As COVID-19 infections surge, BC's seniors advocate is calling for rapid testing of all staff at long-term care homes. Isobel Mackenzie says rapid tests that produce results within 30 minutes could help catch infected staff who aren't experiencing symptoms and who could unknowingly spread the illness. About 3.8 million of the tests that don't need to be processed in a lab recently arrived in Canada and many provincial health authorities across the country are still evaluating how to use them. BC's provincial health officer, Doctor Bonnie Henry, has said the rapid tests are not as sensitive as

British Columbia health officials are urging residents to follow their latest orders to slow the spread of COVID-19 and relieve the pressure on the health-care system. The province recorded 516 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, for a total of 25,474. There are 7,122 active cases of COVID-19, with 227 people currently hospitalized. Ten new deaths were also announced, bringing the death toll to 331. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say in a joint statement that the social restrictions and mask requirements announced Thursday are meant to keep loved ones safe

Surrey RCMP say they have arrested a man and seized drugs they allege are related to a recent number of overdoses in the city. Mounties say they arrested a 19 year old man for possession for the purpose of trafficking in Langley, BC yesterday afternoon. Police seized multiple doses of suspected blue and purple fentanyl, crystal meth and crack cocaine. They're warning anyone who uses drugs to not use alone.

RCMP on Vancouver Island say will increase their presence around the Cowichan District Hospital as they investigate reports of multiple sexual assaults outside the building. North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP say were made aware of sexual assaults believed to have taken placed between Nov. 2 and Nov. 17 near the grounds of the hospital. Mounties say they're looking to speak to any potential victims. In the meantime, police say uniformed officers in marked police vehicles will increase their patrols of the property.

BC is reporting 538 new cases of COVID-19 with most still coming from the Fraser and Vancouver health regions. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the province now has 6,929 active cases. 217 people are in hospital, including 59 in intensive care. Dr. Henry says there is also one addition death, bringing the total to 321. Details of COVID-19 restrictions in B.C. B.C. is introducing new far-reaching limits on social gatherings, travel and mandatory masks in response to surging COVID-19 case numbers and record hospitalizations. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said today t

A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at the LNG Canada Project work site in Kitimat. Northern Health says it declared the outbreak after officials found evidence of COVID-19 transmission among staff at the site. It says 14 employees have tested positive so far and all cases occurred in the same general work location. It says those workers and close contacts have been told to self-isolate, with 32 in quarantine at the work site and the rest isolating in their home community.

The border officer who led the examination of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver's airport before her arrest two years ago says he can't recall whose idea it was to collect the passcodes to her phones. Sowmith Katragadda told a B.C. Supreme Court hearing he asked another officer to collect the codes from Meng but can't remember if the order came from one of his supervisors or if it was his own idea. Katragadda is testifying as part of an evidence-gathering hearing in Meng's extradition case. Her lawyers are collecting information to support an abuse of process argument in court next y

Six people have been arrested after RCMP in Richmond, B.C., conducted a series of raids on what they say were drug labs. Police say in a news release they uncovered hundreds of thousands of doses of suspected illegal drugs, six weapons and three pill presses. The weapons found ranged from handguns to carbine-style rifles, and police say they also discovered cash and high-end items believed to be proceeds of crime. Mounties say they began their investigating into suspected drug labs back in March, culminating in arrests on Oct. 28. Police say drug labs pose a significant threat to public safet

Police suspect a deadly batch of drugs may be circulating in Surrey, B.C. A statement from Surrey RCMP says three people have died within 12 hours in the city and fatal overdoses are suspected in each case. Investigators say there do not appear to be any other connections between the victims. The statement says it is dangerous to use non-prescription drugs purchased from unregulated sources but anyone who makes that choice should follow several safety measures. Those measures include not using them alone and being careful about dosage size. Police say users should also have a naloxone kit cap