The BC Coroners Service says the number of overdose deaths in each health authority is at or near the highest monthly total ever recorded. Chief coroner Lisa Lapoint says there were 162 overdose deaths in BC last month, more than double the 75 recorded in October last year. Lapoint says the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the supply of street drugs and is urging doctors and nurses to prescribe safer pharmaceutical alternatives. But advocates for drug users say medical personnel still are not prescribing those alternatives to the extent they should be.

Five people have died and 55 patients have tested positive at Burnaby Hospital in an outbreak of COVID-19 that health officials believe was compounded by a recent fire at the facility. Fraser Health chief medical health officer Dr. Elizabeth Brodkin says 40 staff members are also infected, although the health authority is still trying to track the source of all those illnesses. The outbreak began at the hospital on November 9th, but as smoke billowed through hallways during the November 15th fire, patients were quickly moved to common areas and infection control measures could not be stringen

A hotel worker in Nelson, B.C., suffered a heart attack shortly after a confrontation with a patron who refused to wear a mask and wouldn't leave the hotel's coffee shop. Rob Little, manager of The Adventure Hotel, says it happened last Friday when their accountant was called to help deal with a man who was shouting and ignoring new provincial rules to wear a mask to slow the spread of COVID-19. Little says when the woman intervened, the man spat on her and walked away. Police were called and Little says about 90 minutes later, the accountant, who's in her 50s, collapsed from a heart attack t

If your phone vibrates or makes an unusual sound at 1:55 this afternoon (2:55 p.m. Mountain time) you'll know you are ready to receive important safety alerts. Emergency Management BC is testing its Alert Ready system this afternoon to ensure it is able to send safety alerts through television, radio and 4G capable wireless devices such as phones. The system is only used during major disasters or emergencies and the tone indicates vital information is about to follow, although during today's test you'll only hear the tone or feel your phone vibrate, a message won't be attached. In a real emer

Argentine soccer ``Golden Boy'' Diego Maradona has died at the age of 60. A person close to Maradona said he died Wednesday of a heart attack. Maradona died two weeks after being released from a Buenos Aires hospital following brain surgery. Maradona was among the best players in history and led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and other health problems. He captivated fans over a two-decade career and famously made the ``Hand of God'' goal in which he punched the ball into England's net during the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals. Former Brazilian

Chinese President Xi Jinping has congratulated US President-elect Joe Biden on his victory. Xi expressed hope for "win-win co-operation" with the US, amid conflicts over trade, technology and security. China is one of the last major governments to congratulate Biden. Some commentators suggest Beijing might want to avoid straining relations with President Donald Trump, who has not conceded the election.

Police in Victoria say they've handed out two tickets for people failing to follow COVID-19 safety protocols in a restaurant and attempting to leave without paying. Police say they were called to a restaurant just after 7:30 pm Monday night for reports that a group had left without paying. After locating the group, police escorted them back to pay where they discovered that one man had been abusive towards staff and refused to follow COVID-19 safety protocols. The man was located later that night and issued two tickets for 230 dollars apiece.

BC's solicitor general announced new fines for those who refuse to follow provincial orders on wearing masks in public spaces. Those who refuse to wear masks are subject to a 230 dollar fine. Solicitor General Mike Farnworth says in a release that masks are required for a range of public spaces, but those unable to put on or remove a mask without assistance are exempt. The province also extended its state of emergency until December 8th.

Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet is blasting the prime minister's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, calling Justin Trudeau's pledge that vaccines will start to arrive in the coming months "unacceptable."Trudeau sought to reassure Canadians yesterday even as he acknowledged that some other countries are likely to start inoculating their citizens first, citing Canada's low capacity to churn out vaccines.Blanchet says the federal government should have moved sooner to help obtain manufacturing rights and beef up production capacity on Canadian soil.The United States, Britain and Ger