The Victoria councillor who admits to ignoring public health advice and travelling to East Africa last month has now apologized to his fellow council members. Sharmarke Dubow offered the apology yesterday during a council committee meeting. In his first in-person comments since returning from Somalia and Kenya, Dubow says he considered his trip was essential because his family in Africa depends on him for financial assistance, but he now realizes his choice was wrong. He told council that by travelling when so many others were not, he "let down" the community.Dubow says he recognizes the "inc

Canada's top doctor says BC is sending an important message to the rest of the country as officials in this province explore limits on interprovincial travel. Doctor Theresa Tam, chief medical officer of health, says now is not the time for vacation travel, across the country or anywhere else. She says halting interprovincial travel would be a difficult decision but could limit potential contact with COVID-19 carriers, slowing the spread of the virus. Premier John Horgan said yesterday that his government is seeking legal opinions on whether restrictions can be placed on visitors to BC. This

A year after COVID-19 was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the global death toll has topped two-million. Johns Hopkins University says the count ticked over today. The US has the highest death toll at 390 thousand. Many health experts are predicting another year of loss and hardship in places like Iran, India, Mexico and Brazil. These four countries accounting for about a quarter of the world's deaths. Also Friday, the WHO's Emergencies Committee issued new recommendations that countries should not require proof of vaccination by incoming travellers amid the pandemic, saying decis

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam says Canada is on track to hit 10,000 new daily infections of COVID-19 by the end of the month. Prime Minister Trudeau says he knows that's not what Canadians want to hear. New modelling shows the total number of cases could reach 796,630 by January 24th. By the same date another 2,000 people could die. And Tam says that means Canada's already-stretched health care system could face its breaking point. The new modelling was released this morning as Procurement Minister Anita Anand revealed global supply issues will temporarily delay vaccine shipment

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government is working day in and day out to get vaccines delivered as quickly as possible. But he says with an undertaking this historic, it's only to be expected that there will be a few bumps along the way. Pfizer-BioNTech is temporarily reducing deliveries of its COVID-19 vaccine to Canada because of production issues in Europe.Trudeau says it is an issue out of our hands. Trudeau says this does not impact the goal to have enough vaccines for every Canadian who wants one by September.

Procurement Minister Anita Anand says production issues in Europe will temporarily reduce Pfizer-BioNTech's ability to deliver vaccines to Canada. Anand says the U.S drug-maker is temporarily reducing deliveriesbecause of issues with its European production lines.She adds that while the company says it will still be able to deliver four million doses by the end of March, that is no longer guaranteed.Anand says it's unfortunate, but such delays and issues are to beexpected when global supply chains are stretched well beyond their limits.Canada has received about 380,000 doses of the vaccine so

British Columbia's provincial health officer expressed concern as she reported the first South African strain of COVID-19 uncovered in the province. Dr. Bonnie Henry says the person who contracted the South African variant had not travelled or had contact with anyone who did. She says officials are investigating where this person might have picked up the virus. Another person has also tested positive for the British variant of the virus, bringing that total to four cases, all connected to travel. Dr. Henry says there doesn't appear to have been any community spread of those infections. Offici

Canada has a new top military commander. Admiral Art McDonald was formally installed at a scaled-down COVID-19 ceremony in Ottawa. In a virtual appearance at the change of command ceremony, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed McDonald as Chief of the Defence staff, saying he is taking on the role at a very difficult time. Admiral McDonald succeeds General Jonathan Vance, who kicked off the ceremony by using his final speech in uniform to bid an emotional farewell to the troops. In a virtual appearance at the change of command ceremony, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed McDonald as

Operators of the Sea To Sky Gondola near Squamish say the tourist attraction is due to reopen in late spring or early summer. The update posted on the company's website says the complicated cleanup process has been completed after vandals cut the gondola cable late last year. The statement says orders have been placed for a new cable and 25 new cabins and the cable is already on its way to Squamish while discussions are underway with the cabin supplier on a timeline for arrival of that equipment. No arrests have been made but the company says an RCMP investigation is continuing after the cabl