Two more schools have declared functional closures in BC as illnesses and isolations due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 leave a handful of elementary and secondary schools without enough staff to operate safely. Heritage Park Middle School in Mission is closed from today until next Thursday while Armstrong Elementary in Armstrong expects to reopen on Tuesday, as those two schools join Hazelton Secondary in northwestern BC and an independent Christian school in Surrey that declared functional closures earlier this week. BC School Trustees Association president Stephanie Higginson says, all

A section of Highway 1 through the southern Interior has reopened nearly two months after it was torn apart by slides and washouts. The 80 kilometre section between Lytton and Spences Bridge reopened this morning to general travel and some commercial traffic after it was damaged by severe storms in November. Parts of the route are cut to single lane travel and the Transportation Ministry is warning motorists to watch for advisories and expect delays. The Thompson Nicola operations manager for the Highways Ministry says the upgrades are far from over and work will continue through the winter a

Charges have been approved following the arrest by Metro Vancouver Transit Police of a suspect in the stabbing of a 67-year-old man on board a SkyTrain.As was previously reported by Transit Police, on December 4, 2021, shortly after 1:00 p.m., a man boarded an eastbound SkyTrain at Scott Road Station. As he attempted to sit down, he accidentally bumped into another man who was about to sit in the same seat. The victim ignored the accidental bump and moved to a different part of the train. Moments later, the suspect allegedly approached the victim, got close to his face and demanded an apology.

COVID-19 modelling released by the British Columbia government shows the latest wave propelled by the Omicron variant may have already peaked in parts of the province. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the wave has spread faster than previous ones and health officials believe the top of the latest surge was likely reached this past weekend. The modelling figures show a decrease in infections in two health authorities, Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health, with a levelling off on Vancouver Island and a slight rise in the Interior. The data also show actual infections could be thre

Vancouver Coastal Health says it has prevented recent attempts to fraudulently obtain B-C vaccine cards. It says ``vulnerable people'' in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside have been approached and offered payment to get vaccinated while falsely using that person's name and information. The health authority says fraudulent vaccination records are being removed from the provincial immunization registry and the cards are being revoked. It says future instances of fraud will be brought to police.

B.C. is reporting 2,554 new cases of COVID-19, including six epi-linked cases, for a total of 291,246 cases in the province.There are 36,049 active cases of COVID-19 in the province and 249,458 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 534 individuals are in hospital and 102 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. The new/active cases include:885 new cases in Fraser HealthTotal active cases: 16,972485 new cases in Vancouver Coastal HealthTotal active cases: 9,762462 new cases in Interior HealthTotal active cases: 4,882304 new

Surrey RCMP is requesting the public’s assistance with locating an inmate who fled from the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre.On January 13, 2022, at 12:46 p.m., Surrey RCMP were notified that inmate Mustafa Sa’Ada had fled from the custody of correctional officers at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre at 14323 57th Avenue. Mustafa Sa’Ada left on foot and was last seen heading south towards Highway 10.Surrey RCMP along with Integrated Police Dog Services are actively searching for Mustafa Sa'Ada who is considered to be unlawfully at large.Mustafa Sa’Ada is described as a 32-year old, Mi

Effective today, women who are pregnant can book a COVID-19 booster vaccine if it has been at least eight weeks since they received their second vaccine dose.While it is recommended people get their booster six months after their second dose to ensure longer-lasting protection, it is important for pregnant people to receive their booster during pregnancy to ensure optimal protection for them and their baby.People who indicate they are pregnant when they call the Get Vaccinated system will receive an invitation for a booster shot if it has been eight weeks or more since their second dose. Appro

British Columbia is providing a one-million-dollar grant to expand access to resources aimed at preventing overdose deaths in the construction industry. The province says the program, dubbed the Tailgate Toolkit, was developed on Vancouver Island last year in partnership with people in the industry who have experience with illicit drug use. Sheila Malcolmson, the minister of mental health and addictions, says it's now set to be expanded across the province. She says it aims to reduce the stigma that can deter people from asking for help and that drives them to hide their substance use and con