Health Minister Adrian Dix says he was told last night about what he says is an "unacceptable and racist" game played by health care workers in at least one emergency room in B.C. Dix isn't identifying the ER because he says it's still unknown if the alleged game occurred in more than one hospital but he says it involved guessing the blood alcohol level of patients, especially Indigenous patients. Dix says lawyer and B.C.'s former Children and Youth representative Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond has agreed to investigate and make recommendations. He says the allegations are "beyond disappointing" an

An independent school in B.C.'s Fraser Health region has suspended classes after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the person held a variety of roles at the school, including teaching. Henry says a positive COVID-19 case at a school isn't unexpected, adding that she spoke about such a possibility when schools first reopened. British Columbia announced eight new cases of COVID-19 and no new deaths on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases to 2,783. Health Minister Adrian Dix announced that staff at all 501 long term care homes in

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a made-in-Canada mobile app to alert Canadians who may have been exposed to a person infected with COVID-19 is ready for testing in Ontario.Trudeau says the app is completely voluntary and will not share or store any personal information, including a user's geographical location.However he says the app will be more effective the more people download and use it.It will work by asking people to anonymously tell the app if they have tested positive for COVID-19, and then all the phones that have recently been close to that phone for an extended time will alert t

Canada has officially recorded more than 100,000 cases of COVID-19 across the country. The 173 new cases of COVID-19 reported today in Ontario, one of two provinces at the epicentre of the outbreak, pushed the overall tally past the grim milestone. Such a figure seemed incomprehensible six months ago when public health officials greeted word of the country's first COVID-19 case with repeated assurances that the risk of contracting the virus was low. That message shifted dramatically in mid-March as cases were reported across the country, prompting widespread shutdowns meant to help flatten th

Canada has lost its bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council. Canada's loss came in the first round of voting today in a secret ballot of 193 member states of the United Nations General Assembly. It follows the loss by the former Conservative government of Stephen Harper in 2010, and after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared Canada's candidacy after coming to power in 2015. Canada lost to Norway and Ireland for two available seats for a two-year term starting next year. The voting began at 9 a.m. eastern time, with the UN ambassadors being given staggered access to the General

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is promising to deliver a "snapshot" of the federal government's finances in the House of Commons July 8. The Liberals were supposed to present a full budget for 2020 in March but postponed it indefinitely when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Trudeau has said uncertainty from the pandemic makes meaningful forecasts impossible. Revenues have plunged and expenses have soared as millions of workers stopped earning incomes as their workplaces shut down, and started collecting benefits instead. Trudeau says the situation demanded the biggest government response in our li

British Columbia's health minister says the province is working to set up a lab in Vancouver to determine if respirators and other equipment meet safety standards. Adrian Dix says B.C. is also rebuilding its reserve of personal protective equipment to prepare for a potential second wave of COVID-19 as it explores the possibility of locally made products. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says an increase in cases in some parts of the world suggest local measures to prevent the spread of the illness should not be relaxed too quickly. Henry says Beijing and the United States serve as c

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government's signature benefit for people whose jobs have vanished amid the COVID-19 pandemic will be extended by eight weeks. The Canada Emergency Response Benefit pays up to $500 a week and was slated to last 16 weeks starting in mid-March, meaning that people who signed up for it immediately would soon run out. Trudeau says the economy is recovering from the mass closures ordered to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus but there's a long way to go. Extending the CERB has been a demand from the New Democrats in exchange for the party's support for

British Columbia's top doctor says lifting more COVID-19 restrictions this week would not include allowing gathers beyond 50 people. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked today about the possibility of restrictions being eased this week. Henry says any further openings would be on the lighter side of the scale, comparing it to adjusting a dimmer switch. But she said that would not involve increasing gatherings beyond 50 people. Restaurants, hair salons and personal services including dentist offices and physiotherapy clinics were permitted to reopen on May 19. Schools in B.C. h