BCApr 23, 2021
Hundreds of scheduled surgeries in B.C. postponed; More than 1,000 COVID-19 cases reported in the province
Hundreds of scheduled surgeries in British Columbia have been postponed as the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals reaches a new peak. Health Minister Adrian Dix says 1,750 surgeries at nine affected hospitals in the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health regions have been delayed. There are 502 people in hospital and more than 160 of those are in intensive care units. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says pressure on B.C.'s health-care system is ``immense'' right now. The government is also asking specially trained health workers who are now in community settings to return to int
CanadaApr 22, 2021
Canada bans flights from India, Pakistan for 30 days
Transport Canada is halting all direct passenger air traffic from India and Pakistan for 30-days, starting at 11:30 tonight. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says cargo flights will be allowed to ensure the continued supply of vaccines and PPE. Alghabra says passengers who depart from the two countries via an indirect route will need obtain a negative COVID-19 test at their last point of departure. The announcement comes just after MPs voted in favour of Canada suspending international flights from countries where COVID-19 outbreaks are raging.
BCApr 22, 2021
39 cases related to B.1.617 variant first identified in India reported in B.C.
The BC Centre for Disease Control and its public health lab are reviewing the genetic sequencing of what they are now calling a ``variant of interest'' that has made its way to this province. A statement from the Ministry of Health says 39 COVID-19 cases involving the B.1.617 variant first identified in India were found in B-C by April 4th, but the strain was not then considered a variant of concern or a variant under investigation. The statement says the ministry should be able to provide an update by later this week on the number and severity of cases linked to the latest variant. Quebec id
CanadaApr 22, 2021
Federal government needs to immediately stop admitting flights from countries like India and Brazil: Erin O'Toole
Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole says the federal government needs to immediately stop admitting flights from COVID-19 "hot spot" countries like India and Brazil. He says the move would buy time to figure out a better plan for stopping variants of concern from getting into Canada. O'Toole doesn't have specifics for what he thinks should happen to beef up border protections beyond not allowing flights to land from certain countries. Health Canada says about one per cent of arriving passengers are testing positive but can't say how many have tested positive after 10 days. Bloc Quebecois Leader
BCApr 22, 2021
Judge to rule on criminal responsibility of man who stabbed two B.C. students
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge is expected to deliver her decision today over whether a man who stabbed two high school students is not criminally responsible because he had a mental disorder. Gabriel Klein was convicted last year for the murder of 13-year-old Letisha Reimer and the aggravated assault of her friend in the rotunda of Abbotsford Senior Secondary in 2016.Klein, who has schizophrenia, applied for a hearing over criminal responsibility as sentencing was set to begin in September and he later testified that he believed he was stabbing a witch and a monster.His lawyer has ar
BCApr 22, 2021
862 new COVID-19 cases and 7 deaths reported in B.C.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, have issued a joint statement regarding updates on the COVID-19 response in British Columbia. "Today, we are reporting 862 new cases, for a total of 121,751 cases in British Columbia. "There are 8,906 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, with 13,135 people under public health monitoring as a result of identified exposure to known cases. A further 111,039 people who tested positive have recovered. "Of the active cases, 483 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 163 of whom are in intens
CanadaApr 21, 2021
Ontario's government is "pleading" with Ottawa to ban travel from India and other hot-spot countries; Dr. Tam says federal government is looking into flights arriving from India
Canada's top public health doctor says the federal government is looking into flights arriving from India amid reports that a massive surge of COVID-19 cases is ravaging that country. Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says Ottawa has generally opted for measures that are not country-specific, such as a pre-boarding test for COVID-19, tests on arrival and government-mandated quarantine. But she says India could be a special case due to a "variant of interest" there that may be fuelling a massive outbreak of COVID-19. India recorded nearly 300,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday al
CanadaApr 21, 2021
Three confidence votes to determine fate of minority Liberal government
A pair of proposed changes to the federal budget put forward by opposition parties will determine whether the minority Liberal government will fall, which could trigger an election.The government says it has informed opposition parties that two votes in the House of Commons — on a Bloc Québécois sub-amendment today and on a Conservative amendment Thursday — are considered confidence votes.A third opportunity to pass judgment on the massive budget comes Monday, when the House votes on the main motion to approve the government's budget policy.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal govern
BCApr 21, 2021
849 new COVID-19 cases reported in B.C. as hospitalizations break new record
Health officials are urging eligible British Columbians to register online for a vaccine in order to reduce growing pressure on health-care workers getting "pushed to the limits" at hospitals. Provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say those aged 35 and up can now register for a vaccine as part of the province's age-based vaccination stream. Dix and Dr. Henry say 849 more people have become infected with COVID-19 and one more person has died for a total of 1,539 fatalities since the pandemic began. They say 456 people are in hospital and 148 of them are i
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