Health officials everywhere are welcoming Moderna's vaccine candidate as preliminary results show it to be highly effective. But federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says it's no time for Canadians to let their guard down. In the US, top disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says it's wonderful news, but people shouldn't relax. Moderna says its vaccine appears to be 94.5 per cent effective, according to preliminary data from a still ongoing study. A week ago, Pfizer announced its own COVID-19 vaccine appeared similarly effective.

BC is reporting 1,959 new cases of COVID-19 over the past three days, including a daily record of 659 cases on Saturday. Public health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says there have also been nine more deaths, bringing the total to 299. She says the province has 6,279 active cases with 181 people in hospital, including 57 in intensive care. Dr. Henry says she's been asked many times about why BC hasn't made the use of masks mandatory in public places. She says most people are doing that already and it would not cover private homes.

Canada has reached a grim milestone in the case count for COVID-19. The number of infections has surpassed 300,000, less than a month after Canada crossed the 200,000 threshold October 19th. Health experts are alarmed, but not surprised, by the rapid growth over the last few weeks. Canada's new daily case numbers are also rising, suggesting that even as some cases are being resolved, the spread is quickening. The province added 1,218 new cases of COVID-19 and 25 new deaths. Ontario reported 1,487 new COVID-19 cases, as well as 10 new deaths.

To continue to increase safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, ICBC customers will soon need to make an appointment before their visit to five ICBC driver licensing offices. This pilot project begins Nov. 23, 2020, at the Burnaby Metrotown, Richmond Lansdowne, Surrey Guildford, Kamloops and Victoria Wharf Street driver licensing offices. The pilot will help minimize the number of customers waiting for service in-person, ensuring that the appropriate number of customers are in an office at the same time, while maintaining physical distancing as required by the Provincial Health Officer and WorkSa

President-elect Joe Biden says that more coronavirus deaths will be the consequence of the Trump administration refusing to share its vaccine distribution plans with his incoming administration. Asked about the importance of obtaining such plans, Biden said Monday after a speech in Wilmington, Delaware, that "more people may die if you don't co-ordinate." Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris have spoken about the dangers of the Trump administration's refusal to provide them with information and resources needed to ensure a smooth transition. President Donald Trump has continued to fal

Former finance minister Bill Morneau is heading back to the classroom next year. He has been appointed a senior fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, where he will join other fellows such as former U.S. secretary of state John Kerry. The Ivy League university says Morneau will teach a graduate course on global economic policy-making in the spring semester. Morneau is also running to be secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. He became Canada's candidate for the OECD job after resigning suddenly as finance minister and as a Li

The City of Surrey’s proposed Budget 2021 has set a general property tax increase of 2.9%, which is consistent with the rate that was set by Council in the two previous budgets. Despite the challenges that have been brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Surrey’s Budget 2021 is balanced in accordance with the Local Government Act and the Community Charter. "It has been Council’s approach to manage our public dollars prudently and it is a testament to the economic strength of Surrey that we have been able to bring in a fully balanced budget that holds the line on property taxes. The rate se

A lawyer for a man who killed 10 people and injured 16 others in the Toronto van attack says his client has autism spectrum disorder and is not faking his symptoms. Alek Minassian has pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder. The 28 year old has asked court to find him not criminally responsible for his actions on April 23, 2018 due to a mental disorder. Defence lawyer Boris Bytensky says Minassian does not suffer from any psychopathy or anti-social disorder, and is not narcissistic. The case will turn solely on Minassian's state of mind at the

After hitting an all-time record high for monthly sales in September, the Canadian Real Estate Association says home sales dropped 0.7 per cent last month. But despite that, sales were still up 32.1 per cent compared with October last year, setting a new record for the month. The actual national average home price also set another record in October at 607,250 dollars, up 15.2 per cent from the same month last year. CREA says excluding sales in Greater Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area, two of the most active and expensive housing markets, lowers the national average price by more than $1