![]() ![]() In the United States, new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations due to the coronavirus have plummeted from all-time highs hit a month ago, though nearly 2,000 people per day are still dying from the disease and the number of total deaths is closing in on 1 million since the pandemic began. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked rarely used emergency powers to end the protests, and Canadian police restored a sense of normalcy in Ottawa over the weekend. In Canada, protests choked streets in Ottawa for more than three weeks and blocked the busiest land crossing between Canada and the United States for six days. We're the power, not them," said Bolus, a trucker who owns a tow truck company. "They are not going to intimidate us and they are not going to threaten us. Organizer Bob Bolus told Washington television station WJLA that his convoy has no intention of breaking laws or blocking traffic, but warned this could happen if their demands regarding pandemic mandates and the cost of fuel are not meant. It took between 30 and 35 minutes for it to pass.Īfter circling the Beltway twice Sunday, most of the trucks headed north to Hagerstown, Maryland, where they had assembled on Friday.Another convoy, made up of a single 18-wheeler and a handful of pickup trucks and SUVs, left Scranton, Pennsylvania - Biden's hometown - on Wednesday morning and was headed to the Beltway sometime during the afternoon. ![]() Rigs in the convoy made most of the journey traveling in the middle lane and slightly under the posted speed limit, radio station WTOP reported. On Sunday, the trucks, many of them festooned with American flags, honked their horns whenever they saw supporters waving from overpasses or other vehicles. A requirement that venues verify that patrons are vaccinated ended in February, though businesses can choose to keep vaccination requirements in place. The city lifted its mask mandate in certain settings such as restaurants, bars and gyms on March 1. Washington has already relaxed rules around Covid protections in recent weeks. Members of Congress and their staff were advised to consider telework, commutes by subways or regional rail lines, or to consider alternative routes should they choose to drive. It said Capitol Police will work with local law enforcement to manage transportation routes, potentially setting up checkpoints to keep roads clear. The emergency declaration cited the Canadian protests. Temporary fencing was reinstalled around the Capitol in February as federal security officials responded to reports of truckers driving toward Washington at the time. Protesters drew inspiration from Canadian truckers who blockaded Ottawa for three weeks in February and caused a shutdown of the Ambassador Bridge, which links Ontario and Michigan and is a key trade artery. The Pentagon said Monday it was extending previously approved use of National Guard troops through Wednesday to help with traffic control. It also allows payment of hotel and food bills for officers so they can stay near the Capitol. Capitol Police to request aid from the National Guard. The board warned that the protesters could shut highways, bridges and roadways. The Capitol Police Board, which oversees the agencies that protect Congress and Capitol Hill, issued an emergency declaration Sunday. Many jurisdictions have already lifted mask mandates. ![]() Representatives of the People’s Convoy say they are calling for an end to the state of emergency that’s led to vaccine mandates by some governments and want Congressional hearings to examine the response to the pandemic. A caravan of truckers that left California for Washington, D.C., on Friday to protest coronavirus mandates arrived in Las Vegas early Saturday with only five trucks in its ranks, the organizers. The protest could run several days after truckers made two noisy laps on Sunday around the 64-mile (103 kilometer) Interstate 495. Organizers of the protest said on their website that they had no plans to enter the city, and authorities in Maryland and Virginia said Monday afternoon they had yet to cause any major traffic jams, in part because the group arrived well after the morning rush hour. “We are here to make the voices of the American people heard, express their deepest concerns, and affect meaningful change now,” the “People’s Convoy” said in a media statement posted on Instagram. A fleet of truckers protesting the government’s response to COVID-19 and other grievances returned to the Capital Beltway on Monday, ringing Washington to draw attention to their cause. ![]()
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