Canadians can now begin downloading a voluntary smartphone app meant to warn users they've been near someone who tests positive for COVID-19. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he downloaded the "COVID Alert" app this morning and says the more people who sign up to use it, the better it will be able to trace — and help to slow — the spread of the novel coronavirus. The app is designed to track the location of phones relative to each other, without collecting personal data anywhere centrally, using digital identifications unique to each device. Then users can be notified if their phones hav

There are currently five people in hospital, sickened with COVID-19, the lowest number since March. Health Minister Adrian Dix says he's pleased to see the lower figure from the peak of 144 people in hospital. There are no deaths to report, but another 29 positive cases have been added to list. While there are no new outbreaks, there are now 59 cases linked to Fraser Valley Packers, the Abbotsford berry packing plant. Total number of COVID-19 cases in British Columbia is now 3,591.

The question of how the Liberals will use the 912-million-dollars budgeted for a COVID-19 student-volunteer program remains unanswered, as Justin Trudeau wrapped up a 90-minute appearance before the House of Commons finance committee.Prime Minister Trudeau says the Canada Student Service Grant was another way to promote youth service and the Liberals will continue to look for opportunities to do that.During his testimony, Trudeau told the committee the country won't know whether going with WE Charity to run the program was the right decision, because the organization backed out. Trudeau's chi

There are more COVID-19 infections from outbreaks at a British Columbia berry packing plant and on Haida Gwaii, contributing to the provincial total of 41 new cases announced Wednesday. A statement from provincial health officials says there are now 31 cases connected to Fraser Valley Packers Inc. in Abbotsford and there have been 20 positive tests on Haida Gwaii. It also says an alert has been issued about community exposure for anyone who was at the Liquid Zoo night club in Kelowna from July 15 to 18. A COVID-19 outbreak at the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouve

MPs on the House of Commons ethics committee will meet this afternoon to push forward their own parliamentary probe of the federal government's aborted deal with WE Charity to run a student-volunteer program.The committee is seeking documents on the speaking fees the charity paid to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's immediate family, which amount to some $300,000 plus expenses.Opposition MPs, who outnumber Liberals, have also used their numbers to ask Trudeau to testify before the ethics committee as part of its work.Trudeau is set to testify tomorrow at the House of Commons finance committee a

The co-founders of WE Charity testified before a House of Commons committee today as part of a parliamentary probe into a $912-million student-volunteer program. WE Charity co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger say their organization was not tapped to run Ottawa's student-volunteer program because of any close ties to Liberal cabinet ministers. The brothers told a Parliamentary committee they regret not realizing how the deal would be perceived and that they would never have gotten involved if they had known it could jeopardize the work WE has done over 25 years. WE Charity backed out of ad

A berry packing plant in British Columbia's Fraser Valley is the newest site of a COVID-19 outbreak, where 15 cases have been linked. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says health authorities started the investigation Thursday and they're tracking down other potential contacts. She says 1,010 people have so far been told they must self-isolate because they've been exposed to others who have tested positive for the illness around the province. Changes to the rules around gatherings will limit the number of people in short-term vacation rentals, including hotel rooms and houseboats, to

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is to testify Thursday afternoon about his government's decision to get the WE organization to run a summer student-volunteer program. His chief of staff Katie Telford is to follow him for questioning by the House of Commons finance committee. WE backed out of the program in early July, citing the controversy over the Liberals' handing the organization a sole-sourced deal despite its ties to Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau. Several members of Trudeau's family have been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars between them for appearances at WE events, most

A nurse in Binghamton, New York was one of the first to get a shot this morning as the world's biggest COVID-19 vaccine study got underway.The world's biggest COVID-19 vaccine test got underway Monday with the first of 30,000 planned volunteers. Melissa Harting says she volunteered as a way to do her part to help out since she has other family members in front-line jobs that could expose them to the virus.The experimental vaccine is made by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., and it's one of several candidates in the final stretch of the global vaccine race.The needed proof: Wh