For the second time this month, there's promising news from a COVID-19 vaccine candidate: Moderna said Monday its shots provide strong protection, a dash of hope against the grim backdrop of coronavirus surges in the U.S. and around the world. Moderna said its vaccine appears to be 94.5% effective, according to preliminary data from the company’s still ongoing study. A week ago, competitor Pfizer Inc. announced its own COVID-19 vaccine appeared similarly effective — news that puts both companies on track to seek permission within weeks for emergency use in the U.S. Prime Minister Justin

Surrey's Cambridge Elementary School has been ordered to close until Nov 30 due to a COVID-19 outbreak. At least seven people have tested positive and the transmission is reported to have occured on the school premises. The school's music teacher is in the ICU. Additionally, two other schools in the Fraser Health region are voluntarily closing for two weeks due to staffing issues because of COVID-19 "clusters". These schools are: Jarvis Elementary in Delta (76 Ave & 118 St) Al-Hidayah School, an independent school in New Westminster.

British Columbia health officials are urging residents to celebrate Diwali virtually this year, as the province reports a new daily record number of COVID-19 cases. B.C. recorded 617 new cases on Friday, for a total of 20,985. Officials also reported two new COVID-19-related fatalities, bringing the province's death toll to 290 over the course of the pandemic. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say in a joint statement that the number of cases shows it is a critical time for B.C., and residents need to work together to slow the number of infections. They

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he's told premiers that while his government will always be there to help, federal resources are not "infinite." Trudeau says he's heard from premiers about the challenges they're facing, but he says making tough choices now will reduce the chance of facing "impossible decisions" later. He says his government is committed to collaborating on the distribution of a potential vaccine, though the fight against COVID-19 is far from over. Trudeau says Canada reached a new daily high of 5,000 new COVID-19 cases yesterday. Trudeau asks Canadians to do their part and

A Statistics Canada survey reveals 30 per cent of businesses don't know if they can keep going without laying off workers, closing or declaring bankruptcy. Nearly 20 per cent say they will have to take drastic action in less than six months as a second wave of COVID-19 sweeps the country. Canadian Chamber of Commerce chief economist Trevin Stratton is calling for sector-specific support to help the hospitality and arts and entertainment industries. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government is investing another 1.5 billion dollars in the Workforce Development Agreement, which will help

A search has resumed for a Vancouver Island couple missing since Wednesday in a rugged area west of Nanaimo. Police say the search began Thursday for 32 year old Cody Martin, 29 year old Tamara Sandulak and Rex, their black lab-cross dog, when they didn't return from a day of fishing. An RCMP statement says dozens of search and rescue volunteers covered the Nanaimo Lakes area on foot and by all-terrain vehicle late into Thursday evening. More search and rescue crews from neighbouring communities joined the effort on Friday, while RCMP say air support will be added if weather permits. Police h

BC Hydro says an online survey shows many households are stocked up but unprepared to ride out a major winter storm. It found 20 per cent of homeowners believe they are prepared for an extended power outage because they laid in supplies such as toilet paper, hand sanitizer and groceries. But the utility points out that stockpiling toilet paper won't help when storms cut power and leave people without heat, light or the ability to cook food and keep it from rotting for several days. But the online survey of 803 B.C. residents conducted in early October says more than half lack an emergency ki

A new survey by Simon Fraser University and Autism Community Training suggests caregivers for kids with autism are feeling especially squeezed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey of 238 families between July and September showed one third reported safety concerns and almost 10 per cent had considered putting their child into government care. The majority of caregivers reported provincial supports in response to the pandemic have been insufficient in meeting their needs and their kids are suffering as a result. Just three families reported the pandemic has positively affected their ch

Cineplex is reporting a 91 per cent drop in customers in its third quarter. Only 1.6 million people went to see a movie after Cineplex re-opened countrywide with limited showtimes and seating on August 21st, down from 17.5 million last summer. The Toronto-based theatre chain posted a third quarter net loss of 121.2 million dollars, down from a profit of 13.4 million a year ago. The company says it had revenue of $61 million in the three months ending Sept. 30, down from $418.4 million during the same period in 2019.