An independent group that analyzes the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia and Canada has released new modelling containing some good news but also raising concerns, especially about the impact of the virus on children. The report by 12 epidemiologists, mathematicians and data analysts, from the universities of Victoria and British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and the private sector, covers the period up to Oct. 4. It shows pressure on B.C.'s intensive care units remains near peak levels but that COVID-19 cases stabilized through September due to masking, vaccination and

City councillors in Vancouver have narrowly rejected a proposal for citywide parking permits and a levy on certain vehicles, with Mayor Kennedy Stewart questioning the fairness of the plan and casting the tiebreaking vote. Council heard last night from more than two dozen speakers both for and against the proposal to set a $45 annual fee for overnight street parking anywhere in Vancouver. The plan, titled the Climate Emergency Parking Program, also called for levies of up to $1,000 on all but the most fuel-efficient vehicles purchased after 2023. Stewart issued a written statement saying he b

Citing ongoing staffing issues, Victoria police say they're pulling seven officers from the region's integrated units and redeploying them as street cops. The change, which comes into effect on November 7th, means the region's traffic, organized crime and national-security units will be short of officers. The department says that 39 of its 249 officers are unable to respond to calls for a variety of reasons including physical and psychological injuries, and that 17 other officers are training. The department says a review of the seven transfers will take place over the next year to assess if

Pfizer Canada says it is preparing to ask Health Canada to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for kids as young as five by mid-October.The U.S. drugmaker submitted a formal request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today and the FDA intends to meet to discuss the submission on Oct. 26.Last week Pfizer submitted data to both governments from a clinical trial on children five to 11 but hadn't formally requested authorization.A spokeswoman for the company's Canadian arm says it is in the final stages of working with Health Canada ahead of the submission being made so kids between five and 11 c

B.C. is reporting 752 new cases of COVID-19, including two epi-linked cases, for a total of 191,124 cases in the province.There are 5,945 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 182,786 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 350 individuals are in hospital and 136 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.In the past 24 hours, nine new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,992.The new deaths include:Fraser Health: fiveVancouver Coastal Health: threeIsland Health: one There has been one new health-care facil

Vancouver Police are appealing for witnesses after a man was attacked by a stranger in Vancouver’s West End last month."This assault appears to have been completely random and has left the victim with serious injuries to his face," says Constable Tania Visintin, VPD. "We believe there were people in the area who may have witnessed this assault and are asking them to come forward and speak with investigators."The victim, a 52-year-old man, was walking to work near Davie and Howe streets just after 5 a.m. on September 18 when a man walking in the opposite direction randomly punched him in the

The British Columbia government says truck drivers will be safer and more skilled once they have completed the province's new mandatory entry-level training program. The Ministry of Transportation says in a written statement that beginning next Monday, anyone applying for a B.C. Class 1 driver's licence must successfully complete the training program before attempting a road test. A Class 1 licence is required by operators of truck and trailer rigs where the trailer is equipped with air brakes. The ministry statement says the program aligns with a new truck driver training framework introduce

A report from BC's seniors' advocate calls for mandatory vaccinations for all staff in assisted living and long-term care homes, along with booster shots for residents demands that the province had already started to act upon. The report from Isobel Mackenzie says seniors in all types and levels of care home are three-and-a-half times more likely to contract COVID-19 and 33 times more likely to die of it. Her review finds seniors especially those in care facilities have been the hardest hit by the pandemic because they are the most frequent victims of the virus. Provincial data shows just und

Vancouver police say three men have been stabbed in a series of attacks that began on the city's Downtown Eastside yesterday afternoon. A written statement from police says investigators are trying to determine if the stabbings are linked, but the public is not believed to be at risk. A 27 year old suspect was arrested after the first attack in a social housing complex at about 1 pm yesterday but Constable Tania Visintin says the other two victims were stabbed early this morning and no arrests have been made. She says the 27 year old suspect was tracked to an apartment building where he was f