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

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,

The smell of smoke lingered Monday after a house fire in Vancouver killed three members of the same family, including a child, and injured two others.Fire officials have yet to confirm what sparked the flames Sunday.Assistant Chief Brian Bertuzzi confirmed a child under 10 years old, their mother and grandfather were killed, while the grandmother and father suffered smoke inhalation.A handwritten sign placed near the front steps of the charred bungalow reads, "We love you, Ivan" and "Our prayers to you, mom (and) grandpa."Susana Mora lives in a neighbouring home and says she was in lying awake

BC Transit says it is hoping for a resolution soon as a strike enters a third day between unionized transit workers and transit contractors in Whistler, Pemberton and Squamish. Bus service has been suspended there since Saturday as Unifor Local 114 seeks better wages, benefits and working conditions for drivers. The union says its members can barely afford to live in parts of the Sea-to-Sky corridor such as Whistler, where accommodation and affordability are especially challenging. The union says the job action is continuing because the two contractors, Diversified Transit in Squamish and Whi

Two people have been taken to hospital in Vancouver after an early morning blaze in a highrise in the city's West End. Flames broke out just before 7 a.m. on the building's fourth floor and crews were quickly able to knock the fire down, but not before firefighters say it caused extensive smoke and water damage to several units. The two victims, a man and woman, are believed to be suffering from smoke inhalation and the extent of their injuries is still being determined. A cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Vancouver Police has released information about an attack on a person in a hotel in Gastown area. A 26 year old man was attacked with a machete while sleeping inside Gastown's Colonial Hotel on Friday. The attack left the man with two partially severed fingers and knife wounds to his left knee. VPD has identified a person of interest and is investigating. Although Vancouver police has not given any information about any person's arrest so far.