19.17°C Vancouver

Mar 17, 2021 2:04 AM -

B.C.'s top doctor urges people to follow COVID-19 rules on St. Patrick's Day

Share On
b-c-s-top-doctor-urges-people-to-follow-covid-19-rules-on-st-patricks-day
B.C.’s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry during a news conference in Victoria. (B.C. Government)

B.C.'s top doctor is reminding the public to follow COVID-19 rules during St. Patrick's Day celebrations, while the province has again extended its ongoing state of emergency in response to the pandemic.

Dr. Bonnie Henry says in a statement that last call for alcohol sales at restaurants, pubs and liquor stores will be at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

There are 4,999 active COVID-19 cases in B.C. with 556 new diagnoses, including 470 in the Fraser and Vancouver Coastal health regions. B.C. has confirmed 116 new cases of COVID-19 variants of concern in the last day for a total of 996, of which 130 remain active.

No one else has died due to COVID-19, while 280 people are hospitalized with the illness.

There have been 424,517 doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered in B.C., with appointment bookings opening for people 80 and older by the end of the week.

Latest news

calgary-police-say-suspect-in-officer-shooting-had-organized-crime-ties
AlbertaAug 11, 2026

Calgary Police Say Suspect in Officer Shooting Had Organized Crime Ties

Calgary police say the man who shot at officers and struck one officer twice during a traffic stop yesterday had ties to organized crime. Police have not identified the suspect, who was later found dead in the Bow River from what they describe as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators have not provided details about the type of organized crime group he was allegedly connected to. The officer was shot twice and is expected to make a full recovery. The shooting happened shortly before noon near Spruce Cliff and Edworthy Park, west of downtown Calgary.
CanadaAug 11, 2026

Environment Canada launches new polygon-based weather alert system

Environment Canada has introduced a new polygon-based alert system across Canada to provide more precise warnings about severe weather. The goal is to reduce unnecessary alerts being sent to people who are not directly in the path of a storm. Previously, when a severe storm warning was issued, alerts could be sent across an entire area, even if the storm was not expected to affect all of it. Under the new system, meteorologists will draw a specific polygon on a digital map to identify the areas facing the greatest risk. This means mobile alerts will be sent only to people located within the st
rcmp-investigating-cause-of-bald-range-wildfire-near-summerland
BCAug 11, 2026

RCMP investigating cause of Bald Range wildfire near Summerland

RCMP have launched an investigation into the cause of the Bald Range wildfire near Summerland, B.C. The Penticton South Okanagan RCMP say the fire may have been sparked by suspicious activity and investigators are looking into the circumstances. Police are asking anyone who may have seen suspicious activity on the afternoon of Aug. 7 near Princeton-Summerland Road, Bathville Road or Crump Recreation Site to come forward. Investigators are also asking anyone with dashcam or cellphone photos or video from the area to contact police. Police are warning the public not to spread unverified informat
canada-u-s-trade-talks-continue-as-tariff-deadline-approaches
CanadaAug 11, 2026

Canada-U.S. trade talks continue as tariff deadline approaches

Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc is meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington today as the two countries continue efforts to resolve their ongoing trade dispute. It is their third face-to-face meeting in the past few weeks. LeBlanc was scheduled to travel to Washington on Monday, but his flight was forced to return to Montreal due to bad weather. Meanwhile, Canada’s chief trade negotiator, Janice Charette, spent Monday in the U.S. capital, where she met with an official from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Team Canada is working to find a middle ground to av
CanadaAug 11, 2026

Ontario Liberal leadership race opens with debate over Ford record and need for legislature seat

Ontario Liberal leadership candidates, including former federal minister Navdeep Bains, took part in their first debate Monday night, with the five contenders criticizing Premier Doug Ford’s government on the economy, health care, education and affordability. The candidates also disagreed over whether the party’s next leader should hold a seat in the Ontario legislature. Two of the five candidates are sitting provincial MPPs and argued that having a seat in the legislature would provide a stronger platform to challenge the Ford government. Bains and two other candidates do not currently ho

Related News