture, a fresh coat of Varathane Diamond Exterior Finish breathes new life into surfaces to leave them with your choice of gloss, semi-gloss and satin finishes. To remove the look of rust from metal fences or patio furniture, a coat of Tremclad Rust Paint is an easy way to keep them looking their best. As for concrete, Stone Mason Premium Concrete Sealer helps to seal and protect surfaces while leaving them with a revitalized look.

Photo via Canadian Tire

Theres no better way to take advantage of your space than by transforming your outdoor space into an extension of your indoor space. Cozy accents like outdoor-safe pillows and cushions and weatherproof rugs are a simple way to bring texture to your exteriors and add a touch of style to your space.

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Look for UV resilient fabrics to ensure that your pieces can withstand the heat, and for sunny areas that could use some extra shade. We also suggest investing in a patio set that comes with an umbrella, so you can take advantage of your space on even the brightest, hottest days.

Photo via Canadian Tire

Since patio furniture is an investment that can significantly improve the look of your outdoor space, you want to make the most out of it by protecting it properly in order to have it last for many years to come.

To give your textiles a weather-proof upgrade, youll want to consider spraying them with a coating of Scotchgard Heavy Duty Water Shield. This easy-to-use spray creates a durable water repellent barrier that helps keep fabrics dryer, cleaner and newer looking for longer.

Photo via Canadian Tire

No matter what size outdoor space youre working with, Canadian Tire has many creative solutions that will allow you to add a touch of greenery or a colourful pop of florals. Youll find pots and urns for plants of every size, as well as modular planters if youre looking to try your hand at your own mini herb or vegetable garden.

Youll also find the tools you need to keep your plants growing, like compost, insect repellents, watering cans and more.

Photo via Canadian Tire

Though the days are indeed getting longer and warmer, evenings still might need some extra light and warmth once the sun sets. Not always a priority that we tend to think of, outdoor lighting can bring some much-needed functionality to your space while also adding a decorative touch.

Opt for low-maintenance solar-powered lights throughout your yard, or table lanterns for extra mood lightning. You can even plan ahead for warmer months with an insect-repellent lantern from Thermacell that performs double duty.

Another way to bring a whimsical touch to your outdoor space is by utilizing string lights. We love hanging them along fences or from trees to mimic the feeling of your favourite restaurant patio.

The rest is here:

5 refreshing ways to perk up your patio for the season - Yahoo News