British Columbia recorded 515 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, continuing a downward trend of infections as the vaccination rate accelerates. Health officials say in a news release that 6,020 people have active infections, 426 of whom are hospitalized, including 141 in intensive care. Two more people have died, bringing the death toll to 1,624. More than 2.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, 110,516 of which are second doses. The government is also extending the provincial state of emergency through May 25, saying it would allow health and emergency management officials to

Workers will soon have access to a made-in-B.C. paid sick leave program that will support workers to stay home when they are sick during the pandemic and afterward, including permanent paid sick leave, as a result of legislation tabled Tuesday, May 11, 2021.To better support workers during the pandemic, amendments to the Employment Standards Act will bring in three days of paid sick leave related to COVID-19, such as having symptoms, self-isolating and waiting for a test result. Employers will be required to pay workers their full wages and the Province will reimburse employers without an exis

The Globe and Mail is reporting that Alberta has stopped administering first doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in favour of other types of immunization. The newspaper quotes Kristin Klein, the co-lead of the province’s vaccine task force, as saying the province has decided to shift to mRNA vaccines for first doses.The report says the move is partly due to the greater supply of mRNA shots, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna ones, and partly due to concerns over a rare blood clot condition linked to AstraZeneca.Klein says AstraZeneca shots will still be made available to t

BC is reporting 1,759 new cases of COVID-19 over the past three days. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has also announced 20 additional deaths, bringing the total in the province to 1,622. Dr. Henry says more than two-million residents have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and the immunization program is rapidly accelerating. She says that starting tonight, all those 40 and older will be able to book an appointment for a vaccination, as well as all those 18 and up in high risk areas. Dr. Henry says COVID-19 measures will eventually be loosened across the province

Surrey RCMP is reminding the public to be aware of investment scams after a persistent number of reports throughout 2021.Since January 2021, Surrey RCMP have received 59 reports of fraud involving crypto currency totaling approximately $612,748 lost by unsuspecting victims.The most commonly reported fraud still remains CRA / Police scams which accounted for 25 of the total reports. The scams usually involve fraudsters attempting to pass themselves off as someone in authority. They may impersonate a police officer or an employee of a business, financial institution or government agency such as

The death of a 28-year-old man outside the departure terminal at Vancouver International Airport is believed to be linked to the ongoing gang conflict that has gripped British Columbia's Lower Mainland, police say.Sgt. Frank Jang of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said the victim is known to police and the shooting needs to stop. ``I think we're all tired of seeing the violence that is taking place on our streets,'' Jang said during a late news conference Sunday. An SUV with at least two people inside was seen leaving the scene.A short time later, fire crews in Surrey were called to

British Columbia’s top two doctors are defending the province's approach to releasing data on COVID-19 but say they'll provide more information that may be helpful for the public. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and her deputy, Dr. Réka Gustafson, say they wouldn't characterize data first released to the Vancouver Sun by someone at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control as "leaked" because it would have been available in some form later anyway. Documents from the centre show higher rates of COVID-19 in some neighbourhoods of Surrey, for example, but Henry says the province has said

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, and Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, have issued a joint statement regarding updates on the COVID-19 response in British Columbia. "Today, we are reporting 722 new cases, for a total of 134,341 cases in British Columbia. "There are 6,757 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. A further 125,799 people who tested positive have recovered. "Of the active cases, 445 individuals are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, 157 of whom are in intensive care. The remaining people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self-isolation. "There have be

Katie Telford says she has asked herself in recent months whether she could have done more to fight sexual misconduct in Canada's armed forces. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's chief of staff testified at a parliamentary defence committee today. Telford says she didn't learn the content of a 2018 complaint against Canada's former top soldier until February when it was reported publicly. She has told MPs she was only told it was a ``personal misconduct'' complaint. Telford says since then, she has replayed past conversations in her head with female soldiers and asked herself what more she could