BC's education minister says she understands that rising COVID-19 case numbers have parents anxious about potential spread to schools but she believes there's no need to close them because the province's comprehensive safety plans are working. Jennifer Whiteside says health authorities and school districts are working together to keep students in school because it's important for them to maintain connections there. But teachers in the Fraser Health region are calling for a hybrid in-class and online learning model as variants rise, and they want masks to be mandatory for all students, not jus

Buckingham Palace says Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has died at age 99.The Queen's husband was admitted to a London hospital on Feb. 17 after feeling unwell.He spent a month in hospital and was released on March 16, when he returned to Windsor Castle.His illness was said to not be related to COVID-19, the Queen and Philip were vaccinated against the coronavirus in early January.Philip retired from public duties in 2017 and had rarely appeared in public since.Philip married the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and was the longest-serving royal consort in British history.He and the Queen ha

New funding will be available to businesses in British Columbia affected by the latest measures to fight the spread of COVID-19, but the economic recovery minister says those who break the health orders need not apply. The B.C. government has established a $50-million fund for about 14,000 businesses, such as restaurants, bars and breweries, that have been affected by the provincial health officer's orders, which end April 19. Businesses are eligible for up to $10,000 in a one-time payment to cover expenses like perishables, rent or employee wages. Economic Recovery Minister Ravi Kahlon says t

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is putting a new expedited workplace order in place to help limit the spread of COVID-19. Dr. Henry says the order will allow WorkSafe B-C to issue temporary closure notices to workplaces where three or more workers are sick. The orders lasting at least 10 days will only be issued when transmission has been proven to have occurred in the workplace. Dr. Henry says the aim is to control and prevent outbreaks so she doesn't have to shut down all non-essential workplaces. British Columbia is reporting 1,293 new COVID-19 cases, smashing previous daily rec

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been successful in northern communities thanks to the collaboration between Ottawa and the country's Inuit leadership. Speaking at the fourth annual Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee, Trudeau says more work is needed to close gaps in food security, housing and health care. He says the pandemic has highlighted existing economic and social inequalities the Inuit have faced for a long time. But Trudeau also says the pandemic didn't hit northern populations as hard as the rest of the country, nor were its effects

RCMP in Nanaimo hope dash cam video can provide some clues about the death of a man found last Wednesday in bushes near a busy highway. The 58 year old victim was badly hurt when he was discovered just east of the Nanaimo Parkway on the city's northwest side and died later that night. Police say he had several injuries that haven't been explained and investigators hope anyone driving on the Nanaimo Parkway or nearby Tamara Drive, between 4 and 6:45 pm on March 31st may have dash cam video or details that could help solve the case. Officers are also conducting a ground search of the area today

Canada's deputy chief public health officer says there are still no reports of blood clots in Canada connected to the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. Dr. Howard Njoo told an Ottawa news conference today that health officials continue to monitor for any expected or unexpected adverse reactions to all vaccines. He says there have been about 400 other kinds of reactions, but no clots. More than seven-million vaccine doses have now been administered in Canada, and the amount arriving in the country is expected to significantly increase each month to more than 30 million by July. Dr. Howard

US President Joe Biden says the increasing gun violence in America is a an "epidemic and an international embarrassment." He announced a half-dozen executive actions today aimed at addressing the issue, including tightening regulations on "ghost guns."Biden emphasized the scope of the problem. But there are limitations to Biden's executive power, and he is calling on the Senate to take up House-passed measures closing background check loopholes. He said between the mass killings in Atlanta massage businesses and the Colorado grocery store shooting last month, there were more than 850 additiona

A medical expert says George Floyd died from a lack of oxygen, which damaged his brain and caused his heart to stop. Dr. Martin Tobin is a lung and critical care specialist from Chicago. He testified Thursday at former Officer Derek Chauvin's murder trial that Floyd's breathing was too shallow to take in enough oxygen while he was pinned the facedown with his hands cuffed behind his back for 9 1/2 minutes. Tobin says the pressure on Floyd's handcuffed hand, along with his neck and chest, made it difficult to expand his lungs. His testimony came a day after a use-of-force expert said Chauvin h