Airbnb is launching a new program for cities and tourist organizations aimed at helping them ensure compliance with local rules. Vancouver and Calgary are among the 10 North American cities included in the new portal, which Airbnb says will also aid in rebuilding post-pandemic tourism and providing technical support. The short-term home rental company says the first phase of its City Portal directly connects local governments to the Airbnb platform,providing real-time details about specific rentals and remitted tourist tax revenue. It also includes a central location for resources, such as Air

The BC Coroners Service has published updated reports on illicit drug toxicity deaths and fentanyl-detected drug deaths to the end of August 2020, with 147 illicit drug toxicity deaths reported in the month.The illicit drug toxicity death total represents a 71% increase over the number of deaths in August 2019 (86) but a 16% decrease from the number of deaths in July 2020 (176). The BC Coroners Service has detected a sustained increase of illicit drug toxicity deaths since March, and B.C. has now recorded six consecutive months with over 100 illicit drug toxicity deaths.From April to August 20

More than 400 schools in Quebec and another 153 in Ontario are reporting at least one case of coronavirus disease.The figures from the group COVID Ecoles Quebec and the Ontario government come as authorities across Canada battle a second wave of COVID-19. Data from Ontario show cases among people in their 20s have risen sharply in recent months.One expert attributes the increase among younger Canadians in part to the reopening of schools and universities. Several provinces and universities have warned of stiff fines for violating anti-COVID restrictions.However, Quebec says it will not allow p

A promised reset of federal priorities to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic begins today with the Liberal government's speech from the throne. The nearly hour-long speech is expected to address three areas: immediate action to push back against a second wave of the pandemic, supports for those still not back on their feet after the first wave, and how the economy might be further rebuilt once it can stand more on its own.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plan comes as public health officials are warning the country is but a few house parties away from plunging into a full-blown second wave.He's ex

BC has logged another 96 cases of COVID-19 for a total of 8,304 cases. A statement from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says there are almost 1,500 active cases and another 3,300 people are under public health monitoring because they were exposed to the known cases. It comes as Dr. Henry said earlier today that BC may be in a second wave, but health officials believe they can keep the virus contained through the fall. The death toll remains at 227 people with no new deaths. Almost 6,600 people who tested positive are considered recovered. Dr. Henry says that as people move inside f

Three Metro Vancouver men are paying the price for some boorish behaviour at a Port Moody restaurant. Police say the three were issued multiple tickets totalling about seven hundred dollars in fines on Saturday night. Staff called police when the three, who police say were impaired, violated COVID-19 rules, refused to sit at their table, entered a staff-only area, shouted, vomited on their table and spat on it when asked to leave. A statement from police says their first step is to educated the public about respect for COVID-19 rules, but the actions of the men left no choice but to impose fi

Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says staving off future lockdowns will depend on whether people can follow COVID-19 mitigation measures. She says keeping gatherings small and respecting the rules is a sacrifice everyone needs to make. But she says virus activity is not the same across the country, or even across single provinces. So she says a ``surgical approach'' is needed to determine whether restrictions need to be tightened and it should be targeted to regions of concern.

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam has wrapped her update on the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada with a direct message to young people. The novel coronavirus's spread in their cohort must be pared back for the good of the rest of the country. Dr. Tam says young people played a crucial role in crushing the spring wave of the pandemic and they can do it again. A review of known cases in Canada shows the incidence has remained highest among young adults since late June. Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says Canada is now at a crossroads when it comes to avoiding a major resurgenc

In the eight months since the first COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the U-S, there have been more than 200-thousand deaths linked to the virus. The grim milestone was confirmed today by Johns Hopkins University, which has been keeping a tally on both deaths and cases of COVID-19 recorded around the world. It is by far the highest confirmed death toll from the virus in the world, with Brazil in second place with 137,272, followed by India with 88,935. But experts say the true number is likely even higher, given thatmany COVID-19 deaths were likely recorded as the result of other causes.