BCOct 29, 2020
B.C. reports another outbreak at seniors facility and two more deaths, 287 new COVID-19 cases reported
Public health officials have declared another outbreak of COVID-19 at a seniors assisted-living facility in B.C., while case counts keep climbing. A news release Wednesday says the latest outbreak in the facility in Surrey brings the total number of long-term care or assisted-living sites in the province with active COVID-19 outbreaks to 21. B.C. health officials also say there has been a new community outbreak at the Okanagan Men's Centre, a counselling and addiction treatment centre. B.C. health officials are asking people to refrain from holding private parties and gatherings this Hallowee
CanadaOct 28, 2020
Near-zero interest rates likely until 2023: Bank of Canada
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says it will take quite some time for the economy to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.In its latest economic outlook, the bank says a rapid expansion as the Canadian and global economies re-opened has given way to slower growth.It says Canada's economy won't fully recover what was lost to COVID-19 until 2022 and Macklem says the the path will be uneven over time and across sectors.The economy is forecast to contract by 5.7 per cent this year but grow by 4.2 per cent next year and 3.7 per cent in 2022.The outlook was issued as the bank kept its over
CanadaOct 28, 2020
Blanchet demands apology from Trudeau for War Measures Act, passed 50 years ago
Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet is calling on the government to apologize for legislation that remains controversial 50 years after its passage during the October Crisis in Quebec. In October 1970, the Liberal government under then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau decided to suspend civil liberties by invoking the War Measures Act in response to the kidnapping of a Quebec cabinet minister and a British diplomat by members of the militant FLQ separatist group.The legislation, passed at the request of the Quebec premier and Montreal's mayor, saw soldiers patrolling the streets as auth
BCOct 28, 2020
B.C. reports more than 200 COVID-19 cases for seventh day in a row
The province reported 217 new COVID-19 cases today for a total of 13,588, but no new deaths. With Halloween around the corner, officials in the Fraser Health region are urging people not to hold private parties this weekend to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Doctor Elizabeth Brodkin, chief medical health officer for the region, says it's fine to take children trick-or-treating in a safe way but people shouldn't be gathering in homes. Fraser Health has reported 7,674 cases since the start of the pandemic with most of the infections in people aged 20 to 29.
CanadaOct 27, 2020
New Rapid Housing Initiative to create up to 3,000 new homes for Canadians
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says far too many Canadians are living without a roof over their head, and his government is taking action to reduce that number. Trudeau revealed details this morning on Ottawa's one-billion-dollar investment into a federal rapid housing initiative. Fifteen cities will share a 500-million-dollar fund to allow them to buy properties being sold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The other 500 million dollars will be used for building housing projects that will have to be completed within 12 months of receiving the funds. The federal government's money would be used
BCOct 27, 2020
B.C. brings in new restrictions as COVID-19 cases rise
Provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry has announced a new limit on gatherings in private homes to immediate family members and no more than an additional safe six guests. Dr. Henry made the announcement as she reported 817 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday. This is the highest number recorded over a three-day period in B.C. She also reported three more deaths, all residents of long-term care facilities in Vancouver Coastal health. Dr. Henry says two schools have also closed due to COVID outbreaks, one in Fraser Health and one in Kelowna in a previously announced outbreak.
CanadaOct 26, 2020
Proposed parliamentary investigation of handling of the COVID-19 can put federal contracts for PPE, vaccines and rapid test kits in jeopardy: Anita Anand
Federal Procurement Minister Anita Anand says a proposed parliamentary investigation of the Trudeau government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic could trigger the release of commercially sensitive information. She says that could risk the health of Canadians by scaring off manufacturers and drug companies that would otherwise do business with Ottawa. Opposition parties are poised to approve the probe this afternoon despite growing objections from industry and experts. Canada's procurement minister says a Conservative motion to probe the government's pandemic spending will put federal contra
BCOct 25, 2020
B.C. NDP Leader John Horgan celebrates victory, thanks rivals for 'spirited' campaign
John Horgan says there are still hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots yet to be counted following Saturday's election, but one thing is certain: he's headed back to the premier's office on Monday.
The NDP leader took the risk of calling the snap election in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to gain a majority government after working with the Greens in a minority for the last 3 1/2 years. The final results of the election won't be known until at least Nov. 16, after Elections BC staff have screened and counted an unprecedented number of mail-in ballots.
But Saturday's ballots were enough
BCOct 24, 2020
B.C. reports over 200 COVID-19 cases for third straight day; Take a step back from social interactions, says B.C.'s top doctor
British Columbia reported 223 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, tipping the number of active infections over 2,000. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says in a statement infections have been detected at two more assisted-living or long-term care homes and there are two new community outbreaks. The latest health-care outbreaks are at Laurel Place in Surrey and Fair Haven Homes at Burnaby Lodge, while the community outbreaks involve Coast Spas Manufacturing and Pace Processing in Langley. Outbreaks at a number of other care homes have been declared over, leaving 16 homes and two acute-c
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