Experts say Germany's low death rate from the new coronavirus is partly due to early testing that gave more time to contain the outbreak. The country has confirmed more than 1,100 cases but, so far, just two deaths. Other countries with a similar number of confirmed infections have dozens of deaths. Christian Drosten, the director of the Institute for Virology at Berlin's Charite hospital, said Germany's dense network of independent labs received both the technical information needed to conduct tests and the approval to bill for them in January. Case numbers in Germany were still in the singl

British Columbia health officials say a man has died of the new coronavirus at a seniors care home in North Vancouver. The death at Lynn Valley Care Centre is believed to be the first COVID-19 death in Canada. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix announced on the weekend that two elderly residents of the facility had been diagnosed with the virus. Henry says the diagnoses followed an earlier diagnosis of a worker at the care home, making the cases especially concerning as examples of community transmission. The two health officials described the situa

Canada's top public health doctor now recommends Canadians avoid travelling on all cruise ships to protect against the spread of the novel coronavirus.Dr. Theresa Tam previously advised Canadians to think twice about cruises but toughened her warning in a Monday morning news conference.Tam says the ships may voyage to areas with confirmed or undiagnosed cases of the coronavirus and its associated respiratory disease, COVID-19.There are six cases of the virus in Canada linked to a previous voyage of the Grand Princess cruise ship out of San Francisco.Other Canadians, stuck on the ship's curren

Richmond RCMP are seeking witnesses to an alleged assault early Saturday morning. Police say they were called after a man was brought to a local area hospital with a serious head wound.They say the man was allegedly attacked by a group of individuals in front of a restaurant (located at 5300 No. 3 Road).Investigators say the attack appears to have been targeted and the suspects left in two vehicles.

British Columbia's police watchdog is investigating the death of a man who was pepper sprayed and shocked with a stun gun by Mounties on Sunday.RCMP say the incident happened in Whistler at about 11 a.m., after people called to report an intoxicated man causing a disturbance at a local business.They say that the officers used pepper spray on the man, stunned him with a conducted energy weapon and used their batons "in an effort to gain control of him."During the interaction, they say the man "suddenly became still" and officers began CPR as they called paramedics.He died after being taken to

Ottawa says it has chartered a plane to bring home Canadians stranded on the Grand Princess cruise ship off the coast of California. Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says Canada made the decision after the U.S. government asked for help. The ship is carrying 3,500 people, including 237 Canadians, and it's expected to dock in Oakland, Calif., tomorrow. U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence announced Friday that at least 21 people aboard the ship, including 19 crew members, have tested positive for the virus. The chartered plane will bring passengers from San Francisco to Canadian F

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix informed in a press conference that as of this morning there are 27 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the province. Of the six new patients, two had travelled to Iran, two are from the Grand Princess cruise ship which was quarantined off the coast of San Francisco, and the other two are from a long term care centre in a North Vancouver. Dr. Henry informed that Lynn Valley Care Centre is under outbreak protocol now.

In the wake of the outbreak of novel coronavirus in India, the public parade ceremony at the Attari-Wagah border has been discontinued from March 7. "Till further orders, public parade ceremony at Attari Wagah border has been discontinued from March 7 in view of the coronavirus outbreak. Around 20,000 to 25,000 people are there in that ceremony so to maintain precaution on the coronavirus outbreak, the ceremony has been discontinued," Amritsar Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shiv Dullar Singh Dhillon said. "The Health department's advisory has been issued to the hotel industry representatives. If pe

The Alberta government says the province has a second presumptive case of the novel coronavirus. Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health, says the second case is a man in his 40s in the Edmonton area who had travelled on business to Michigan, Illinois and Ohio. Hinshaw says the man returned to Alberta on Feb. 28 and is currently isolated at his home. Alberta's first case was announced Thursday, a woman in her 50s from Calgary who is expected to make a full recovery. Hinshaw says the woman works at ATB Financial, Alberta's Crown-owned bank. She says ATB has closed two Calgary branch