Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Let me first take the opportunity to wish everyone a prosperous new year in the garden. And to start off the year, Id like to help you with the age-old problem of dealing with bugs.

Here in Costa Rica, bugs are king, and they can wreak havoc in a home garden. Some folks just throw up their arms in despair and quit gardening because of the bugs.

Others opt for commercial insecticides, which are often risky because of their toxicity. I spent a great deal of time last year researching natural bug controls and testing them in my garden to come up with some new solutions for natural bug control. Outlined in this article are two of the best solutions I have found for dealing with insects during the dry season.

January marks one of the best times to start a new garden in Costa Rica. By creating a little shade over your garden and mulching the beds with grass clippings, you can water the soil around the plants to create a beautiful, productive garden in the dry season provided you can deal with the bugs.

During this season, most chewing bugs disappear, probably because they are not as well adapted to the drier conditions; but small insects such as flea beetles, leafhoppers and aphids are more predominant, because they can survive by sucking the leaves of garden plants for nutrients and moisture.

The small, sucking insects are impossible to handpick, and they reproduce in a cycle of just three days. If left unchecked, these critters proliferate and suck the juice out of tender leaves until plants become whitish and stunted.

Well, dont throw in the towel. The first trick is the yellow sticky trap:

I use one of these traps every meter or so in a garden bed for best results. For some reason, these little insects are attracted to the color yellow, and when they land on the yellow sticky trap, they become stuck.

In a few days, the traps begin to fill up with dozens of little insects, which can no longer reproduce or damage your garden plants. When watering your garden, be careful not to wet the traps so they last longer. If you take the time to set these traps, you will find that they will do most of your pest-control work for the rest of the dry season.

To complement the traps, the following all-purpose, natural insect spray is very effective in controlling dry-season bugs. It helps suffocate small insects, is very safe to use, and costs only about cents a liter to make.

Mix the ingredients below in a blender:

With a hand sprayer, spray both the tops and bottoms of leaves, as well as the garden beds. Repeat every three to seven days for best results.

I hope you have the same good results with these safe and inexpensive controls for garden bugs. May your gardens provide an abundance of healthy, vibrant food for you and your family this year.

This article first appeared in2013

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How to get Rid of Garden Pests - Naturally : - The Tico Times

BOSTON, Jan. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IDTechEx has recently released "Agricultural Robotics Market 2022-2032", a market research report exploring the technical and market factors that are shaping the emerging industry around agricultural robotics. This report is focused on key technologies (e.g., AI, sensors, GPS, imaging systems, etc.) and applications (weeding, harvesting, monitoring, etc.). It analyses recent challenges in the agriculture industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic and how robotics and technology developments will change the business of agriculture, enabling ultra-precision farming, helping to mitigate the challenges, and maintaining sustainable developments.

Agricultural Robots Market Forecast by Region 2032. Source: IDTechEx Agricultural Robotics Market 2022-2032 (PRNewsfoto/IDTechEx)

The report develops a detailed roadmap of how these challenges have influenced the agriculture industry, what technologies have been widely applied as of today, what are the typical application areas of agricultural robots, and what makes different application areas have various maturity and technology readiness levels (TRL).

In particular, this report provides:

Agricultural robots' categorization: Based on the technology and applications, the report categorizes agricultural robots into different types. For each type, a detailed chart was made to evaluate the technical difficulty and application value, thereby deciding its stage of development/commercialization.

Application assessment: Detailed application assessment covering 8 major application areas including weeding and pest control, robotic seeding, fully autonomous tractors, autonomous implement carriers, and platform robots, harvesting robots, drones, milking robots, and others. For each sector, the report outlines its current stage of development, technology progression, drivers and challenges (both technical and regulatory), and key products from active players in the market. The market size of each application is projected in the forecast chapter.

Technology assessment: Detailed technology assessment covering different products ranging from prototypes at the proof-of-concept phase to robots on a commercially available level. The report analyses the key technologies and components including sensors (e.g., cameras, LiDAR, Radar, etc.), imaging systems (e.g., hyperspectral imaging), end-effectors, AI, precision spraying, and many others. The technology assessment gives a holistic view of what components are more commonly used in different robots, how different components synergize to achieve the functionality, and the technical barriers when they work together.

Market analysis: Although there has been a wide range of agricultural robots designed for different specializations, they have different levels of maturities due to different business models, target crops, return on investment, and so on. This report analyses several business models and explains investors' commercial challenges and concerns.

