B.C.’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister of Health, Adrian Dix have issued a joint statement regarding updates on the COVID-19 response in British Columbia. 542 new cases, have been reported for a total of 81,909 cases in B.C. There are 4,654 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. 246 individuals are currently hospitalized, 64 of whom are in intensive care. There have been 18 new confirmed COVID-19 cases that are variants of concern in our province, for a total of 200 cases. This includes 176 cases of the U.K. variant and 24 cases of the South Africa variant. 289,80

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expressing optimism that his government's timeline for getting a vaccine into the arm of every Canadian who wants one can be accelerated. He says the federal government's September timeline didn't factor in the arrival of new vaccines such as the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot, which was approved last week. Trudeau notes that a change in the public health guidance regarding the time allowed between the first and second doses of a vaccine could also affect Canada's rollout. Health officials in B-C and Newfoundland and Labrador have said they are extending that interva

A driver has been killed and her passenger was badly hurt in a head-on crash in North Vancouver. RCMP say the collision occurred late Tuesday night on Low Level Road. Police say a vehicle with a lone male inside crossed the centre line, hitting the vehicle with the woman and her passenger. By the time emergency services arrived, the man's vehicle was on fire, although he had been removed before the fire sparked. All three were taken to hospital, where police say the female driver was declared dead, her passenger remains in critical condition and the male has serious injuries. Police say alcoh

The Surrey RCMP General Investigation Unit is investigating a shooting in Newton after officers responded to reports of gunfire Tuesday night in the 8800-block of 140B Street. Police say shots were fired from a dark-coloured vehicle at an individual who fled in another vehicle before officers arrived around 10:30 p.m. Investigators believe the shooting was targeted and have identified the intended victim, who is known to police. No injuries were reported. Neighbours told Connect News Team the gunfire has left them uneasy about safety in their community. Harbhajan Singh, who has lived on the s

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says this isn't the time to pull back on support for workers and business owners. This morning he announced announced an extension of programs to help workers and businesses make it to the finish line of the pandemic. The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy and Lockdown Support will continue at their current levels until June. Trudeau says we've come a long way in the fight against the pandemic, but we're not out of the woods yet. He has announced an extension of programs to help workers and businesses make it to the finish line.Tru

The BC government says it has issued 1,366 violation tickets under its ongoing state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That includes 199 tickets worth 2,300 dollars each to owners or organizers breaking restrictions on gathering events, adding up to nearly 460,000 dollars in total. The Ministry of Public Safety says in a statement that a further 1,099 tickets worth 230 dollars each have been issued to individuals who refused to comply with law enforcement. 101 tickets totalling nearly 330,000 dollars have been issued to people breaking federal quarantine rules. Since the start of the

A Canadian judge has found guilty a man who admitted using a van to kill 10 pedestrians in Toronto.Alek Minassian faced 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder.The April 23, 2018, attack drew attention to an online world of sexual loneliness, rage and misogyny.His lawyer argued he didn't know what he was doing was wrong because he has autism spectrum disorder, a stance that angled autism rights advocates.Justice Anne Molloy said Wednesday the man's lawyers failed to prove he was not criminally responsible.

Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav on March 02, announced that women protesters will be in front at farmers' protest sites on International Women's Day. Yogendra Yadav said, "In today's meeting of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, we have finalised the programmes till March 15.On March 06 when the protest enters Day 100, farmers will block Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway at different points between 11 am and 4 pm. On the occasion of International Women's Day on March 08, women protesters will be brought to the front at all the protest sites. From March 05, 'MSP Dilao' movement will be started in Karn

BC's top doctor says the decision to delay second doses of COVID-19 vaccine by four months is based on scientific evidence and real-world data. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the data show protection from a single dose is upwards of 90 per cent and lasts for several months. She says delaying second doses will reduce mortality and severe illness for those most at risk while maximizing the benefit of vaccines for everyone. Dr. Henry adds that the approval of Oxford-AstraZeneca's vaccine, which can be kept in the fridge, means it's possible everyone in BC could receive their fir