The government now advises against all non-essential international travel in the face of the rapidly spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos made the announcement Wednesday, following a Tuesday evening meeting between premiers and the prime minister. The health minister says the highly transmissible variant is now spreading in Canadian communities, and just about anywhere else in the world. Ottawa agreed to send shipments of booster doses and rapid tests to provinces and territories to quickly ramp up vaccination campaigns to combat the virus at home. Minister

Ontario and Quebec are reporting a jump in COVID-19 infections as the rapidly spreading Omicron variant of concern prompts varied public health responses across Canada. There are 1,808 new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario and 2,386 in Quebec. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced an expansion to COVID-19 booster shot coverage and rapid testing, while also loosening gathering restrictions. Private indoor gatherings are still limited to 10 people but can now include more than two different households regardless of whether people are vaccinated or not. Rapid test kits are to be made available to al

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says people will have to be careful as they finalize their Christmas plans this year, now that the highly transmissible Omicron variant is spreading through Canada.The warning comes the morning after Trudeau met with his provincial and territorial counterparts to discuss potential measures to dampen the impact of the new variant. On the table were several options to limit international travel.When the threat of Omicron emerged late last month the government issued a travel advisory, urging Canadians to be aware that travel to an area with Omicron could hamper thei

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland released a fall economic statement today that outlined a better-than-expected economic rebound, but also billions more in spending, including on the response to the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Here are some other measures outlined in the fiscal update: Immigration backlogs - The federal government plans to put $85 million into plowing through massive backlogs in processing immigration applications starting in fiscal 2022-23. The government acknowledged the pandemic dramatically slowed down the pace of processing immigration applications, and many resources

The Canadian Press News Story of the Year is the discovery of unmarked graves at a former residential school in British Columbia's Interior.It came ahead of Canada's COVID-19 vaccine rollout and stories about climate change and severe weather in B-C in the annual survey of editors at media outlets across the country.The story broke in May when the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc Nation in Kamloops announced ground-penetrating radar found what were believed to be the remains of up to 215 children.

Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam's annual report says the pandemic has been a wake-up call about the need for public health renewal. She's urging the federal government to transform the public health system so it is better equipped to handle both present and future health threats. Dr. Tam is warning the government it should not scale back public health funding once the emergency has passed, leaving it vulnerable at the start of the next crisis. Canada's top doctor says community transmission of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is already happening. Dr. Theresa Tam says the highly co

Defence Minister Anita Anand says Ottawa has long failed to protect those who signed up to protect the country. She made a formal apology today to victims of military sexual misconduct on behalf of the federal government, and also apologized the government didn't put the right systems in place to ensure justice and accountability for victims. Her apology, and those made by chief of the defence staff General Wayne Eyre and Defence Department deputy minister Jody Thomas form a key part of the federal government's 600 million dollar settlement in several overlapping class-action lawsuits. Defence

Nearly 80,000 Ontarians remain without power on Sunday evening after high winds brought down trees and power lines across the southern part of the province on Saturday night. Ontario utility Hydro One said crews are still working to restore power after Saturday's wind storm left about 490,000 customers in the dark. "Our crews are in position and responding to significant power outages caused by Ontario's worst storm in recent years," said David Lebeter, Hydro One's chief operating officer.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 should be a big, red, flashing part of the radar screen for anyone planning a trip outside Canada. Duclos says while Omicron is still relatively rare here, it is a different story in other countries, where governments are re-imposing lockdowns and tightening public health restrictions. And he's warning anyone thinking of leaving Canada for a winter vacation that they will face delays and hassles on their return. Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says there have been 87 confirmed cases of Omicro