Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, have issued a joint statement regarding updates on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) response in British Columbia. "Today, we are reporting 444 new cases of COVID-19, including five epi-linked cases, for a total of 47,510 cases in British Columbia. "There are 9,481 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. There are 357 individuals currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 84 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. "A total of 36,094 people who tested posit

Police say they are investigating the sudden death of a child. Incident took place in Tofino, B.C. The Integrated Major Crime Unit says the Mounties were called to help BC Ambulance workers on Dec. 13 after it was reported a child had suffered injuries on the Ty-Histanis Reserve. Police say the child died on Dec. 16. A news release from the RCMP says the BC Coroners Service is also conducting a fact-finding investigation into the unexpected death.

BC Federation of Labour is attending a rally to show support for Indian farmers. The rally is being organized in Surrey. The BC Federation of Labour, alongside several unions, has declared full support for the farmers in India who are currently protesting against legislation that will deregulate agricultural markets and favour corporate interests over those of small food producers. Among other demands, farmers in India are also demanding the minimum support pricing for various crops to be made a law. The protest will begin at 6.30pm. To support social distancing protocols, the intersection of

Police are looking for a teenager who they say may be linked to an alleged sexual assault involving two children in Delta, BC. A statement from police says two boys were playing on the grounds of South Delta Secondary School in Tsawwassen on Sunday when they were approached by the teen. Police say he allegedly tried to grab the children by their arms, then touched them in a sexual manner. Police describe the suspect as an Asian male between the ages of 15 and 18, of average height, wearing a red jacket. Police say they want to speak to several basketball players who were playing nearby and ma

BC's Health Minister says provincial health officials are reviewing a proposal by the National Hockey League that could restart play next month. Adrian Dix says the NHL's so-called bubble earlier this year was quite successful. COVID-19 case counts were lower across Canada during that period. Dix says the illness is more prevalent now and health officials in BC and across Canada will respond to the league's proposal in the coming days. He adds there are many other hockey leagues across BC and it's important that everyone is treated fairly.

BC Hydro crews worked through the night to restore power to thousands of customers in southern British Columbia following a wicked snow and wind storm that arrived on the first day of winter.Hydro was reporting as many as 90,000 customers were in the dark at the peak of the storm but crews had whittled that back to about 38,000 across Vancouver Island and the inner south coast by early Tuesday.Highway crews cleared most major routes into the Interior that were closed Monday as at least half a metre of snow blanketed the Coquihalla causing dozens of spinouts and accidents.The B.C. government's

British Columbia's top doctor says every regional health authority has received doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Bonnie Henry says vaccine deliveries last week were concentrated in the Lower Mainland, where case counts and transmission rates are highest. But she says B.C.'s immunization campaign is set to roll out on Vancouver Island, and in the Northern and Interior health regions, which have also seen rising cases. The vaccine must be stored at ultra-low temperatures and Henry says so far, Pfizer requires doses to be administered at points of arrival, so people receiving i

The police watchdog in British Columbia has been notified that a person accused of shoplifting was injured during an arrest by RCMP officers in Kamloops. RCMP say in a statement they were called Saturday evening to a business where a store employee had locked the door to prevent the suspect from leaving. When officers arrived, police say they found the man in possession of a weapon, but before they could take him into custody, he was injured with the weapon. Neither RCMP nor the Independent Investigations Office looking into the police actions will say what kind of weapon it was. Police say t

Worshippers were back at churches in Chilliwack and Langley yesterday. This happened just days after police announced more than 18,000 dollars in fines to churches for breaking COVID-19 restrictions that ban in-person worship services. Over the month since the ban was implemented, the faithful have gathered on Sundays at the Free Grace Baptist Church and Free Reformed Church in Chilliwack, as well as Riverside Calvary Chapel in Langley. Mac Cross travelled to Chilliwack from Abbotsford to attend church, where he says worshippers were wearing masks and staying apart. The BC Civil Liberties Ass