BCJan 26, 2021
Couple accused of flying to Yukon for vaccine 'despicable': B.C. minister
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the alleged actions of a BC couple accused of trying to jump the COVID-19 vaccination queue show a "complete lack of any sort of ethical or moral compass." Farnworth says the matter is "one of the most despicable things he's heard in a long time," but he notes that the former Great Canadian Gaming CEO Rodney Baker has paid a high price in losing what he says is a "10-million-dollar-a-year job." Baker, who's 55, and his 32-year-old wife Ekaterina Baker, are accused of flying to the Yukon, violating self-isolation rules and getting a COVID-19 vaccinati
BCJan 26, 2021
Cougar euthanized in B.C. after severely mauling a man north of Vancouver
A cougar has attacked and severely mauled a man in British Columbia. A statement from the Environment Ministry, which oversees the Conservation Officer Service, says the 69 year old victim is recovering in hospital from serious injuries to his face and hand. The attack occurred Monday near the man's property in the Soo Valley, about 150 km's north of Vancouver, between Whistler and Pemberton. The ministry says Whistler RCMP officers were first on the scene and shot and killed a cougar prowling nearby. Conservation officers with a specialized team that investigates predator attacks also respon
BCJan 26, 2021
British Columbia is at a critical juncture in the fight against COVID-19, Dr. Henry says she's "very concerned"
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is warning that British Columbia is at a critical juncture in the fight against COVID-19. New variants originally identified in South Africa and the United Kingdom have made their way to BC, and with new cases plateauing at around 500 a day, Dr. Henry says she's "very concerned." She says the strategy for fighting the new variants is the same as for the predominant strain and urged British Columbians not to travel right now unless it's essential. At the same time, she says officials are temporarily widening the gap between two doses of the Pfizer vac
BCJan 26, 2021
Armed youth taken into custody in Victoria: Police
Police in Victoria say they took an armed youth into custody yesterday morning. The youth was taken into custody after they received multiple 9-1-1 calls to a residential building. Officers say they responded to reports of a young man stabbing the hallway floor and threatening to harm people. They say they negotiated the suspect into custody at gunpoint and a knife was recovered during the arrest. Police allege the youth threatened to harm officers and others.The youth was held in custody for court, although they did not specify any charges against him.
BCJan 26, 2021
B.C. to stretch second doses of COVID-19 vaccine to day 42 amid production delay
British Columbia's top doctor says the province is extending the interval between the two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Bonnie Henry says further delays in the production and delivery of the vaccine over the next two weeks prompted health officials to extend the time period between the shots from 35 to 42 days. She says about 60 per cent of the more than 119,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered in the province so far have been used to protect residents of long-term care homes. Dr. Henry provided an update on B.C.'s vaccine supply on Monday while reporting 26 more de
BCJan 26, 2021
British Columbia long-term care home report reveals confusion, mixed messaging
A third-party report examining how the British Columbia government responded to COVID-19 in long-term care homes during the first wave of the pandemic reveals confusion over policies and infection prevention. The report, by Ernst & Young, says specific policy orders from the provincial health officer were interpreted differently by health authorities and there were gaps in infection prevention and control as well as emergency preparedness. It also highlighted a lack of consistent provincial policy on how health authorities and facility operators handled residents who tested positive for C
BCJan 25, 2021
Why was the report on how BC's long-term care homes handled the first wave of the pandemic stalled, ask B.C. Liberals
The BC Liberal party and BC Care Providers Association want to know why the provincial government stalled the release of a report examining how BC's long-term care homes handled the first wave of the pandemic. The Ministry of Health says the report, completed last fall, will be released today. More than 40 groups, including the Care Providers Association, were consulted after Ernst & Young was commissioned by the ministry to conduct the study. More than half of BC's deaths from COVID-19 have been in long-term care facilities. A spokesperson for SafeCare BC, says seeing the report earlier
BCJan 25, 2021
Dentists and bus drivers among those feeling disappointed for not being prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine in BC
Dentists and bus drivers are among those disappointed they will not be prioritized for the COVID-19 vaccine in BC. The province had initially considered prioritizing essential workers, but on Friday said it planned to take an age-based approach instead because older people are more likely to die of COVID-19. The British Columbia Dental Association has written a letter to Premier John Horgan urging him to include dentists in stage two of the vaccination plan along with family doctors and specialists. Unifor Local 111, which represents Metro Vancouver bus drivers, is also demanding that its mem
BCJan 25, 2021
Eight flights that passed through YVR added to the list of COVID-19 exposures
The BC Centre for Disease Control has added eight flights that passed through Vancouver International Airport to its list of COVID-19 exposures. The flights, four of them domestic and the other four international, either took off from or landed at YVR between January 5th and January 19th. They include an Air Canada flight from Los Angeles to Vancouver on January 5th, a WestJet flight from Toronto to Vancouver on January 9th and an Aeromexico flight from Mexico City to Vancouver on January 17th. The full list can be seen on the B-C Centre for Disease Control website. Anyone who was on any of t
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