Health officials in British Columbia say the number of new daily cases of COVID-19 is too high and they are repeating calls for everyone's help to bend the curve. The province recorded 407 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed active infections to 4,260. Among those, 313 people are hospitalized, including 71 in intensive care. An additional 14 people died in the past day and the death toll in B.C. from COVID-19 rose to 1,168. Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry say in a joint statement that now is the time for anyone who has p

Canada's anxiety-laden COVID-19 vaccine programs are facing further threats as Europe warns drug makers it might impose export controls on European-made vaccine doses. But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has received assurances that all vaccines Canada has contracted for, will be delivered on schedule. All of Canada's current vaccine doses from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are made in Europe. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says Europe will set up a "vaccine export transparency mechanism" so it knows exactly how many doses are being produced in the bloc and where they a

Canada's anxiety-laden COVID-19 vaccine programs are facing further threats as Europe warns drug makers it might impose export controls on European-made vaccine doses.All of Canada's current vaccine doses from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are made in Europe, potentially putting at risk the entirety of Canada's vaccine deliveries.Europe like Canada is being shorted on deliveries from Pfizer as the company slows production to expand its plant in Belgium.But AstraZeneca has also now informed Europe productions issues will reduce initial deliveries of its vaccine, which Europe is expected to appro

British Columbia's top doctor says the province is extending the interval between the two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Bonnie Henry says further delays in the production and delivery of the vaccine over the next two weeks prompted health officials to extend the time period between the shots from 35 to 42 days. She says about 60 per cent of the more than 119,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered in the province so far have been used to protect residents of long-term care homes. Dr. Henry provided an update on B.C.'s vaccine supply on Monday while reporting 26 more de

Brampton Centre MP Ramesh Sangha has been kicked out of the Liberal caucus. Government whip Mark Holland says in a statement that Sangha was removed from caucus after making what he calls "baseless and dangerous accusations" against a number of fellow Liberal MPs. He does not specify what accusations Sangha made. Holland says Liberals have been clear that they won't tolerate "conspiracy theories or dangerous and unfounded rhetoric about parliamentarians or other Canadians." Holland adds it's not unusual for many Canadians to "experience suspicions because of their background" and that the Lib

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is asking all Canadians to put in their two-cents' worth as she prepares what she calls one of the most important federal budgets in the country's history. Freeland is launching consultations designed to help Canada recover from the pandemic. She says she wants people to share their priorities when it comes to the government supporting families and businesses. The government has set up a website called letstalkbudget2021.ca, where Canadians can fill out a questionnaire and share their views. Freeland says the Trudeau government will emphasize the interconnect

It's been exactly one year since the first known case of COVID-19 was detected in Canada.The 56-year-old man had arrived at Sunnybrook hospital in Toronto with what seemed to be mild pneumonia. But because he had travelled from China and his X-rays were unusual, the decision was made to admit him.Samples were sent by taxi to Ontario's public health laboratory, which had been working to come up with a reliable test.The lab was soon able to confirm the man was infected with what was then being called the novel coronavirus. Although ``Patient Zero'' eventually recovered, more than 19,000 people

B.C. is reporting 508 new cases of COVID-19, pushing active infections to 4,479. Nine more people have died due to the illness, bringing the death toll in the province to 1,128. There have been 110,566 doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered in B.C., including 2,202 second doses. The province is reporting new outbreaks at two hospitals, one in Kamloops and the other in New Westminster, as well as at the North Fraser Pretrial Centre in Port Coquitlam. Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry say in a joint statement the risk from the virus in B.C. remains high a

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is warning that his government could impose stricter restrictions on travellers at any moment in response to new, likely more contagious variants of the coronavirus. That could include making it mandatory to quarantine in a hotel at their own expense when they arrive in Canada. Trudeau said Friday that such measures could be imposed suddenly and bluntly warned against nonessential trips abroad. Canada already requires those entering the country to self-isolate for 14 days and to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days before arrival. The suggeste