Restaurants, pubs and breweries with outdoor patios will be under the microscope in British Columbia over the Victoria Day long weekend as WorkSafeBC inspectors ensure businesses abide by COVID-19 safety plans. A statement from the agency responsible for workplace health and safety says it will be stepping up inspections of businesses in potential COVID-19 hot spots in the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health regions. As WorkSafe reminds businesses to pay strict attention to safety plans designed to limit the spread of the virus, Vancouver police are reminding city residents that provin

Four people in Canada have now died from a rare blood-clotting event linked to the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The latest person was in their 50s in New Brunswick. The province's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Jennifer Russell, says the person received a first dose of AstraZeneca on April 11th. They developed blood clot symptoms 17 days later and died recently. This latest death comes as Ontario is resuming use of the vaccine, but only as a second dose. More than 2.1-million Canadians have received at least one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The court case against a New Westminster man accused of arson has been ended by his death. New Westminster police say the prosecution of Sean Warnick has been abated. Warnick was 49 when he was charged last October with setting the fire that destroyed a large section of the New Westminster pier one month earlier. Warnick had been released on conditions while awaiting his trial and police say the prosecution was abated when his death was confirmed, no further investigation is planned and no other suspects are linked to the case. New Westminster police department on Twitter: Charges abated in P

The actions of police are under scrutiny after a fatal crash in B.C.'s Interior as a vehicle tried to evade a traffic stop. A statement from RCMP says the independent office that examines all cases of police-involved death or serious injury has been notified about the single-vehicle crash Thursday near Sicamous. Police say a woman in the vehicle died and the man driving was seriously hurt when he lost control as RCMP tried to stop the car. An officer in an unmarked cruiser was among a line of vehicles on Highway 1 near Salmon Arm when the vehicle passed and police say the driver wouldn't pull

Workers across BC are now eligible to take up to three days of paid sick leave if they develop COVID-19 or must self-isolate because of close contact with someone who has the virus. Labour Minister Harry Bains says BC's paid sick leave provisions took effect yesterday. He says those who have the illness, are self-isolating or are simply waiting for the outcome of a COVID-19 test are eligible for the assistance, and if workers need more help the legislation provides a bridge to other benefits. Employers will be reimbursed up to 200-dollars per day for each worker claiming paid sick leave and B

The RCMP say one person is in custody after human remains were found in a ditch in Surrey, B.C. An RCMP spokeswoman says the body was found at about 4 a.m. Friday as firefighters put out a small blaze in a rural area of south Surrey. Investigators say the case is not related to the ongoing gang conflict in Metro Vancouver. They say the public is not at risk. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is taking over the case. Police say they believe they know who the victim is but the BC Coroners Service is also expected to be involved in the investigation.

Canada's deputy chief medical officer says the country's COVID-19 vaccination rates have doubled in five weeks, reaching nearly 20 million doses administered to date, while daily cases continue to decline. But Dr. Howard Njoo says Canadians should take care to maintain the country's progress this Victoria Day long weekend. Njoo is urging people choose lower-risk outdoor activities and follow the public health advice of their respective jurisdictions. Daily COVID-19 cases have dropped by 25 per cent over the past seven days. Njoo says, while hospitalizations, deaths and critical-care admission

Transport Canada is extending the ban on incoming flights from India and Pakistan for another month. The flight ban that began April 22 was set to expire on Saturday. A notice posted on the Nav Canada website says the extension is ordered by Transport Minister Omar Alghabra. It says the ministry believes barring flights from those two countries for another month is necessary to protect the public. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says it will be extended until June 21st. The ban has cut down the number of international flights arriving in Canada with at least one passenger who later tests po

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to visit the United States next week beginning May 24 to meet with US officials and discuss COVID-related cooperation between the two countries.Jaishankar will be visiting the United States from May 24-May 28, the External Affairs Ministry said on Friday.The Foreign Minister is expected to meet UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York and later he will hold discussions with his counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington DC, the ministry said.He will also be meeting Cabinet members and Senior Officials of the Administ