The Alberta government says it is changing how it tests people for COVID-19. Starting next week, Albertans who need a PCR test to inform their medical treatment must have a referral from a health-care professional. Clinicians are to determine the best testing option for their patients. Self-referrals will still be available to people with symptoms who live or work in isolated Indigenous communities and workers in certain high-risk settings, such as health care, continuing care and correctional facilities. Health Minister Jason Copping says in a statement that the changes would allow the provi

A VPD investigation has led to charges against a man. The man allegedly confined and sexually assaulted a stranger in her East Van home. Incident happened on Saturday night. Howard Lethbridge, 32, was arrested by VPD after the officers responded to a 9-1-1 call from a woman asking for help.

The head of the Council of the Federation gathering in Victoria says the federal government needs to stop splitting hairs and work with provinces and territories on health care. BC Premier John Horgan wants to sit down with the feds to work out how to restore Canada's ``crumbling'' system. Horgan says the provinces can sit down and solve the problems for Canadians, not for provinces and the federal government, but for the people. The premiers have called on the federal government to boost its share of health-care funding to 35 per cent from what they have said amounts to 22 per cent currently

A moment of silence was held in Kelowna at 10:45 this morning, marking the time that a crane collapsed one year ago, injuring one worker and killing four others, as well as a man working in a nearby building. The construction crane was being dismantled beside a nearly completed condo in Kelowna's downtown core when the swing arm buckled and fell, carrying the four workers to their deaths and crushing part of the building where the fifth victim was working. RCMP say its ``complex'' and ``technical'' investigation into possible criminality is continuing and WorkSafe BC is also probing the regul

Canada's premiers have repeated their demand that the federal government sit down with them and resolve health-care funding issues. BC Premier John Horgan, chair of the Council of the Federation, commented today at the start of the second day of talks between Canada's 13 premiers. He responded to federal concerns that the provinces could reduce their own health spending if Ottawa tops up its payments. The premiers want the federal government to boost its share of health funding to 35 per cent from the current 22 per cent. They want the prime minister to make good on what Horgan says is an eigh

Singapore reported 5,979 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total tally to 1,540,788. Of the new cases, 5,743 were local transmissions and 236 were imported cases. Among the local cases, 508 cases were detected through PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests and 5,235 through ART (antigen rapid test) tests, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Health. A total of 679 cases are currently warded in hospitals, with 15 cases in intensive care units. Five deaths were reported due to COVID-19 infection, pushing the death toll to 1,437, the ministry said.

The Edmonton Police Commission has announced an independent review of what led a man accused in two murders to be dropped off in the city three days earlier, despite court-ordered conditions that he not be there. Justin Bone faces second-degree murder charges in the deaths of Ban Phuc Hoang and Hung Trang in May. The investigation is to look at how and when police interacted with Bone, examine police policies and review reports from the R-C-M-P, probation officers and other court processes. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi (am-ahr-JEET' SOH'-hee) welcomed the probe and says the public must know the details

World Health Organization (WHO) chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday warned the world that fresh waves of COVID-19 cases show that the pandemic is "nowhere near over." In a media briefing on COVID-19, the WHO chief said, "I am concerned that cases of COVID-19 continue to rise - putting further pressure on stretched health systems and health workers - and deaths are unacceptably high." He urged governments to regularly review and adjust their COVID19 response plans based on the current epidemiology and also the potential for new variants to appear. The Emergency Committee on COVID-1

A peacock on the loose for days in the western Alberta mountain town of Jasper has been euthanized. Parks Canada says its staff and town residents first saw the domestic peafowl last Saturday. The agency has said it isn't aware of how the peacock came to Jasper National Park or whether it was accidentally or deliberately released. Parks Canada says it consulted with experts outside the agency and, after six days of trying to capture and remove the peacock from the area, a decision was made to euthanize it on Thursday. The agency says the release of foreign species and domestic animals into