Company profiles: More than 30 interview-based full company profiles with detailed SWOT analysis, over 40 company profiles without SWOT analysis, and the works of more than 80 companies listed and summarised.

Market forecasts: Granular 10-year (2022 2032) segmented market forecast for 6 categories including milking robots, weeding and seeding robots, autonomous tractors and implement carrying robots, drones, harvesting robots, and other applications. The report also contains 2 additional forecasts covering the total market size and unit sales for autonomous tractors and implement tractors. The market forecasts are primarily segmented by regions, thereby helping you to understand which territory is expected to have the fastest growth. Meanwhile, some forecasts are segmented based on application areas. All our assumptions and data points are clearly explained in the report and Excel spreadsheet.

Story continues

The adoption of agbots is determined by both technical difficulty and application value

Although the technologies can vary significantly depending on the tasks, IDTechEx summarizes them into three mainstream categories that are autonomous mobility, direct interaction, and indirect interaction. The report explains how IDTechEx categorizes agricultural robots into these three categories, as well as within each category, the barriers and timeline of development, and what drives the core demand of farmers.

A good example is weeding robots and harvesting robots. One of the fundamental factors causing differences in the popularity of these two robots is the demand. In agriculture, harvesting is typically only needed for a few months, therefore, farmers are less willing to invest too much to get a machine that can only be used for a short period. By contrast, weeding machines are much more popular because weeding is constantly needed throughout the year. For this reason, weeding robot is much more commercialized available than harvesting robots.

Forecast: Global market of agricultural robotics is projected to reach $7.88 billion by 2032

The global market for agricultural robots is forecast to reach $7.88 billion by 2032, with a CAGR of 13.09% compared with 2022. By 2032, Europe remains the largest market, followed by North America, APAC, South America, and MEA. North America and APAC are expected to have the quickest growth in the upcoming decade whereas Europe has the slowest growth.

To find out more about IDTechEx's technical and commercial analysis of the agricultural robotics industry, please visit http://www.IDTechEx.com/agri. This report falls within the Food & AgTech research portfolio.

Upcoming IDTechEx Webinar:

Solutions to Modern Agriculture Issues - Agricultural Robotics Market Gaining Momentum

Yulin Wang, Technology Analyst at IDTechEx, will be presenting a free-to-attend webinar on the topic on Thursday 3 February 2022 - Solutions to Modern Agriculture Issues - Agricultural Robotics Market Gaining Momentum.

This webinar will include:

A summary of key challenges faced by the agriculture industry

The typical agricultural robotics applications, their level of development, and how IDTechEx categorizes them into three different themes

An overview of how technical difficulty and application value will affect commercialization and adoption

A discussion of key enabling technologies and components

An evaluation of the barriers in the agricultural robotics industry

An explanation of the technical forecasting chart of how IDTechEx sees the industry going in 10 years

Click here to find out more and register your place on one of our three sessions.

About IDTechEx

IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Subscription and Consultancy products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit http://www.IDTechEx.com.

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Natalie MoretonDigital Marketing Managerpress@IDTechEx.com +44(0)1223 812300

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New IDTechEx Report Outlines the Future of the Agricultural Robotics Industry - Yahoo Finance

Jasmine Solorio

Bearcat: Jasmine SolorioSport: Womens SoccerYear: SeniorCoachs comment: Jasmine Solorio is a senior captain and dual-threat for the Bearcat Womens Soccer team. She is one of the Bearcats goalkeepers, as well as being one of the teams top goal scorers, playing the center striker position. With 11 saves at goalkeeper and four goals scored on the field, Jasmine helps her team any way she can!Jasmine is a fierce competitor who is always working to improve her game. She scored against Arroyo Grande in our game on Jan. 11. She leads by example and by encouraging her teammates. Jasmine started off the season splitting time between goalkeeper and playing on the field, but weve needed her on the field more, so she has shifted to playing almost the entire game every game at the center striker position. Coach Steve Pugh

Malia Gaviola

Bearcat: Malia GaviolaSport: Womens BasketballYear: SeniorCoachs comment: Senior Guard Malia Gaviola played an integral part in the win vs Righetti on Friday night. She was tasked to be an on-the-ball defender at the top of the zone to limit Righettis ability to knock down threes. Late in the third, she was subbed in during a strong Righetti run and was able to slow it down hitting a couple of timely shots to help stop the momentum. Offensively she was able to draw the 5th foul on Righettis top scorer to help Paso hold on to the win. Coach Martinez

