British Columbia's top doctor says COVID-19 hospitalizations are at their highest level and over 60 per cent of patients since December have tested positive for the virus after being admitted for other reasons. Dr. Bonnie Henry says 706 people have been hospitalized in the last week, but the numbers appear to be peaking. She says patients who contracted the dominant Omicron variant are going home in about half the time compared with those who are sickened with the Delta variant. Dr. Henry says 16 per cent of people hospitalized since Dec. 1 have needed critical care, a much smaller proportion

The independent office that investigates all cases of police-involved serious harm or death has ruled that jail officials in Central Saanich aren't at fault after a man who was in custody had a serious, life-altering heart attack. A report from the Independent Investigations Office says the man, who was in custody on an assault charge, suffered the attack on August 8th when the civilian jail attendant who was monitoring the cell cameras was briefly away from the desk. But the report says efforts at assistance began just minutes after the staff member returned, checked the cameras, realized

RCMP in Salmon Arm have issued an arrest warrant for a man who is missing with his two teenaged daughters and is believed to be somewhere on the Lower Mainland or Vancouver Island. The man was recently charged with sexual interference and the sexual assault of a minor and his two daughters were supposed to be staying with their grandparents in Salmon Arm. Neither the 40 year old dad nor his 13 and 14 year old daughters have been seen since January 21st. Police say the man is breaching a court-ordered curfew and is ``actively evading police'' and they want to speak with anyone who sees a grey

Organizers behind the demonstration that has seized the nation's capital say they are preparing to stick around even longer by distributing fuel and supplies to the trucks clogging up Ottawa streets. Organizer Pat King says in a video posted online early this morning that the protest is ``so much fun'' and bragged that demonstrators have ``all of Ottawa gridlocked right now.'' The president of the Ottawa Gatineau Hotel Association says some protesters have been extending their stays at hotels, or are asking to rebook for the coming weekend. Politicians at all levels of government are asking t

Quebec Premier Francois Legault says he is abandoning his threat to tax the unvaccinated. Legault told a news conference today he is worried about dividing Quebecers and is backtracking in order to maintain social peace in the province. The premier announced on Jan. 11 he planned to make the unvaccinated pay a significant financial penalty because they were overrepresented in the health-care system. About 10 per cent of the province's eligible population are unvaccinated. Legault is also announcing that gyms and spas will be allowed to reopen on Feb. 14.

Tesla is recalling nearly 54,000 vehicles because their ``Full Self-Driving'' software lets them roll through stop signs without coming to a complete halt. Documents posted Tuesday by U.S. safety regulators say that Tesla will disable the feature with an over-the-internet software update. The software allows vehicles to go through intersections with all-way stop signs at up to 5.6 miles per hour. Disregarding stop signs is illegal in most states. The recall covers Model S sedans and X SUVs from 2016 through 2022, as well as 2017 to 2022 Model 3 sedans and 2020 through 2022 Model Y SUVs. Tesla

A blockade in southern Alberta at the United States border is entering its fourth day. A convoy of commercial trucks, vehicles and camper vans has been blocking the highway at the Coutts border crossing since Saturday to protest COVID-19 restrictions. Mounties said in a statement last night that they thought there was a path to resolve the matter, but protesters chose not to comply. They say the protest is no longer lawful, and resources are in place to make arrests and tow away vehicles. Some demonstrators say they have no plans to leave. Coutts Mayor Jim Willett says he wants them gone,

Over a three-day period, B.C. is reporting 4,075 new cases of COVID-19, including five epi-linked cases, for a total of 324,615, cases in the province. Jan. 28-29: 1,725 Jan. 29-30: 1,293 Jan. 30-31: 1,057 There are currently 27,454 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 293,124 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 1,048 COVID-positive individuals are currently in hospital and 138 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. The new/active cases include: 1,225 new cases in Fraser Health Total active cases: 11,503 645 ne

Fire officials say a Monday morning blaze inside a downtown apartment building killed a Vancouver man, the fourth fire-related death in just 24 hours in the city after a house fire killed claimed three family members the day before.Assistant Chief Ken Gemmill says crews were called to the highrise around 6 a.m., finding flames and smoke coming from a fourth-floor unit with a man still inside.He says crews rescued and worked to revive the man, who was suffering from extensive burns and smoke inhalation, but he was pronounced dead in hospital.Gemmill says the burning unit didn't have a balcony,