The National Advisory Committee on Immunization issued guidance today allowing for people who received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as their first dose to get an mRNA vaccine for their second. A study in the United Kingdom reported last month that mixing AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech as first and second doses led to more reports of short-lived side-effects like fevers and fatigue but was otherwise safe. The Spanish study concluded a second dose of Pfizer after a first dose of AstraZeneca produced more than twice the antibodies as a second dose of AstraZeneca. All provinces paused the use

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 on three periods. From May 28 to May 29, we had 258 new cases. From May 29 to May 30, we had 238 new cases and in the last 24 hours, we had a further 212 new cases."This results in a total of 708 new cases, for a total of 144,289 cases in British Columbia."There are 2,953 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and a further 139,562 people who tested positive have recovered."Of the acti

It seems Justin Trudeau has picked up a new accessory, though this one is not by choice. The prime minister known for his snazzy socks and styled hair was spotted Monday walking with a cane after leaving an event announcing federal loans for Black entrepreneurs. Spokesman Alex Wellstead says Trudeau sprained his ankle while playing Frisbee with his children at home over the Victoria Day long weekend. There was no word on the severity of the sprain or how long the prime minister will need to use the device, which was nowhere to be seen during the actual announcement. However, Wellstead says th

Naomi Osaka's agent has confirmed to The Associated Press that the four-time Grand Slam champion has withdrawn from the French Open. A spokeswoman for the tournament said the French Open was not aware of Osaka's withdrawal. Osaka wrote on Twitter that ``the best thing for the tournament'' would be if she pulled out and took a break from competition. She had declared last week that she would not speak to the media at Roland Garros and was fined $15,000 after she skipped the post match news conference following her first-round victory Sunday. Osaka also said Monday she has ``suffered long bouts

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says no words can do justice to the children whose bodies were found in unmarked graves at a residential school in Kamloops. She started her COVID-19 briefing today by expressing her sorrow for the 215 Indigenous children and the countless others who died alone, scared and far from their families in residential schools. Dr. Henry pledged her commitment to changing systems and laws that continue to perpetuate racism that hurts Indigenous peoples in countless ways. She added Canadians can't get stuck in the shame and grief of what was done to First Nat

The BC RCMP has notified the Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia (IIO BC) of an incident in Prince George where one man sustained serious injuries.Shortly before 7:00 AM on Monday May 31st, 2021, a frontline officer of the Prince George RCMP was conducting an investigation in the area of 15th Avenue and Victoria Street in Prince George.During the course of the investigation a physical altercation ensured between the police officer and male suspect. During the altercation the officer discharged their firearm striking the man. Officers provided first aid and Emergency Health Se

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is signalling he supports N-D-P Leader Jagmeet Singh's call for an emergency debate on the discovery of Indigenous childrens' remains. The remains of more than 200 children were found on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops, BC. Trudeau also says he will speak to the three cabinet ministers who oversee Indigenous policy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he was appalled at hearing of the discovery of at least 215 Indigenous children's bodies found on the grounds of a former residential school in British Columbia. Trudeau says Canadians cannot hi

Surrey RCMP is investigating an incident where shots were fired at a residence in the Newton area. On May 31, 2021, at approximately 1:00 am Surrey RCMP responded to a report of a mischief to a window in the 13500 block of 64A Avenue. Upon arrival and further investigation, it was determined that shots were fired at the residence. No persons were injured and the motive of the shooting is still under investigation. Based on the initial investigation there is nothing to suggest that there is any link to the Lower Mainland Gang Conflict. Investigators will be in the area today conducting furthe

On June 1, 2021, B.C.'s lowest paid workers will get a pay boost, with the general minimum wage increasing to $15.20 an hour and the lower discriminatory minimum wage for liquor servers ending.Over the past four years, B.C.'s general minimum wage has increased from $11.35 to $15.20 per hour. It has benefited close to 400,000 British Columbians over those years - the majority of whom are women, immigrants and youth."In 2017, our government made a commitment to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by June 2021, through regular, measured and predictable increases," said Harry Bains, Minister