Dominic Marquez

Bearcat: Dominic MarquezSport: WrestlingYear: SophomoreCoachs comment: Dominic is currently ranked in the top 20 in the state of California at 108 pounds. Dominic has placed 2nd at the Dinuba Invite, 4th at the Chukchansi Invite, and 8th at the Zinkin Classic. This weekend the Paso Robles Wrestling team travels to Gilroy to wrestle at The Mid California Classic, a very prestigious tournament. Coach Nate Ybarra

Thank you to the coaches for participating! All coaches at Paso Robles High School are invited to participate in Athletes of the Week to recognize students who are a standout at a recent competition, show improvement at practices, or bring a great attitude to the team. Contact scott@pasoroblesdailynews.com.

Brezden Pest Control has been proudly providing SLO county with professional pest control services for four decades. If youre tired of sharing your space with pests, they can help. They are homeowners, too so they know exactly how satisfying it can be to have a pest-free home. 77 Marquita Ave, Paso Robles, CA 93446, brezdenpest.com, (805) 544-9446.

Paso Robles Heating & Air is locally owned and operated and has been meeting the comfort needs of the community for years. They bring trusted solutions by installing and maintaining high-quality, high-efficiency heating & air conditioning systems that deliver years of dependable service. Ask about the benefits you can receive by being a member of their Fan Club! 1142 Railroad St.,Paso Robles, CA 93446, http://www.pasoroblesheating.com, (805) 238-7553.

Paso Robles Waste and Recycle, Country Waste and Recycle, and Paso Robles Roll-Off and Recycle provide residential and commercial trash and recycling services. They strive to exceed customers expectations and provide the best possible solution to disposing of waste and recyclables. 2951 Wallace Dr, Paso Robles CA 93446, http://www.prwaste.com, (805) 238-2381.

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About the author: News Staff

The news staff of the Paso Robles Daily News wrote or edited this story from local contributors and press releases. The news staff can be reached at info@pasoroblesdailynews.com.

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Paso Robles High School Athletes of the Week - Paso Robles Daily News

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Saskatoon, Saskatchewan--(Newsfile Corp. - January 21, 2022) - MustGrow Biologics Corp. (CSE: MGRO) (OTCQB: MGROF) (FSE: 0C0) ("MustGrow") and Bayer have signed an Exclusive Agreement to evaluate MustGrow's biological technologies to determine efficacy and commercial potential in key agricultural regions. Sustainable innovations and green technologies are necessary to ensure agricultural production continues to address food safety and security as well as soil health. This agreement between Bayer and MustGrow further demonstrates the importance of innovation in sustainable technologies in agricultural regions around the world.

MustGrow has granted Bayer the right to use MustGrow's intellectual property for testing purposes and the option to acquire exclusive rights to MustGrow's technologies for preplant soil fumigation, bioherbicide applications, and postharvest food preservation of potatoes, including sprout inhibition in the regions of Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Under the agreement, Bayer will fund and drive all laboratory, field development, regulatory work and market development necessary for commercialization. MustGrow continues to conduct field trials, R&D and regulatory development concurrently in other regions, collaborating with numerous agriculture, chemical products, and consumer food companies.

MustGrow's technology pipeline is focused on remarkably safe, effective, organic plant-based biopesticides that harness the mustard seed's natural defense mechanism to treat diseases, pests and weeds. MustGrow's technology has shown consistent efficacy in many regions of North and South America, in multiple crops, covering many pests, over multiple years. "We are thrilled to accelerate the development and understanding of our technology with Bayer in these important food producing regions. I am hopeful that we potentially have a sustainable solution for farmers to help with key issues in their production of food," said Corey Giasson, CEO of MustGrow. "Working with a leading global agricultural company like Bayer, who is focused on sustainable agriculture, is a tremendous opportunity for our organization to see our technologies develop globally."

"At Bayer we know that the challenges facing agriculture, both now and in the future, cannot be solved alone and we are looking forward to working with MustGrow," said Benoit Hartmann, Head of Biologics for Bayer Crop Science. "This new agreement will help Bayer to understand the potential of MustGrow's novel biopesticide technologies and how they can accelerate development of sustainable crop protection."

Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa are expected to have represented roughly 56% of the global crop protection market in 2021. The global market is projected to have grown nearly 3% in 2021, with the Asia market leading this growth.1 The worldwide biopesticide market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13.1% and reach US$10.63 billion by 2027, driven by increased demand for organic food, elimination of synthetic chemical alternatives and intensifying efforts by governments and industry to use more sustainable products.2

Sources:1) https://www.agribusinessglobal.com/agrochemicals/5-factors-propelling-growth-in-the-global-crop-protection-market-in-2021/#slide=66913-66819-2 2) https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/biopesticides-market-100073

About MustGrow

MustGrow is a publicly traded (CSE: MGRO) (OTCQB: MGROF) (FSE: 0C0) agriculture biotech company focused on providing natural science-based biological solutions for high value crops, including fruits & vegetables and other industries. MustGrow has designed and owns a U.S. EPA-approved natural solution that uses the mustard seed's natural defence mechanism to protect plants from pests and diseases. Over 110 independent tests have been completed, validating MustGrow's safe and effective signature products. The product, in granule format, is EPA-approved across all key U.S. states and by Health Canada's PMRA (Pest Management Regulatory Agency) as a biopesticide for high value crops such as in fruit & vegetables. MustGrow has now concentrated a mustard extract biopesticide in liquid format, TerraMG, and with regulatory approval, could be applied through standard drip or spray equipment, improving functionality and performance features. In addition, the Company's mustard-derived extract technologies could have other applications in several different industries from preplant soil treatment, to weed control, to post harvest disease control and food preservation.

The Company has approximately 47.8 million basic common shares issued and outstanding and 54.7 million shares fully diluted. For further details please visit http://www.mustgrow.ca.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Corey Giasson"

Director & CEO Phone: +1-306-668-2652info@mustgrow.ca

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may affect the results, performance or achievements of MustGrow.

Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "occur" or "be achieved". Examples of forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements MustGrow makes regarding: (i) potential product approvals; and (ii) anticipated actions by Bayer Crop Science to drive field development work including dose rates, application frequency, application methods, and the regulatory work necessary for commercialization.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of MustGrow to differ materially from those discussed in such forward-looking statements, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, MustGrow. Important factors that could cause MustGrow's actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: (i) the preferences and choices of agricultural regulators with respect to product approval timelines; (ii) the ability of MustGrow's partners to meet obligations under their respective agreements; and (iii) other risks described in more detail in MustGrow's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2020 and other continuous disclosure documents filed by MustGrow with the applicable securities regulatory authorities which are available at http://www.sedar.com. Readers are referred to such documents for more detailed information about MustGrow, which is subject to the qualifications, assumptions and notes set forth therein.

This release does not constitute an offer for sale of, nor a solicitation for offers to buy, any securities in the United States.

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

2022 MustGrow Biologics Corp. All rights reserved.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111042

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MustGrow and Bayer sign Exclusive Agreement to Develop Sustainable Organic Biologicals in Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa -...

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Ontarios attorney general is establishing a working group to study a controversial liability issue which municipal leaders say is both unfair and costly.

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The government has heard from municipalities that they are facing significant insurance costs, coverage and liability issues, and about the impact this can have on property taxes and public services, Natasha Krstajic, press secretary and parliamentary advisor for Attorney General Doug Downey, told The Intelligencer via e-mail.

Municipal and provincial politicians took part on Monday in a series of meetings as part of the annual Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference, which was held online.

Building on one of the recommendations by the Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO), the government has established a technical working group of provincial and municipal officials to examine municipal proposals for addressing this important issue, Krstajic wrote.

Deputy Warden Bonnie Adams led Mondays county delegation to meet with Downey to ask for changes to legislation governing joint and several liability.

Both the Eastern and Western Wardens Caucuses have also taken up the cause in an attempt to guard against what municipalities say are unfair judgements against them in civil lawsuits, such as those following traffic accidents.

It is common for a municipality to be named in an action even though there is no apparent liability on the part of the municipality, Adams, the reeve of Carlow/Mayo Township, told The Intelligencer via e-mail.

Even if lawsuits are ultimately dismissed, the cost of defending against them puts an enormous burden on our budgets and ultimately the taxpayers.

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She said such liability is a key driver of unsustainable increases of 20 to 30 per cent in municipal insurance costs and at a time when pandemic financial relief programs are being scaled back by the government.

Adams said Downey recognized such payouts divert municipal funding from capital projects and services.

