British Columbia's top doctor says COVID-19 cases in the province are levelling off after peaking in mid-November, though she warns now is not the time to relax public health rules. Dr. Bonnie Henry says the majority of cases are being traced to known infections and outbreaks, but keeping up with contact tracing is still a challenge, particularly in the hard-hit Fraser Health region. When presenting the latest modelling data, Henry showed the reproductive number for the illness has dipped slightly below one, meaning on average, someone who's infected may not transmit COVID-19 to anyone. She s

Two officers are nursing various injuries after the Vancouver Police Department says they were attacked while trying to help a father deal with his mentally ill son. A statement from Sgt. Steve Addison says the officers were patrolling in downtown Vancouver Tuesday night when they were called to help the father, who told them he had just been assaulted by his 31 year old son. The father said his son had stopped taking his medication and he led the constables to the man. Addison says shortly after the officers realized the younger man needed medical attention, he attacked, repeatedly kicking t

Eleven partying teenagers in Nanaimo are the latest to be fined 230 dollars each. Tickets were issued for ignoring public health rules aimed at fighting COVID-19. RCMP say officers saw a large group of youth late Saturday in the parking lot of the Dover Bay High School and asked them to break up the event. When police went back a while later, there were even more vehicles and people in the parking lot who weren't social distancing or wearing masks. Police say the youth were respectful, apologetic and understanding of why they were getting tickets.

COVID-19 vaccine clinics are now underway in every health region in BC and more than 4,100 people have received the shot so far. BC health officials say Pfizer has explained how to safely transport its vaccine, while Moderna has also done the same. Health officials say that means the vaccine will be available at more locations across the province in the coming weeks. They urged people to continue following public health rules while reporting 12 more deaths and 444 new cases of COVID-19. 777 lives have been lost related to COVID-19 in British Columbia since the beginning of the pandemic.

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.