Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is banning indoor dining at bars and restaurants and indoor activity at fitness centres for three weeks starting at midnight. Dr. Henry describes the move as a "circuit breaker" amid concerns that more infectious variants are driving "exponential growth" of COVID-19 cases. She says the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort will also be closed until at least April 19th as cases spread in the community. Dr. Henry has also reintroduced restrictions on indoor religious services that she just announced would ease last week. Social activities need to be limited to

Federal immunization experts changed their recommendations for the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization says the vaccine should not be used on people under the age of 55. Health Canada is asking AstraZeneca to do a full analysis of the risks of its vaccine across all age groups and genders, following additional reports of patients in Europe developing blood clots. Dr. Supriya Sharma, the chief medical adviser at Health Canada, says there have been no blood clots reported in Canada to date and still believes the vaccine's benefits outweigh the r

Police are expected to release more details today in their investigation of a stabbing rampage that left a young woman dead and injured six others in and around a library on Saturday in North Vancouver, B.C.A 28-year-old man was charged Sunday with second-degree murder.The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said Yannick Bandaogo is in police custody after undergoing surgery for self-inflicted wounds.Police have not named the woman who died, but said she was in her 20s.Six others were injured in the attack at the Lynn Valley Public Library.Police said their injuries vary in severity and al

British Columbia reported 908 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the third-highest daily total in the province since the start of the pandemic. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say in a joint statement there are 6,245 active cases and 294 individuals in hospital, of whom 81 are in intensive care. The officials are also reporting three new deaths, for a total of 1,449 fatalities linked to the virus in B.C. Some 140 of the new cases are variants of concern, for a total of 1,912, which are primarily the more transmissible strain first identified in the United

New federal modelling data shows severity indicators and daily cases of COVID-19 are back on the rise, with incidents highest among young adults.Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says daily cases have increased more than 30 per cent over the past two weeks, with an average of 29 deaths reported daily.Tam says that indicates we're in a ``very tight race'' between vaccines and variants of concern, which make up an increasingly high proportion of new cases in several provinces.The data released today by the Public Health Agency of Canada shows that while the number of cases have declin

Elders in British Columbia care homes will soon be able to socialize and receive visits from loved ones after being locked down by COVID-19 for more than a year. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the benefits of lifting some of the restrictions outweigh the risks to the elderly, who have had little interaction with family or friends since the pandemic began. Starting April 1st, residents in long-term care and assisted-living facilities will be able to have frequent and routine visits. The rule changes include allowing two visitors, plus a child, at one time -- and they're allowe

Health Canada's chief medical adviser says the three cases of blood clotting reported out of 300,000 Canadians who have received a Oxford-AstraZeneca shot have no apparent link to the vaccine. Dr. Supriya Sharma says none of the cases resemble the very rare brain blood clot seen in a small number of patients in Europe. She notes that blood clotting rates are the same or even higher among people who have not received the AstraZeneca vaccine than for those who have been jabbed. Warning of blood clotting on product label for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine Health Canada has updated the product l

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says a woman whose burned body was found in a Burnaby park was a recent immigrant from the Philippines and mother with a loving family.Ma Cecilia Loreto was 49 years old and two people, aged 21 and 15, have been charged with first-degree murder and indignity to human remains after her death.Corporal Frank Jang says it is ``incredible'' that Carlo Tobias and the youth are facing the most serious murder charges in the book, but he cannot say much about the case as it's before the courts.He did say that the three knew each other, the alleged killing was

BC is reporting 716 more cases of COVID-19 just as the province sets out new plans to have laid-off tourism and hospitality workers help with the immunization rollout. Today's additions bring BC's case count to 93 thousand 969 since the pandemic began. The province also reported three new deaths, for a toll of one thousand 441. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix say in a joint statement that there has been "much progress" in BC's vaccine program. However, they urged residents to continue working together to help combat the pandemic. They say people who r