An outbreak of COVID-19 has closed another ward at Vancouver General Hospital, while the health authority says outbreak precautions have been lifted in a separate unit. A statement from Vancouver Coastal Health says two patients have tested positive for COVID-19 on an in-patient unit in the hospital's Jim Pattison Pavilion. The unit is now closed to all admissions, transfers and most visits, but other hospital facilities, including the emergency ward, remain open. Another unit, which is also in the Jim Pattison Pavilion, remains closed after an outbreak there last month. But the health author

The British Columbia government says age-based bookings for COVID-19 vaccinations are one week ahead of schedule and seniors aged 84 and older, plus Indigenous elders 65 and up, can make an appointment for a shot.The Health Ministry says those 83 and older can make an appointment Tuesday and the age eligibility drops daily until anyone 80 and older can make arrangements for a COVID-19 jab by the end of the week.Added staff at call centres across B.C. have helped speed up the process and the province says the centres are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.An estimated 100,000 people are included

Health officials are calling on British Columbians to balance the easing of some outdoor restrictions by keeping up safety measures when indoors. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say an amended order allowing 10 people who know each other to gather outside does not apply to indoor locations. They say in a release that all safety plans should continue being followed in workplaces, schools and grocery stores, for example. B.C. has recorded 648 new cases of COVID-19, including 79 that are variants of concern, the vast majority involving the one first iden

Mounties in British Columbia say the provincial prosecution service has approved charges of assault against two Metro Vancouver officers. The allegations stem from a stolen vehicle investigation in October 2019. Police say in a news release that officers from the Surrey RCMP Auto Crime Target Team located a man allegedly driving a stolen vehicle. The release says the vehicle was stopped and the driver arrested in Richmond with the help of another RCMP officer, but the man was allegedly assaulted during the arrest. Const. John Tsonos of the Surrey detachment and Const. Mathew McGuire of Richmo

Premier John Horgan says he will support requirements that ensure international travellers produce a type of COVID-19 vaccine passport, but he's not convinced people in British Columbia should provide the same evidence to attend local events. Horgan says there is an absolute need for international travellers to provide proof that they received a COVID-19 vaccine. However, he says he's unsure if the same policy should be implemented locally, for things like sports or entertainment events when they resume. The premier says the issue of vaccine certificates was a topic of discussion between Prim

BC Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon says the latest Statistics Canada employment data shows BC has one of the strongest economies in Canada and is rebuilding after the pandemic, but the Opposition Liberals say New Democrats are "bumbling" without a plan. A statement released by Kahlon's ministry says BC created nearly 27,000 jobs last month, unemployment fell to 6.9 per cent from eight per cent in January and is now at 99.4 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. But a statement from the Liberal caucus says the only way to build well-paying post-pandemic jobs is with a sector-by-sector recovery plan that b

Abbotsford police are investigating a serious crash that involved one vehicle leaving the roadway and entering a deep ditch. Police say emergency services responded around 2:45 pm yesterday to the collision between an SUV and a sedan-type vehicle. The passenger of the jeep was taken to hospital via air ambulance for treatment of serious injuries, while the driver of the sedan was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Abbotsford police are continuing to investigate and ask anyone who was in the area and witnessed the crash or has dash cam footage to get in touch. Abbotsford Pol

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is easing restrictions on outdoor gatherings but keeping them in place for those indoors. Dr. Henry says up to 10 people will now be allowed to gather outdoors but people should stick to the same group and continue to follow public safety measures such as social distancing. She says other restrictions need to remain in place because COVID-19 is still circulating in communities, particularly in the Lower Mainland. Dr. Henry also announced bars and restaurants must stop selling liquor at 8 pm on St. Patrick's Day. B.C. reports 569 new cases of COVID-19

The British Columbia Real Estate Association says the term "blistering" describes the unprecedented number of home sales completed across the province last month. The Association says nearly 11-thousand homes changed hands in February, an 89 per cent leap over February 2020 and more than one-thousand sales higher than the previous February record, set in 2016. Prices also jumped by more than 17 per cent, making the average home in B.C. worth close to $890,000. Association chief economist Brendon Ogmundson says markets were sizzling in all areas of B-C, driven by near record sales in Metro Van