22.78°C Vancouver

Jul 1, 2021 1:21 AM -

B.C. residents should still wear masks in indoor public places: Dr. Bonnie Henry

Share On
b-c-residents-should-still-wear-masks-in-indoor-public-places-dr-bonnie-henry
Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry during a news conference in Victoria. (Photo - B.C. Govt.)

British Columbia's top doctor is encouraging people to continue wearing masks in all indoor places, even as they're no longer mandatory starting Canada Day.

Dr. Bonnie Henry says masks remain an important layer of protection until more people have immunity from two doses of vaccine, which nearly 31 per cent of residents aged 12 and over have received.

Dr. Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say in a joint statement that 44 new cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed, for a total of nearly 148,000 cases.

Of the 816 active cases, 108 people are hospitalized, and 34 of them are in intensive care.

Dr. Henry and Dix say the next phase of B.C.'s restart plan is a chance to look ahead and reconnect but also to recognize the challenges various communities have faced over the last year and a half.

Police and ICBC will be launching a summer CounterAttack campaign as public health orders are eased and nightclubs and casinos are open for the first time since last year.

Latest news

AlbertaAug 18, 2026

Sentencing Arguments Begin for Man Convicted of Sexually Assaulting Three Women

Sentencing arguments begin today for 62-year-old Richard Mantha, who was convicted of sexually assaulting three vulnerable women and drugging one of them. Mantha was found guilty of six offences following a trial that lasted more than two years. The full day has been set aside for the Crown and defence to present their arguments on what sentence he should receive. He was convicted of two counts of sexual assault, as well as choking while committing a sexual assault and administering a noxious substance. Mantha was also found guilty of assault with a weapon and uttering threats against a fourth
BCAug 18, 2026

Goldstream Falls swimming incident: 27-year-old man dies

A 27-year-old man has died after getting into distress while swimming near Goldstream Falls in Goldstream Provincial Park on Monday evening. West Shore RCMP said officers responded to the incident at around 7:35 p.m. on August 17. The man reportedly went underwater while swimming near the waterfall and did not resurface. Bystanders pulled him from the water and immediately began life-saving measures. Police, BC Emergency Health Services and Langford Fire Department later arrived and continued the emergency response. The man was taken to hospital for further treatment but later succumbed to his
poilievre-attacks-carney-government-over-ev-mandate
BCAug 18, 2026

Poilievre Attacks Carney Government Over EV Mandate

Canada’s main opposition leader, Pierre Poilievre, has launched a strong attack on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government over its electric vehicle policy. Poilievre alleges that while the government is moving to scrap the existing EV sales mandate, it is planning to bring back a similar requirement through the “back door” using tougher emissions standards. According to a notice published in the Canada Gazette, the government has recently started the process of repealing the previous EV Sales Mandate, which required 20 per cent of new vehicles sold in 2026 to be electric. Reacting to
metro-vancouver-workers-escalate-job-action-over-burrard-inlet-dredging
BCAug 18, 2026

Metro Vancouver Workers Escalate Job Action Over Burrard Inlet Dredging

Unionized Metro Vancouver outside workers have stepped up job action, with picket lines established at two water main projects in Vancouver and North Vancouver. The Greater Vancouver Regional District Employees’ Union says the projects must be completed before planned dredging beneath the Second Narrows Ironworkers Memorial Bridge can begin in September. The dredging is intended to allow larger oil tankers carrying greater loads to navigate Burrard Inlet. The plan has received support from the federal government. The outside workers and Metro Vancouver have been without a new collective agre
hit-and-run-in-nanaimo-leaves-one-person-dead
BCAug 18, 2026

Hit-and-Run in Nanaimo Leaves One Person Dead

Nanaimo RCMP are investigating a hit-and-run collision that occurred on August 16 and resulted in the death of a pedestrian. According to police, the incident happened at around 1:48 a.m. at the intersection of Albert Street and Dunsmuir Street, where a vehicle struck a pedestrian. The driver fled the scene in the vehicle immediately after the collision. A frontline officer arrived at the scene and transported the seriously injured man to hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Police initially took one driver into custody, but the individual was released after investigators determ

Related News