The British Columbia Teachers Federation wants the province to delay the start of the winter term in public schools across B.C. as cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 mount. Several social media messages posted by the BCTF and retweeted by union president Teri Mooring say provincial and district officials ``need to do much more'' if they intend to keep schools open in January. The messages list eight expectations to safely reopen schools. Recommendations include: free N-95 masks and rapid tests in all schools; staggered class, recess and lunch times; and, ramped up testing and vaccinatio

British Columbia health officials are scheduled to release an update today on COVID-19 cases, vaccinations, hospitalizations and deaths in the province. The health ministry reported 1,785 new cases of the virus in B.C. on Tuesday. It said in a news release that the numbers are ``preliminary'' and Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry will release an update at 3 p.m. Experts warn case numbers are likely to be much higher than reported because testing centres are overwhelmed and some patients might have decided not to get tested over the holidays. Henry sa

There will be no respite from frigid temperatures until the end of the week for most of Western Canada as arctic wind chills blanket the area, sending temperatures plummeting. Environment Canada says most of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, along with parts of Manitoba and Ontario, are still under extreme cold warnings with wind chills plunging down to -50 C in some areas. Environment Canada says the frigid arctic air mass enveloping southern parts of Saskatchewan won't let up until the end of the week. The weather agency says most of Alberta will see extreme cold conditions with

B.C. is reporting 1,785 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 243,731 cases in the province.Note: Case counts provided on Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021, are preliminary.The new cases include:791 new cases in Fraser Health400 new cases in Vancouver Coastal Health269 new cases in Interior Health42 new cases in Northern Health283 new cases in Island HealthThe Ministry of Health will return to regular reporting of COVID-19 cases, vaccinations, hospitalizations and deaths, and cases and hospitalizations by vaccination status on Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021.

Authorities say a gunman who went on a deadly shooting rampage in several locations in the Denver area was targeting at least some of his victims. Police say the suspect in Monday's shootings killed five people, including one who succumbed to her injuries Tuesday. They say the suspect wounded an officer who then shot and killed the gunman in a shopping area in the Denver suburb of Lakewood. Police identified the gunman Tuesday as 47 year old Lyndon James McLeod. They say McLeod was on the radar of law enforcement and that he knew some of his victims. Police declined to say what he'd been inve

Rising tennis star Leylah Fernandez has won the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as The Canadian Press female Athlete of the Year. The 19 year old from Laval, Quebec, advanced to the final of the 2021 U-S Open, a highlight of a successful season for all of Canada's elite tennis players. Fernandez stunned defending champion Naomi Osaka in the third round and knocked off more big names before losing to Britain's Emma Raducanu in an all-teen final.

Burnaby RCMP has requested people to avoid the area of Willingdon Ave & Canada Way. RCMP has tweeted about the traffic backup in the area. Police say the traffic back up is due to COVID-19 Testing Clinic. Burnaby RCMP on Twitter: Please avoid the Willingdon Ave & Canada Way area if you can.Once again, due to the COVID-19 Testing Clinic, traffic is getting backed up.No appointment? For accurate info, please visit this website: http://bit.ly/3sG7hu2

US health officials are tweaking isolation restrictions for asymptomatic Americans who test positive for the coronavirus. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday announced that people with the virus can leave isolation after five days, down from 10 days. People exposed to the virus can also leave quarantine after five days. Officials said the guidance is in keeping with growing evidence the coronavirus is most infectious in the two days before and three days after symptom onset.

Ontario is pausing social visits in and out of long-term care homes as the Omicron variant spreads rapidly in the province. Long-Term Care. Minister Rod Phillips says that as of Thursday visits to long-term care homes will be restricted to two designated caregivers per resident, while residents will still be allowed to leave for essential needs. Phillips says the measures are needed because long-term care homes are particularly vulnerable to community spread.The measure comes as 41 long-term care homes are facing outbreaks, and Ontario reported closed to nine-thousand new COVID-19 cases across