I believe the meeting was productive and look forward to seeing the technical table report on this issue, Adams wrote.

The ministrys Krstajic added the working group will be coordinated by Downeys ministry and involve staff of other ministries including finance and municipal affairs and housing as needed.

We have also invited a representative of the insurance industry to participate.

The first working group meeting is expected to occur in March, Krstajic wrote.

The government is keen to get this important work underway and is pleased to be working with AMO.

Regional advocacy

County Warden Rick Philips was part of a separate delegation from the Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus which met with Deputy Premier and Health Minister Christine Elliott, Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark, Long-term Care Minister Paul Calandra, and Children, Community and Social Services Minister Merrilee Fullerton, plus parliamentary assistants.

The caucus delegation was focused on housing, long-term care and Ontario Health Teams.

Were facing mounting pressure on affordable housing, Phillips said, calling it a major concern.

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Thousands of households spend more than 30 per cent of their after-tax income on housing.

We need rental housing; we need affordable housing; we need all types.

He said the average wait for community housing is 10 years.

The pandemic has cast a harsh spotlight upon long-term care issues, and Phillips spoke of both capacity and funding concerns. He said eastern Ontario municipalities spent $194 million in the sector in 2019, operating 15 municipal homes with 2,386 beds and 2,000 workers.

The wait times are 45 per cent higher in eastern Ontario than the provincial average, Phillips said after he and Northumberland County Warden Bob Crate addressed the ministers.

According to our research, residents spend 231 days on the wait list versus 166 days province-wide.

Caucus chair and Renfrew County Warden Debbie Robinson told the ministers of Ontario Health Teams uneven approach to municipal membership. The new teams are intended to help make local decisions about care.

The chief administrative officers of Hastings and Prince Edward Counties, Jim Pine and Marcia Wallace respectively, are members of the Hastings-Prince Edward team.

Sheila Braidek, a co-leader of that team, said the group has not invited Belleville or Quinte West to join because neither delivers health services. The counties, however, have long-term care homes and other housing.

But not all teams allow municipal involvement because of the political aspect, which is ludicrous, Phillips said.

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He said one health team it was not clear which one had asked a municipality to pay a membership fee.

Were all key partners in health care, he said, adding eastern municipalities invest $120 million annually in health and related services.

Minister Elliott indicated that she would be looking into that and it would be rectified, said Phillips.

The warden said the meeting was more positive than usual.

Ive got a better feeling with this government than with any Ive dealt with before, he said. The delegation made similar presentations to opposition parties that afternoon.

He said municipalities still have many concerns but know they must work with our provincial government in order to advance things and appreciate the support through the pandemic.

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Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notificationsyou will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

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Liability, long-term care, housing discussed at ROMA conference - County Weekly News

Are you a regular gym-goer, or do you love to get active in the beautiful surroundings of your local green space? Perhaps you struggle to fit exercise in, or just dont feel motivated to be part of a physical activity.

Whatever your situation, we want to hear from you.

A brand new city-wide consultation has launched with the aim of creating a thriving leisure offer that all Liverpool residents can benefit from.

Residents are being asked to fill in a short online survey which will give the city council an insight into how people in the city currently stay active, what sports and activities they want in their community and what service improvements they would like made.

The questionnaire aims to find out which types of facilities are used (private or the councils Lifestyles gyms), what is the main driver for people getting active, how often people take part in physical activity, whether the pandemic has changed exercise habits and what encouragement would residents need to use the citys parks and green spaces more.

Latest figures show around 30 per cent of Liverpool residents are inactive, so the teamalso wants to hear from these people to find out what barriers theyre facing and how the council could support them on their journey to fitness and improved health.

The responses will help shape a new approach over the coming years which will focus on transforming the health and wellbeing of residents with a focus on hotspot areas of inequality. The feedback will also allow the team to ensure current leisure services are meeting the needs of those who require it the most.

The physical activity survey will take around ten minutes to complete and can be found at http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/consultations. Translated versions can be downloaded from the website or hardcopy versions can be obtained by calling 0151 233 3000.

The survey will close at midnight Sunday 20 February and the findings of the study will be released in April 2022.

The survey is the latest in a number of consultations that Liverpool City Council has held in recent months, giving residents the opportunity to have their say on different, important Liverpool issues.

