The United Nations’ health agency has previously stated that the pandemic’s acute phase could end this year, depending on how quickly we meet its goal of vaccinating 70% of the population in each country, among other factors.

Margaret Harris, when asked about the timing of the pandemic’s end by a journalist at a Geneva press conference, said it was “far from over.” “We are unquestionably in the midst of a pandemic,” she added.

COVID-19 cases began to rise around the world last week, according to the WHO, after a month of decline, with lockdowns in Asia and China’s Jilin province battling to contain an outbreak.

According to the WHO, the increases were caused by a combination of factors, including the highly transmissible omicron variant and its cousin, the BA.2 sub-variant, as well as the lifting of public health and social measures.

Since the virus’s arrival in the Americas two years ago, 149 million COVID-19 cases have been reported, with 2.6 million deaths. The Assistant Director also warned that the current increase in cases in other parts of the world should serve as a “warning sign” for the Americas. New infections have increased by 28.9 percent in the Western Pacific region, 12.3 percent in Africa, and nearly 2 percent in Europe.

As COVID-19 vaccination spreads throughout the Americas, countries must continue to prioritize the protection of the most vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, immune-compromised people, health care workers, and other high-risk groups, according to Pan American Health Organization Assistant Director Jarbas Barbosa.

According to a sheriff’s office news release, the six-day undercover operation dubbed “Operation March Sadness 2” began on March 8 and resulted in 108 arrests.
According to the sheriff’s office, four suspects are Disney employees. Based on the most recent CBS News report, Disney has placed these employees on unpaid leave.

“Alone, the arrests of a human trafficker and four child predators make the entire operation worthwhile.”
“The online prostitution industry both facilitates and victimizes traffickers,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a news release.
“Our goal is to identify victims, assist them, and find and arrest those who profit from human exploitation.”

According to reports, authorities also arrested a man who worked at The Fun Spot, a local amusement park in Orlando, and was a former judge in the Cook County 4th Sub Circuit Court. According to Judd, he has asked for an attorney.

“Xavier Jackson, 27, worked as a lifeguard for Walt Disney at the Polynesian Resort, Jackson sent inappropriate photos and messages to an undercover detective posing as a 14-year-old girl. According to CBS News, he was charged with “three counts of transmitting harmful material to a minor and one count of unlawful communication.”

The three others, who were allegedly attempting to solicit a prostitute, were identified by Judd as Wilkason Fidele, 24, who worked at Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland’s Cosmic Restaurant for four years; Shubham Malave, 27, who is on visa citizenship from India and worked as a software developer for Disney; and Ralph Leese, 45, who spent nearly four years working in IT for Disney,” according to the report.

Fox News reported that undercover police officers talked with the suspects online and arranged for a meetup at a location where they were apprehended following their arrival. Also, according to FOX35 in Orlando, one couple traveled all the way to Bradenton to collect $1,000 for sex.

During a news conference on Wednesday, Judd also stated, “Where there is prostitution, there is exploitation, disease, dysfunction, and broken families.”

According to Reuters, posts from Truth Social’s verified account informed beta users that the app is “currently set for release in the Apple App store on Monday, February 21.”

The Reuters report comes after the New York Times reported on Friday that the Truth Social launch could be delayed until next month.
Former Republican congressman Devin Nunes, now CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group, told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo that his company would begin to roll out Truth Social.

“Our goal is, I think we’re going to hit it, I think we’ll be fully operational at least within the United States by the end of March,” he added.

The messages arrive about a week after Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., teased the app’s release on his Twitter page.

Rep. Devin Nunes announced his departure from Congress in December 2021 to become CEO of former Trump’s new Trump Media & Technology Group.
Shortly after, the company announced that it had raised $1 billion in funding from an unnamed group of investors to launch a multifaceted media company that included the Truth social media network.

Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) was attempting to go public through Digital World Acquisition, a SPAC (special purpose acquisition company).
The $1 billion investment is part of a venture known as PIPE (private investment in public equity).
It is extremely unusual for a company to not disclose its investors in a transaction of this magnitude.