Health

TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford downplayed the significance Friday of footage posted online that appeared to show the province's top doctor attending an indoor party maskless, days after he recommended masking in all indoor spaces.

As Americans head into the holiday season, a rapidly intensifying flu season is straining hospitals already overburdened with patients sick from other respiratory infections.

TORONTO — The Toronto Transit Commission will be ending its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirement for workers and offering to reinstate employees who were terminated as a result of the policy without back pay.

BERLIN (AP) — The Berlin Zoo shut its doors to visitors Friday after one of its aquatic birds tested positive for avian flu, the facility said.

Pfizer said Friday that its updated COVID-19 booster may offer some protection against newly emerging omicron mutants even though it's not an exact match.

OSTRAVA, Czech Republic (AP) — In this part of northeastern Czech Republic, huge piles of coal are stacked up ready to sell to eager buyers and smoke belches from coal-fired plants that are ramping up instead of winding down.

U.S.

HALIFAX — The head of pediatrics at the largest children’s hospital in Atlantic Canada says Nova Scotia is seeing extremely high numbers of children sick amid a "perfect storm" of respiratory illnesses. Dr.

The Alberta government has, for the second time in a decade, fired the governing board of its health service and replaced it with an administrator. Premier Danielle Smith said Dr.

Canada's transport minister says the federal government strongly encourages people to wear masks on planes and trains as regions across the country report increasing pressure on the health-care system, but he stopped short of making it a requirement.