The COVID-19 infection rate in British Columbia has leaped to 536, a figure not seen since mid-May. A Health Ministry statement says there are more than 3,500 active cases in the province and more than half of those are in the Interior Health region. New restrictions were introduced last week by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry in the central Okanagan region as case counts multiplied, spurred by the more contagious Delta variant. There has been one more death and outbreaks are increasing in B.C.'s long-term care sector, with the discovery of COVID-19 in eight care homes around the p

Admiral Art McDonald says he has decided to return to his position as commander of the Canadian Armed Forces after military investigators opted not to charge him following an investigation into his conduct. McDonald stepped down in February as chief of the defence staff as a result of a Canadian Forces National Investigation Service investigation into an allegation of misconduct. But in a statement released by his legal team this afternoon, McDonald says he is returning to the position after the six-month investigation completely exonerated him and that he is returning to his post. It was not

B.C. is reporting 395 new cases of COVID-19, including two epi-linked cases, for a total of 153,313 cases in the province.There are 3,284 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 148,215 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 71 individuals are in hospital and 23 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. In the past 24 hours, no new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,777.There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks. There are seven active outbreaks in:long-term care: Holyrood Manor, Kin Village

The wildfire situation is continually evolving, and the information below is current as of 7 p.m. (Pacific time) on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021.Fires:Wildfires burning in B.C.: 260Since April 1, 2021:1,451 wildfires650,582 hectares burnedActive fires by fire centre:Cariboo: 32Coastal: 22Kamloops: 80Northwest: 6Prince George: 58Southeast: 62Crews and equipment:Firefighters and other personnel fighting the fires: 3,549Out-of-province firefighters: 364Helicopters and planes supporting ground crews: 209Evacuations:Evacuation orders: 63 (-3)Evacuation alerts: 108 (+2)Properties:Number of properties on ord

Over a three-day period, B.C. is reporting 1,079 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 152,918 cases in the province:Aug. 6-7: 422 new casesAug. 7-8: 364 new casesAug. 8-9: 293 new casesThere are currently 3,036 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 148,066 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 68 individuals are in hospital and 20 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.The new/active cases include:258 new cases in Fraser HealthTotal active cases: 586142 new cases in Vancouver Coastal HealthTotal active cases: 3875

Police have arrested a 28-year-old man following a string of late-night shootings in Surrey and Delta that left several vehicles and a residence damaged. No injuries were reported. Surrey RCMP say shots were fired at three locations Saturday night – the 6900-block of 127A Street, the 12900-block of 73A Avenue, and the 6600-block of 132 Street. Less than an hour later, Delta Police responded to a similar report near the 7900-block of 114A Street, which investigators believe is connected. Corporal Vanessa Munn, Surrey RCMP spokesperson, said the incidents appear linked. “All four incidents a

British Columbia's COVID-19 infection rate keeps climbing, fuelled by the Delta variant and unvaccinated people in the Okanagan. About 80 per cent of the new infections in the central Okanagan are of the Delta variant, prompting provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry to announce new restrictions on gatherings and bar and nightclub closures in that area. BC reported 464 new cases today, more than half of which are in the Interior. Dr. Henry says many of the cases are in those between the ages of 20 and 40 who haven't been vaccinated or who have had just one shot. Almost 82 per cent of thos

B.C. is reporting 402 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 151,375 cases in the province.There are currently 2,066 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 147,510 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 58 individuals are currently in hospital and 21 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. In the past 24 hours, no new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,772. Since December 2020, the Province has administered 6,965,062 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. As of Thursday,

British Columbians are invited to provide input into the development of made-in-B.C. permanent paid sick leave to support workers and protect workplaces."One of the most critical lessons from the pandemic was the importance of people staying home when they are sick, to contain the spread of an illness and keep workplaces productive," said Harry Bains, Minister of Labour. "But many workers, especially those in lower-paying jobs without benefits, simply can't afford to lose wages by missing work due to illness or personal injury. That's why we are creating a permanent paid sick leave entitlement