Alberta's chief medical officer of health says the province has identified a case of monkeypox. Dr. Deena Hinshaw says in a post on social media that an adult has tested positive for the rare disease that can cause fevers, aches and rashes. She also says monkeypox does not spread easily between people. Monkeypox typically spreads from close person-to-person contact through respiratory droplets, direct contact with skin lesions or bodily fluids, or indirect contact through contaminated clothing or linens. She says the first person in the province to test positive for the disease had close conta

Amid protests, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday visited the family of singer Sidhu Moose Wala at his residence in Mansa, days after the Punjabi singer was shot dead. The singer-turned-politician was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jawaharke village in Mansa district of Punjab on Sunday, a day after the Punjab government curtailed his security cover. Heavy police security was deployed outside the residence of the Punjabi singer as Mann reached the Moosa village to express his condolences to the family. Locals have been protesting against Mann's visit to the residence of S

In view of the situation in Punjab, the Central Government has provided Z category security to Giani Harpreet Singh, the Jathedar of Akal Takht, said official sources. Singh will be provided security by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. Sources said that official orders have been issued in this regard in view of the current situation in Punjab, and added that "Singh had not asked about any security". The Centre took the decision to provide Z category security to Singh as his security was scaled down by the Bhagwant Mann government of Punjab, the sources further said. A total of

BC's latest weekly COVID-19 update shows the number of patients in hospital with the illness has declined for a third straight week. It says there were 421 patients in hospital as of yesterday down from 473 a week ago and below the most recent high of 596 on May 12th. Among those hospitalized, 41 people are in intensive care. The report from the B-C Centre for Disease Control says 44 people died during the week that ended last Saturday, bringing the pandemic death toll to three-thousand-547.

Americans may soon get a new COVID-19 vaccine option _ a more traditional kind of shot known as a protein vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration is evaluating the vaccine made by Novavax. It's late in the pandemic for a new choice. But with millions still unvaccinated _ or who need a booster _ the Maryland-based company is hoping to find a niche. Its vaccine is made very differently than the widely used Pfizer and Moderna shots. Novavax's COVID-19 shots are authorized in numerous other countries, but U.S. clearance is a key hurdle.

The Alberta government says a private laboratory service that collects blood and other samples for medical testing will be expanding its operations. Health Minister Jason Copping says DynaLIFE (DYE'-nah-life) Medical Labs, which already operates in Edmonton and some northerncommunities, will upgrade its facilities and open more service centres. Copping says communities that can expect to see new labs in the summer include Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Okotoks, Strathmore and Cochrane. He says the province is expanding its contract with the lab service because it is cost effective and there will

Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala's body had 19 bullet injury injuries and he died within 15 minutes of being shot, according to the post-mortem report, which also stated that the cause of his death was "haemorrhage shock" due to ante-mortem firearm injuries. During the attack, Sidhu Moose Wala was not hit on the face, while the rest of his body was seen with injuries and bullets. At the same time, it has also been told in the post-mortem report that Moose Wala's right side of ribs were broken, and the liver was torn. The singer-turned-politician was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jawah

Strathmore RCMP is investigating a reported child abduction in the southern Alberta town. Police in a community east of Calgary say two men tried to abduct a girl on her way home from school on Tuesday. Strathmore RCMP say the youth was approached by two men in a white pickup truck and reportedly forced inside. The girl was walking home from her school bus drop-off about 3 p.m. Police say she was taken to a residence, but was able to get away and run to safety. RCMP said the girl was found by a family member about 5:30 p.m., who then called police. The girl was taken to Alberta Children's Hosp

Police in Calgary are warning parents, caregivers and teens about an online ``sextortion'' scam. Police say they have already had 48 reports this year and most have targeted teenage boys. Sextortion is a form of blackmail in which online scammers, using a phoney profile, make a connection with potential victims and express romantic interest. The scammer will ask for intimate photos and videos as the online conversation progresses. Police say the scammer then demands money and threatens to share the explicit material if payment is not received. The service's cybercrime team is investigating sev