B.C. reported 640 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, for a total of 44,103 since the pandemic began. Another 24 people have died, bringing the death toll to 692. The number of people who have died in B.C. because of COVID-19 has more than doubled in less than a month. The province says 362 people are hospitalized, while 91 of those are in intensive care. One new health-care facility outbreak has been declared at Sunrise of Vancouver. Among new cases 98 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, 399 new cases in the Fraser Health region.

New enforcement measures are coming into effect as part of British Columbia's crackdown on those who refuse to follow COVID-19 restrictions. Mike Farnworth, minister of public safety and solicitor general, says in a statement that he has asked gaming investigators, conservation officers, community safety unit inspectors, as well as liquor and cannabis inspectors to support police and increase COVID-19 enforcement. Farnworth says he has also directed the Insurance Corp. of B.C. to send unpaid fines to collections after the initial 30 day payment or dispute period ends. According to provided in

Interior Health says an investigation has found 60 cases of COVID-19 linked to the Big White Ski Resort in Kelowna. It says large groups and social gatherings appear to be responsible for much of the transmission related to shared housing at the resort. The health authority says it's safe to visit Big White as long as people stick to their immediate household bubbles and avoid gathering with others. The resort's senior vice-president on Tuesday said, the company knows there are people residing on the mountain who have probably been gathering when they should not be. But Interior Health is agai

Officials at the University of British Columbia's Okanagan campus say they're aware of allegations of cheating in a first-year chemistry class, which recently had its final exam online. In a screenshot posted online, an instructor at UBC Okanagan says she's investigating how her final exam appeared on an academic website. UBC said last month it was investigating allegations of widespread cheating on a first-year math exam. Director of university affairs Matthew Ramsey couldn't say whether there was more cheating happening with many courses operating online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The search has been called off for a master sailor from Winnipeg who was lost at sea off the coast of California this week. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement of condolences Wednesday to the family and shipmates of Duane Earle. Earle is believed to have accidentally fallen overboard the HMCS Winnipeg on Monday, as the ship was returning to B.C. from a deployment in the Asia-Pacific region. Commodore Angus Topshee said Earle was last seen aboard early Monday morning and the crew noticed he was missing several hours later. Trudeau expressed gratitude Wednesday for Earle's 30 years

Police are confirming Vancouver's 19th homicide of the year. The victim was stabbed near East 12th Avenue and Kingsway Tuesday, where investigators kept a smaller intersection closed for hours. The victim was taken to hospital, but died from the stabbing. According to reports 72 year old East Vancouver man, Alex Gortmaker, was stabbed to death. Investigators appeared focused on evidence markers placed around the Biltmore hotel.

Canada's Deputy Chief Public Health Officer says he's never seen the global health community come together as it has in the fight against COVID-19. Dr. Njoo says we aren't at the end of living with COVID-19 but we are at the beginning of the end. He's urging Canadians to keep up with public health practices. "Pace of advancement and innovation has been truly remarkable" Dr. Njoo says the pace of advancement and innovation in the fight against COVID-19 has been truly remarkable. Dr. Njoo says as the Pfizer vaccine rolls out this week, they're preparing to receive and distribute the Moderna vacc

Experts say a massive landslide in a remote inlet on BC's central coast caused a shock that was equivalent to a 4.9 magnitude earthquake. The slide happened on November 28. It happened near Elliot Creek, just east of the head of Bute Inlet north of Powell River. Brent Ward, a geology professor and co-director of the Centre for National Hazards Research at Simon Fraser University, says the landslide created its own seismic event. Local Indigenous groups say the landslide impacted salmon spawning habitat.

Parliament's spending watchdog estimates the Liberals will spend more this year on a wage-subsidy program than expected, but less in 2021. The Liberals estimated last month that the program would cost $83.5 billion this fiscal year when taking into account take-up through the summer and its extension since the fall.Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland's fall economic statement also estimated the program would cost almost $16.2 billion in the coming fiscal year that starts in April 2021.Parliamentary budget officer Yves Giroux's office says in a report today that the figure for this year could be