Skip to Main content

8.09°^C Vancouver

News Entertainment Videos Shows Podcast Contact Us

Jan 18, 2022 1:23 AM - The Canadian Press

COVID-19 restrictions on closures, gatherings to remain in place in B.C.

Share On

covid-19-restrictions-on-closures-gatherings-to-remain-in-place-in-b-c

B.C's provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry during a press conference in Victoria. (Photo - B.C. Govt.)

British Columbia's top doctor has extended a COVID-19 order that will keep gyms and fitness centres closed before providing more details tomorrow.

That's when restrictions were set to expire, but Dr. Bonnie Henry said last week that they believed COVID-19 hospitalizations were expected to spike after cases within the community had peaked.

Restrictions on gatherings and events will stay in place, and Henry has now also directed school boards to collect information on the vaccination status of their staff.

The BC Teachers' Federation says on Twitter that it was not consulted or notified ahead of time about the order.

The union says that is confusing because it has already agreed with the B.C. Public School Employers Association on a vaccine mandate process and would like school districts to implement them.

Dr. Henry's orders on restrictions do not have an expiry date and they cite stress on the overburdened health-care system as it tries to accommodate unvaccinated people and the increased risk to the public due to the Omicron variant.

Latest news

worksafebc-issues-more-than-1-3-million-dollars-in-penalties-after-fatal-crane-incident-at-oakridge-park

WorkSafeBC issues more than 1.3 million dollars in penalties after fatal crane incident at Oakridge Park

WorkSafeBC has levied more than 1.3 million dollars in fines against EllisDon Corporation and Newway Concrete Forming following a series of crane-related safety violations, including the February 2024 incident at Vancouver’s Oakridge Park development that killed construction worker Yuridia Flores. The penalties stem from multiple investigations involving highrise projects in Vancouver and Victoria. Flores died when a large concrete form mould – measuring nearly 10 metres by six metres – fell 26 storeys after accelerating out of the side of the building while being moved between floors. E

alberta-ends-fall-sitting-after-sweeping-use-of-notwithstanding-clause-draws-scrutiny

AlbertaDec 12, 2025

Alberta ends fall sitting after sweeping use of notwithstanding clause draws scrutiny

Alberta’s fall legislative session closed this week with Premier Danielle Smith’s government advancing two major bills that relied heavily on the Charter’s notwithstanding clause, a move that has renewed debate over the limits of provincial authority and the protection of individual rights. The clause was applied four times in the sitting, shielding the legislation from certain court challenges for up to five years. The government first invoked the clause when it passed a law ordering more than 51 thousand public school teachers back to work following a three-week provincewide strike. Th

AlbertaDec 12, 2025

Advocacy groups shift legal strategy in bid to challenge Alberta’s gender care law

Two national advocacy organizations say they are pivoting their legal strategy as they continue efforts to challenge Alberta’s restrictions on gender-affirming care for youth. Egale Canada and the Calgary-based Skipping Stone Foundation launched a constitutional challenge last year after the province passed legislation prohibiting doctors from prescribing puberty blockers or hormone therapy to people under 16, and from performing gender-affirming top surgery on anyone under 18. The groups say the path through the Charter of Rights and Freedoms has become significantly more difficult since th

IndiaDec 12, 2025

Threatening email targets multiple schools in Amritsar, prompting closures and police response

Authorities in Amritsar ordered an immediate shutdown of several private schools after administrators reported receiving an email threatening bomb attacks on campus. The message, sent to multiple institutions early Tuesday, triggered evacuations and a large-scale police deployment. Local officials said at least 15 well-known private schools were identified in the threat. Police teams, including the bomb squad and fire services, secured school grounds while investigators worked to verify the credibility of the email. The Deputy Commissioner directed schools to release students for the day as a

WorldDec 12, 2025

Former Bangladeshi PM Khaleda Zia placed on ventilator as health deteriorates

Doctors in Dhaka say former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia has been moved to a ventilator after her oxygen levels dropped sharply earlier this week. The 80-year-old opposition leader has been in Evercare Hospital since November 23 for multiple ongoing health complications, according to her medical team. Members of the hospital’s medical board reported that Zia began experiencing increased difficulty breathing, prompting the shift to full respiratory support. Physicians say her condition has not shown significant improvement despite weeks of treatment. Zia, who heads the Bangladesh Na

Related News

WorkSafeBC issues more than 1.3 million dollars in penalties after fatal crane incident at Oakridge Park

WorkSafeBC issues more than 1.3 million dollars in penalties after fatal crane incident at Oakridge Park

WorkSafeBC has levied more than 1.3 million dollars in fines against EllisDon Corporation and Newway Concrete Forming following a series of crane-related safety violations, including the February 2024 incident at Vancouver’s Oakridge Park development that killed construction worker Yuridia Flores. The penalties stem from multiple investigations involving highrise projects in Vancouver and Victoria. Flores died when a large concrete form mould – measuring nearly 10 metres by six metres – fell 26 storeys after accelerating out of the side of the building while being moved between floors. E

Man charged after altercation linked to protest at B.C. ostrich farm

Man charged after altercation linked to protest at B.C. ostrich farm

A man from Ontario has been charged following an altercation connected to a protest at Universal Ostrich Farm in the rural community of Edgewood, where federal inspectors culled more than 300 birds last month amid an avian influenza outbreak. RCMP say officers were called to the area on September 22, when they were alerted to a disturbance at a neighbouring property shortly after arriving to support federal officials. Mounties report that a 73-year-old woman received medical attention from officers at the scene, and a 60-year-old man was taken into custody. Investigators say the individual has

Burnaby RCMP recovers high-value stolen eyewear during search at local residence

Burnaby RCMP recovers high-value stolen eyewear during search at local residence

Burnaby RCMP say officers uncovered a large cache of stolen designer eyewear while carrying out a search warrant linked to a separate investigation last week. Members of the Investigative Support Team discovered eight boxes holding more than 100 pairs of sunglasses and prescription frames, many still tagged for retail sale at stores across the Lower Mainland. Police report that some of the price tags helped investigators identify the items as stolen merchandise from multiple businesses. One item carried a price of more than one thousand dollars, and several others were valued in the hundreds,

Legals

Journalism code of ethics

© 2021 AKASH Broadcasting Inc.

MANAGED BY STRATWIT

useful links

Accessibility Plan

BC Children's Hospital