Liverpool City Councils Cabinet Member responsible for physical activity, sport and leisure, Councillor Harry Doyle, said: These consultations are a vital communication tool with residents as a council we need to be listening to local communities and finding out what is and isnt working for them and how we can work together to make a real difference.

As a user of the Councils Lifestyles centres, I am passionate about physical activity and know how valued participation in sport and activity is within all our communities.

Being active is one of the best things you can do for yourself for both your physical and mental wellbeing. We want to make sure we have a plan of action in place for the next 12 years which supports and encourages everyone in making positive choices that get them moving.

To achieve this we need a snapshot of what physical activity means for our residents at this moment in time. We want to hear from as many, different people as possible those who enjoy a walk in our parks, gym-goers, people who take part in organised sports, those who arent active at all and those who take part in active travel.

Only when we are armed with this information can we then work with everyone across Liverpool to deliver a leisure service which will be a game-changer.

Read more from the original source:
Have your say and help transform the health of city residents - Liverpool Express

Speculation last week that Johnson would face a full Conservative confidence vote has so far come to nought. Also: US redistricting, French, Portuguese and Chile elections.

Guest post by Adrian Beaumont, who joins us from time to time to provide commentary on elections internationally. Adrian is an honorary associate at the University of Melbourne. His work on electoral matters for The Conversation can be foundhere, and his own website ishere.

For a UK Conservative leader to be ousted, the first step is for 15% of the partys MPs to send letters expressing no confidence to the chair of the 1922 Committee, Graham Brady. As there are currently 359 Conservatives in the House of Commons, 54 letters expressing no confidence in Boris Johnson are required.

If this first threshold is met, there is a secret ballot of all Conservative MPs. If the leader wins this confidence vote, they cannot be challenged for another year, although this rule could be amended. If the leader loses, they would be expected to be a caretaker PM until the next leader is elected.

Last week there was speculation that an announcement that Brady had received the 54 letters was imminent, but it did not occur. Johnsons danger is due to the parties that were held while the UK was in COVID lockdown at Downing Street. This caused a slump for the Conservatives in the polls in December. The Conservatives regained some ground in early January, only for even more party revelations to crash their vote again. Some Conservatives may be waiting for Sue Grays report into the parties, expected next week, before moving against Johnson.

It was bad timing for Johnson that these party revelations came when the UK was suffering another COVID wave due to Omicron. This made peoples memories of past lockdowns more vivid, and so the parties resonated more than they would otherwise. In good news for Johnson, the Omicron wave is subsiding, with cases way down from their peak and hospitalisations also starting to fall.

I am dubious that ousting Johnson would be in the Conservatives electoral interests. While Johnson is very unpopular now, voters tend to move past non-recurring issues. The parties occurred in the last two years, and are unlikely to cause voters additional pain in the future. As the UK COVID situation improves, voters are likely to move past the parties.

Another argument against removing Johnson is that he got Brexit done. At the 2019 election, non-uni whites swung strongly to the Conservatives over Johnsons promise to get Brexit done see my Conversation article last May. Will these voters remain Conservative under another Conservative PM?

Democrats gain in US redistricting, but Bidens ratings remain poor

A US Census is held every ten years, with the boundaries of Congressional Districts set for ten years by that Census. Most states have completed redistricting of their CDs from the 2020 Census. The FiveThirtyEight tracker says that there are 129 Democratic-leaning seats, 124 Republican-leaning seats and 21 highly competitive seats in the new maps so far. The changes from the old maps are Democrats up seven, Republicans up one and competitive down six.

While some states use nonpartisan commissions to draw their maps, in most states redistricting is up to politicians. If one party holds the governor and both chambers of the legislature in a state, that party can gerrymander. Republican-controlled Florida (28 CDs) and Democratic New York (26) are the two biggest states still to complete redistricting. A Republican gerrymander in Ohio was rejected by the state courts, and this could also occur in North Carolina.

Bidens ratings in the FiveThirtyEight aggregate are currently 53.5% disapprove, 41.9% approve (net -11.6). They have worsened recently owing to the recent COVID surge. There has been no recent progress with the Democratic legislative agenda. Inflation over the full 2021 year was 7.0%, the highest since 1982. A recent CBS YouGov poll indicates voters think Biden is not focussed enough on combatting inflation.

French, Portuguese and Chile developments

The first round of the French presidential election is on April 10, with a runoff between the top two on April 24. Conservative Valrie Pcresse has slipped behind the far-right Marine Le Pen in the race for second with incumbent Emmanuel Macron well ahead in first. Macron easily beats Le Pen, but its closer against Pcresse.

