Skip to Main content

8.86°^C Vancouver

News Entertainment Videos Shows Podcast Contact Us

Mar 22, 2021 8:23 PM -

Cases of COVID-19 variants on the rise in Canada, fuelling concerns over third wave

Share On

cases-of-covid-19-variants-on-the-rise-in-canada-fuelling-concerns-over-third-wave

A worker waits to assist people outside at a mass COVID-19 vaccination site during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mississauga, Ont., on Monday, March 22, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Cases of COVID-19 variants are on the rise, with Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec reporting the highest numbers of the new, more contagious strains.

Chief public health officer Doctor Theresa Tam says there have been more than 5,100 confirmed variant cases, the majority involving the strain first identified in the United Kingdom.

The majority of those cases involve the B.1.1.7 variant first identified in the United Kingdom, which Tam says is responsible for 638 of the 655 cases of variants confirmed since March 18.

The growing number is prompting concerns of a third wave of the pandemic, even as vaccination programs ramp up across Canada.

The majority of those cases involve the B.1.1.7 variant first identified in the United Kingdom, which Tam says is responsible for 638 of the 655 cases of variants confirmed since March 18.

Nearly 1.2 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are set to arrive this week, alongside 846-thousand shots from Moderna.

Latest news

surrey-man-charged-after-newton-area-shooting

CanadaJan 30, 2026

Surrey Man Charged After Newton-Area Shooting

Police have laid multiple criminal charges following a shooting at a Surrey home on New Year’s Day. Officers from the Surrey Police Service (SPS) responded around 11:45 p.m. on January 1, 2026, to reports of gunfire in the area of 140B Street and 59 Avenue in Newton. At the scene, they found an injured man who was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound. Officials said his condition was stable. A second man was arrested at the location. The SPS Serious Crime Unit took over the investigation. On January 28, the BC Prosecution Service approved charges against 49-year-old Chanchal Badwal. He fac

b-c-based-jim-pattison-developments-cancels-virginia-warehouse-sale-to-ice

B.C.-based Jim Pattison Developments cancels Virginia warehouse sale to ICE

Vancouver-based Jim Pattison Developments has announced it will not proceed with the sale of a Virginia warehouse property to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which had planned to use the site as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility. The 43.5-acre property in Hanover County, Virginia, faced public scrutiny after news emerged that it could be converted into a holding and processing centre amid a wider U.S. immigration crackdown. The company, owned by Canadian billionaire Jim Pattison, had previously stated it was unaware of the final purchaser or the intende

israel-to-reopen-gaza-egypt-border-crossing-after-nearly-two-years-of-closure

WorldJan 30, 2026

Israel to reopen Gaza–Egypt border crossing after nearly two years of closure

Israel says it will reopen Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Sunday, allowing limited movement of people in and out of the territory for the first time in nearly two years. The Israeli military agency COGAT, which oversees civilian coordination with Gaza, said the reopening will permit “limited movement of people only,” with both Israel and Egypt screening those seeking to cross. European Union border assistance personnel will supervise operations at the crossing, Gaza’s primary link to the outside world. The Rafah crossing has been largely closed since May 2024, following ren

federal-court-of-appeal-set-to-rule-on-ottawas-single-use-plastics-ban

CanadaJan 30, 2026

Federal Court of Appeal upholds Ottawa’s authority to maintain single-use plastic b

Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal has ruled that the federal government acted within its authority when it classified certain plastic products as toxic, clearing the way for Ottawa to maintain its ban on several single-use plastic items. In a unanimous decision released Friday, a three-judge panel overturned a 2023 lower court ruling that had found the federal government overreached by broadly labeling plastic manufactured items as toxic under environmental legislation. That earlier decision had cast uncertainty over the future of the single-use plastics ban. The appeal court concluded the go

cfia-says-threats-against-staff-escalated-during-b-c-ostrich-cull-forcing-family-relocation

CFIA says threats against staff escalated during B.C. ostrich cull, forcing family relocation

A senior Canadian Food Inspection Agency official says agency employees faced escalating threats and harassment during preparations for the culling of hundreds of ostriches at a British Columbia farm, including incidents serious enough to force the relocation of a worker and their family. In an interview with The Canadian Press, the official said opposition to the cull intensified both online and in person, culminating in what they described as extreme cases of direct threats involving physical violence and sexual assault. One CFIA employee and their partner were relocated along with their chi

Related News

Surrey Man Charged After Newton-Area Shooting

Surrey Man Charged After Newton-Area Shooting

Police have laid multiple criminal charges following a shooting at a Surrey home on New Year’s Day. Officers from the Surrey Police Service (SPS) responded around 11:45 p.m. on January 1, 2026, to reports of gunfire in the area of 140B Street and 59 Avenue in Newton. At the scene, they found an injured man who was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound. Officials said his condition was stable. A second man was arrested at the location. The SPS Serious Crime Unit took over the investigation. On January 28, the BC Prosecution Service approved charges against 49-year-old Chanchal Badwal. He fac

Federal Court of Appeal upholds Ottawa’s authority to maintain single-use plastic b

Federal Court of Appeal upholds Ottawa’s authority to maintain single-use plastic b

Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal has ruled that the federal government acted within its authority when it classified certain plastic products as toxic, clearing the way for Ottawa to maintain its ban on several single-use plastic items. In a unanimous decision released Friday, a three-judge panel overturned a 2023 lower court ruling that had found the federal government overreached by broadly labeling plastic manufactured items as toxic under environmental legislation. That earlier decision had cast uncertainty over the future of the single-use plastics ban. The appeal court concluded the go

Signs of slowdown emerge as Canada’s economy faces possible GDP decline in final quarter

Signs of slowdown emerge as Canada’s economy faces possible GDP decline in final quarter

Canada’s economy is showing renewed signs of strain, with new data suggesting the country’s gross domestic product may have contracted in the fourth and final quarter of 2025. Economists point to ongoing trade pressures, particularly from U.S. tariffs, as a key factor weighing on growth in a trade-dependent economy. According to Statistics Canada, economic activity stalled completely in November, marking zero growth for the month. This followed a 0.3 per cent decline in October, making it the second consecutive month without any measurable improvement in overall economic output. Analysts s

Legals

Journalism code of ethics

© 2021 AKASH Broadcasting Inc.

MANAGED BY STRATWIT

useful links

Accessibility Plan

BC Children's Hospital