Police suspect a deadly batch of drugs may be circulating in Surrey, B.C. A statement from Surrey RCMP says three people have died within 12 hours in the city and fatal overdoses are suspected in each case. Investigators say there do not appear to be any other connections between the victims. The statement says it is dangerous to use non-prescription drugs purchased from unregulated sources but anyone who makes that choice should follow several safety measures. Those measures include not using them alone and being careful about dosage size. Police say users should also have a naloxone kit cap

BC has recorded 762 new cases of COVID-19, another record as the province battles a second wave of infections. Health officials are also reporting 10 new COVID-19 related deaths, for a total of 320. The province currently has 6,861 active cases of COVID-19, including 209 individuals who are hospitalized. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says BC needs to put the brakes on COVID-19 because the second surge is putting a strain on the health-care system, workplaces and everyone. The health authorities in a joint statement said, "This second surge is putting a strain on our health-care s

Premier John Horgan wants Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to tell people to stay in their own provinces until a COVID-19 vaccine is available. Horgan says he's not asking for federal travel restrictions but says the connection between travel and the spread of COVID-19 needs to be addressed nationally. He says he plans to bring up his proposal at the first ministers' meetings this week. The premier says he's confident Trudeau will agree to tell Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel between provinces.

British Columbia Premier John Horgan says a proposed two-week quarantine for anyone travelling to Vancouver Island may not be the best way to proceed. Horgan was commenting on a proposal from Dr. Richard Stanwick, the chief medical officer for Vancouver Island, on limiting the potential spread of COVID-19 through mandatory quarantines. The premier says he will let provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry determine whether the plan should be implemented, but he says a quarantine plan may not be the right approach. Dr. Stanwick says in an interview that roughly half of the COVID-19 cases on V

Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart says he's preparing to table a motion that would see city council vote on decriminalization of possession of illicit drugs for personal use. He says the city has been at the forefront of drug policy change and it could become the first jurisdiction in Canada to make such a move. After tabling the motion next week, Stewart says he'll write to federal officials requesting an exemption under the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act that would end at the city's boundaries. The mayor says there have been more than 1,500 overdose deaths in Vancouver since the

Vancouver council approves plan that could set fees to drive into the downtown core. Vancouver city council has approved a Climate Emergency Action Plan that could see a levy placed on all vehicles entering the downtown core. Green Coun. Pete Fry says in a social media post that council voted in favour of the plan Tuesday night. It's said to be part of a drive to make Vancouver one of the greenest cities in the world. Another section of the plan proposes a carbon pollution surcharge on gas or diesel vehicles. The entire strategy is not slated to take effect until at least 2025 and meetings wi

The head of the BC Trucking Association says COVID-19 transmission rates for essential service drivers who have to cross the US border are low. Dave Earle says workers and their employers are doing everything they can reduce the risk of exposing their families when they come home. He says they've had to adapt by doing things like packing their own food to minimize interactions south of the border. Earle adds everyone understands the importance of keeping the supply chain going, so enhanced screening protocols are also in place.

British Columbia has reached new COVID-19 highs with 11 more deaths and 717 new cases. It's the first time new cases have surged over 700 and it has pushed the total case count to 23,661. The 11 deaths is also the largest daily toll and brings the total number of deaths in the province to 310. Almost 11,000 people are under active public health monitoring because they've had contact with someone who tested positive, while 16,469 people are considered recovered.

Walk-in patients are welcome again in Burnaby Hospital's emergency room after fire forced a temporary closure. However, a statement from Fraser Health says patients who must be admitted to the hospital will still be transported to neighbouring health facilities. The fire in the hospital's Cascade building affected several areas of the hospital and while the ER wasn't damaged, it was closed to allow a focus on current patients and staff. The authority had said the fire was believed to be electrical, but now says it's learning more and the source is considered inconclusive.