A Portuguese election will be held on January 30, with 230 seats elected by proportional representation. Polls indicate a close contest between the overall left and overall right. Portugal currently has a left government.

At the December 19 Chilean presidential runoff election, left-wing Boric defeated the far-right Kast by 55.9-44.1.

Excerpt from:
Will Boris Johnson be ousted as UK Prime Minister soon? The Poll Bludger - The Poll Bludger

New Zealand is preparing for an avalanche of Omicron cases. When we do confront the new variant, how much does timing matter? Jamie Morton explains.

What would an Omicron outbreak look like?

That's precisely what modellers are busy trying to calculate right now. But it's clear the inevitable wave we're facing will be both large and swift.

Te Pnaha Matatini's Professor Michael Plank said it was possible we may face an outbreak big enough to peak with tens of thousands of new daily cases.

It may kick off much as Auckland's Delta crisis did, with an unlinked community case pointing to a hidden iceberg of infections, but escalate much faster.

Across the Tasman, it took just a month for new daily cases in New South Wales to swell from a few hundred to nearly 40,000, forcing the state to bring public health restrictions back.

That owed to the sheer speed at which the variant can spread:one recent Danish studyfound it to be 2.7 to 3.7 times more infectious than the Delta variant among vaccinated and boosted individuals.

Plank said states like Queensland, which just recorded nearly 16,000 new cases, and South Australia could act as good guides of what to expect here, as they had high vaccination rates but hadn't seen the Delta surges their neighbours had.

But there were steps that could soften the blow.

One was vaccination coverage: while around 93 per cent of eligible New Zealanders have received both doses, wider uptake of the booster shot was also critical.

While it wasn't yet clear how well the booster shot prevented transmission of Omicron, there was now plenty of data to show it greatly reduced the risk of severe illness.

UK monitoringshowed that, at about 20 weeks after the second dose, effectiveness against symptomatic disease was only around 10 per cent with Omicron. But at two to four weeks after the booster dose, that protection rose to 65 to 70 per cent.

Around 830,000 Kiwis have received booster doses since 1.2 million people became eligible this month.

"It's a big unknown at the moment as to what level of coverage we'll have when Omicron does start spreading here," Plank said, "but the more people who are boosted, the more we can bring case numbers down".

Our overall lack of exposure to the virus was also important.

By contrast, in the UK, which has high vaccine coverage, high booster uptake, and almost two years of exposure to circulating virus, about 97 to 98 per cent of adults test positive for Sars-CoV-2 antibodies.

Even so, Britain logged a daily high of more than 180,000 cases early this month.

Otago University virologist Dr Jemma Geoghegan noted that New Zealand's child vaccine had only just gotten underway and nearly 220,000 unvaccinated teens and adults were also vulnerable.

Around 830,000 Kiwis have received booster doses since 1.2 million people became eligible this month. Photo / Supplied

"While kids have always been the least likely to have severe disease, looking overseas, the vast majority of people who end up in ICU are unvaccinated and I'd say they're the most vulnerable group here."

As well, the same health inequities seen over Auckland's Delta outbreak where Mori and Pacific populations were hit disproportionately hard could again feature in an Omicron wave.

Another factor was what health interventions officials tried to block it with.

As director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has acknowledged, the traffic light system that's performed so well against Delta may now need a change-up and the outcome of a Cabinet meeting discussing current settings will be announced tomorrow.

Bloomfield has indicated that more restrictions were likely to be put in place as the country.

Working from home and lowering the number of people allowed at gatherings were all back on the table, but he said the health response wouldn't necessarily be around more lockdowns.

With Omicron's potential to quickly overwhelm our test-and-trace regime, Otago University experts have suggested pivoting to a mitigation approach of "flattening the curve" to protect the health system.

University of Auckland senior lecturer Dr David Welch said Australia hadn't done a good job at using such measures against Omicron.

"They've really gone for a 'let it rip' approach so I think New Zealand does have greater ability and social licence to control it a bit better than Australia has, and hopefully take the edge off."

Does timing matter?

Omicron's lightning-fast march across the globe it could well infect half the population of Europe within two months showed that its transmissibility didn't solely depend on inherent seasonal factors that influenced other respiratory viruses.

"Most respiratory infections have their peak incidence in winter, at least in temperate countries like New Zealand and the UK, hence terms like 'seasonal flu'," Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker said.

