The province reported 217 new COVID-19 cases today for a total of 13,588, but no new deaths. With Halloween around the corner, officials in the Fraser Health region are urging people not to hold private parties this weekend to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Doctor Elizabeth Brodkin, chief medical health officer for the region, says it's fine to take children trick-or-treating in a safe way but people shouldn't be gathering in homes. Fraser Health has reported 7,674 cases since the start of the pandemic with most of the infections in people aged 20 to 29.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says far too many Canadians are living without a roof over their head, and his government is taking action to reduce that number. Trudeau revealed details this morning on Ottawa's one-billion-dollar investment into a federal rapid housing initiative. Fifteen cities will share a 500-million-dollar fund to allow them to buy properties being sold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The other 500 million dollars will be used for building housing projects that will have to be completed within 12 months of receiving the funds. The federal government's money would be used

Provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry has announced a new limit on gatherings in private homes to immediate family members and no more than an additional safe six guests. Dr. Henry made the announcement as she reported 817 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday. This is the highest number recorded over a three-day period in B.C. She also reported three more deaths, all residents of long-term care facilities in Vancouver Coastal health. Dr. Henry says two schools have also closed due to COVID outbreaks, one in Fraser Health and one in Kelowna in a previously announced outbreak.

Federal Procurement Minister Anita Anand says a proposed parliamentary investigation of the Trudeau government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic could trigger the release of commercially sensitive information. She says that could risk the health of Canadians by scaring off manufacturers and drug companies that would otherwise do business with Ottawa. Opposition parties are poised to approve the probe this afternoon despite growing objections from industry and experts. Canada's procurement minister says a Conservative motion to probe the government's pandemic spending will put federal contra

John Horgan says there are still hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots yet to be counted following Saturday's election, but one thing is certain: he's headed back to the premier's office on Monday. The NDP leader took the risk of calling the snap election in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to gain a majority government after working with the Greens in a minority for the last 3 1/2 years. The final results of the election won't be known until at least Nov. 16, after Elections BC staff have screened and counted an unprecedented number of mail-in ballots. But Saturday's ballots were enough

British Columbia reported 223 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, tipping the number of active infections over 2,000. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says in a statement infections have been detected at two more assisted-living or long-term care homes and there are two new community outbreaks. The latest health-care outbreaks are at Laurel Place in Surrey and Fair Haven Homes at Burnaby Lodge, while the community outbreaks involve Coast Spas Manufacturing and Pace Processing in Langley. Outbreaks at a number of other care homes have been declared over, leaving 16 homes and two acute-c

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is trying to offer Canadians modest hope about progress in testing and vaccine development after Canada notched an all-time high of new COVID-19 cases in a day. Trudeau told a news conference today that the government is spending $214 million towards the development of COVID-19 vaccines, signing deals with Quebec's Medicago and British Columbia's Precision NanoSystems. Trudeau says the Medicago contract includes the rights to buy 76 million doses of its vaccine, should it meet health and safety standards, as well as funding for a production facility in Quebec Cit

BC has seen another big jump in COVID-19 cases with another record for a second straight day. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is reporting 274 new cases, up from the 203 reported yesterday. Dr. Henry says much of the recent surge in cases is due to social gatherings such as weddings and funerals and recommends people revise plans to small gatherings only. She warns additional measures will be put in place if necessary to break what she describes as ``large transmission events.''

Leaders of British Columbia's three main parties are in the home stretch of the election campaign, with only today and tomorrow left to woo votes. NDP Leader John Horgan says his party has committed the most money for health care and that will help navigate the response to the second wave of COVID-19. The leader of British Columbia's N-D-P is firing back after Green party Leader Sonia Furstenau called Saturday's election ``unsafe'' in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. John Horgan says he listened to the province's top doctor as well as officials with Elections B-C, who told him an election