The COVID-19 curve is slowly bending downward in British Columbia but health officials are urging caution for those making weekend plans given the presence of new variants. The province confirmed 465 new cases Thursday for a total of 69,245 since the pandemic began. There are 4,447 active cases and of those, 257 people are hospitalized including 76 in intensive care. Six more people have died for a total death toll of 1,240 in B.C., while about 62,078 people who tested positive are considered recovered. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say in a joint s

BC Hydro is urging football fans to consider power consumption as they munch snacks in front of the television on Super Bowl Sunday. A release from the Crown utility says, thanks to the pandemic, more people will be watching the big game at home, rather than gathering in large groups, and while that meets health requirements, it could hike electricity use. Eight hundred people were surveyed on Hydro's behalf and results show that electricity use is expected to climb as all those halftime snacks are cooked and more people watch the game at home on individual television screens, some even watch

Detectives with the Victoria Police Department's special victims unit are gratified by the response to a call for information about sexualized violence alleged to have involved a former employee at a downtown Victoria restaurant. Police issued a public notice on Monday urging witnesses or victims to come forward if they have details about incidents at the bar and grill. Since then, police say the response has been "amazing" and they are working through the many tips, although they caution the process takes time and patience is necessary. Officers were flagged about alleged sexualized violence

Yukon's chief medical officer of health says vaccination is going well and nearly 10,000 people have received a COVID-19 shot. But Dr. Brendan Hanley says restrictions could remain, even after everyone is immunized. Dr. Hanley made the comment during the regular COVID briefing today in Whitehorse. He says Yukon's initial four-phase response plan predicted public health orders might be scaled back once most people were vaccinated, but he says a surge in COVID-19 variants, plus a growing number of cases in northern BC mean Yukon must stay vigilant. Hanley says even though Yukon currently has no

A woman is dead and a man has been injured in a shooting in Surrey, B.C., in what police say was not a random act. Police were called Thursday morning to a home after reports of gunshots being heard. Officers found a woman in grave condition and a man suffering non-life-threatening injuries inside the home. Both were taken to hospital, but police say the woman died of her injuries. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has been called to help with the investigation. Surrey RCMP's tweet: One woman is dead and one male injured following a shooting inside a residence this morning in North S

Police say a 48 year old Vancouver man has been charged with second-degree murder for the city's first homicide of 2021. The killing happened in the Downtown Eastside on Sunday. The VPD says Kenneth Gates was arrested that morning after officers were called to a single-occupancy hotel for a double stabbing. Police say 40 year old Jeremy Greene died on scene and a second stabbing victim, a 28 year old, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Gates remains in custody and he has also been charged with aggravated assault.

Homicide investigators have identified the victim of a targeted shooting in Langley, B.C. Sgt. Frank Jang with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says 22-year-old Arshdeep Singh died in the late-night attack on Jan. 26. Jang says Singh's name and photo are being released in an effort to further the investigation, but he provided no other information. Singh was in the driver's seat of a car parked in a residential area of Langley when it was riddled by gunfire, killing him and injuring a man in the passenger seat.In the hours after the shooting, Jang confirmed Singh had been known to p

Just a few days after a COVID-19 outbreak was declared over at the hospital in Burnaby, B.C., another flare-up has been reported at the health centre. The Fraser Health authority says nine patients in the medicine unit at Burnaby Hospital have tested positive and it has been temporarily closed to admissions. The emergency department remains open at the hospital and enhanced cleaning and contact tracing has begun. B.C. reported 414 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, for a total of 68,780. There were also 16 more COVID-19-related deaths, 4,426 active cases and 278 in hospital. Provincial healt

Police say an elderly woman has died and two people are under arrest following a violent home invasion on Vancouver's west side. A statement from police says 78 year old Usha Singh died Tuesday. Investigators believe she was attacked early Sunday by two men who entered her home posing as police officers. The statement says a 47 year old man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for unrelated offences was arrested in east Vancouver Tuesday, suffering a serious bite wound from a police service dog in the process. A 41 year old man was taken into custody a few hours later near the city's Downtown East