"But pandemic respiratory infections can strike during any season, as we have seen with the rapid spread of Omicron in summer in a number of Southern Hemisphere countries such as Australia and South Africa."

Director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has acknowledged the traffic light system that's performed so well against Delta may now need a change-up. Photo / Supplied

However, he added, Omicron was still somewhat easier to tackle in summer, as there was slightly greater potential to slow spread with measures like encouraging people to shift activities outside, or open windows.

The biggest headache with battling Omicron in the colder months, of course, was that health services would be already stretched dealing with winter ills like the flu or RSV, which caused a national crisis last year.

"This winter, New Zealand can expect to see more severe respiratory infections as several of the common respiratory viruses notably influenza have been largely excluded for the last two years, so immunity to them is likely to have declined."

While around two thirds of nationwide ICU beds were already occupied and only a few of them with Covid-19 patients that capacity could be surged to around 550 ICU-capable beds, the Ministry of Health told NewsHub last week.

Baker expected the country would probably achieve "peak immunity" to Covid-19 at some point in the next three to four months, immediately after a high proportion of adults had received a booster, and young children were fully vaccinated.

"Arguably, that would be the timing when New Zealand would be best placed to manage an Omicron outbreak with the least health impacts."

That's why, despite it being further from the very warmest time, Baker and colleagues have been pushing the Government to try to delay Omicron's arrival until at least March.

"We can also use this time to get other measures in place including supplies of rapid antigen tests, higher quality face masks, and better protocols for schools, workplaces and healthcare services."

Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker. Photo / Supplied

After calls to "turn down the tap" on overseas arrivals and lower the case load at the border, the Government last night put a halt on releasing more MIQ rooms.

Will we be dealing with an outbreak before winter anyway?

Baker said it was highly likely New Zealand would confront Omicron well before winter.

It could happen when New Zealand relaxed its border controls as had been planned after February or indeed at any moment, if Omicron slipped into the community via MIQ, airport staff or air crew, or a sea port.

That danger was highlighted yesterday, when an airport worker tested positive despite having received both vaccine doses and a booster, and also by the handful of other Omicron scares recorded since Christmas.

With another 56 new cases detected at the border today the vast majority, if not all, likely to Omicron an outbreak-causing failuremight occur within weeks, or even days.

An analysis of previous breaches indicated a failure occurring with every 100 to 200 cases in MIQ although that risk would have changed with higher vaccination levels in travellers, and the more infectious nature of Omicron.

There's been a ten-fold increase in cases at the border compared to December.

Currently, the seven-day rolling average of border cases is 33.

As Baker and colleagueswrote this week: "While not all of these failures will result in a community outbreak, a certain proportion almost certainly will."

And if an outbreak did happen now, Welch said we'd at least have the advantage of the virus having a lower effective reproductive number (Re) that's the number of secondary infections caused by one case in a population with mixed susceptibility than in winter.

Whereas Omicron's current Re might sit at around two, it could be three or above over winter.

"That partly might be why we're seeing so few cases right now. Yet, by the same token, New South Wales and South Africa are roughly in the same seasons we are, and they've had very large outbreaks."

In the meantime, Welch said New Zealand had an opportunity to prepare.

"I think there needs to be some urgency in getting those boosters out and getting children vaccinated."

He stressed that, while Omicron infections appeared to be milder at an individual level, it was the variant's systemic risk that made it such a threat.

"Everyone becomes at much greater risk if the hospital system stops working."

- by Jamie Morton

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Explained: Why the timing of Omicron's arrival matters - Newstalk ZB

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District Floor Depot - Discount Hardwood Flooring in DC, MD ...

Before installing vinyl plank flooring, determine which type of vinyl plank best suits your renovation needs. Vinyl planks can be sorted into three main categories based on their installation method: GripStrip, click-lock and glue down.

Interlocking vinyl plank flooring creates a floating floor, but instead of having an adhesive connecting the planks, the planks interlock with tongue-and-groove joints that easily snap together for a reliable fit.

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All three installation methods are suitable for novices, require little time and can be laid over any rigid and level subfloor. Which method you choose depends on personal preference and the room you are planning to renovate. When choosing between floating floor options, note that GripStrip vinyl plank flooring is often water-resistant, while click-lock vinyl plank flooring can be entirely waterproof.

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How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring - The Home Depot