British Columbia health officials say progress is being made in the efforts to push back the COVID-19 virus and get to the days of fewer restrictions in the province. Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry say in a joint statement Tuesday that there are 435 new cases of the virus, for a total of 4,393 active cases. Some 241 people are in hospital, of whom 68 are in intensive care, and the remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation. There have been four new COVID-19-related deaths, for a total of 1,263 fatalities linked to the viru

British Columbia's auditor general says the Provincial Health Services Authority is not effectively managing cybersecurity threats for medical devices and has not evaluated the risk to patients.Michael Pickup says ineffective cybersecurity management means the authority can't apply proper security controls to its systems and devices, and may not be able to detect cyberattacks.The audit covered more 18,000 devices in the Lower Mainland, ranging from infusion pumps to MRI systems, and the systems supporting their operation.He recommends the authority evaluate cybersecurity threats and the potent

A new program aimed at training workers to speak up against harassment, violence and bullying is coming to BC's waterfront. The federal government, longshore unions and management announced the program today, which is based on the 'Be More Than a Bystander' campaign developed by the Ending Violence Association of BC. Association spokeswoman Tracy Porteous says working with longshore unions may seem like an odd fit but it will add the "voices and committed interventions of men" to those of women and minorities who have long been calling for an end to abuse and inequity. Rob Ashton with the lon

Surrey Mounties and a COVID compliance team used a search warrant to break up an illegal after-hours nightclub in the city. RCMP say when officers and the enforcement team went in around 1 am on Sunday they found 22 people inside. Police say 26 tickets worth almost six-thousand dollars in fines were handed out for everything from failure to wear a mask to attending a non-compliant event and belligerent behaviour. The host of the event was not issued the usual $2,300 ticket but instead received a notice to appear in court. Surrey Mounties say the nightclub operating near King George Boulevard

Researchers at BC Children's Hospital are trying to better understand the mental health impacts of COVID-19 on children and their families by asking them to complete an online survey. Doctors S. Evelyn Stewart and Hasina Samji are leading the study that aims to gauge how the pandemic affects people's feelings and actions over time in order to learn how they manage and which resources may be helpful. Stewart says the research would provide evidence to guide clinical and policy decisions during this pandemic and those in the future. Children and youth over the age of seven are invited to fill i

BC's top doctor is appealing for continued vigilance with COVID-19 public health orders as officials try to understand the prevalence of the UK and South African variants and how they entered communities. Doctor Bonnie Henry says that's part of the work being done before pandemic restrictions that have been in place since November are loosened as the province anticipates an increasing number of vaccines to be delivered in the coming weeks. Dr. Henry says that if the variants take hold as in parts of Ontario, a whole new pandemic could get underway so it's important not to undo the progress th

BC will start a clinical trial on a COVID-19 drug therapy approved by Health Canada on an emergency basis for patients who are at risk of severe illness. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the trial on the drug bamlanivimab is expected to get underway by the beginning of March. The antibody drug has been studied elsewhere, and Henry says it would be given to patients within a certain time period after diagnosis. Health Minister Adrian Dix says the trial will be done at Surrey Memorial Hospital with the help of a one-million-dollar donation from a BC biotech company. The drug has

Chinese-Canadian community leaders say the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic has been magnified by racism. Vancouver police reported a surge in anti-Asian hate crime in 2020, with seniors being attacked and businesses vandalized. The president of the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice, Amy Go, says the initial rhetoric around the COVID-19 virus, has been harmful to the Chinese-Canadian community. Some labelled it as the "Wuhan virus" or the "China virus." Go says grocery stores, restaurants and other businesses owned by Chinese-Canadians have been particularly affected by misi

A woman has died as extreme cold grips most of Western Canada and parts of the territories and northern Ontario. RCMP in Dawson Creek, B.C., say the woman's death, related to exposure, happened early Sunday morning while she was walking in that northeastern city. Investigators say she left a friend's house right next door around 1 a.m. but collapsed before arriving at her home. Environment Canada says temperatures in Dawson Creek skidded to a frigid -42.2 C on Sunday and wind chill is making conditions across much of north and central B.C. feel close to -45. The weather office says usually ba