A winter storm is expected to hamper Metro Vancouver’s morning commute. Winter storm, snowfall and extreme cold warnings cover almost every corner of British Columbia as the latest powerful storm sweeps into the province. Environment Canada says up to 30 centimetres of snow is expected for parts of southern B-C and mountain passes across the area. Parts of Vancouver Island could see up to 40 centimetres. The Transportation Ministry says bridges and highways could be closed because of the snow and freezing rain.
B-C’s active COVID-19 case count is close to 30-thousand as the Omicron variant continues to spread. The ministry of health says there were three-thousand, 798 new COVID-19 cases reported yesterday but no new deaths. It adds that 83 people are in intensive care units.
Nearly two dozen Surrey RCMP officers are currently off the job due to COVID-19. 21 officers and 10 civilian members have tested positive since Dec. 28. However, officials say staffing levels are stable, and operations aren’t being impacted.
Vaccination rates for five- to 11-year-olds in Surrey have increased by about seven per cent in a little more than a week, according to the latest data. Meanwhile, rates for fully vaccinated Surrey residents (aged 12 and up) have increased by about 0.4 per cent.
U-S President Joe Biden is urging Americans to reject the lies and violence fueled by his predecessor in a speech to mark the first anniversary of the riot at the U-S Capitol. On January 6th, 2021, the Capitol building was overrun by supporters of former president Donald Trump who wanted to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Biden says Trump could have stopped the violence — but he chose not to. The U-S Attorney General says more than 725 people have been arrested and charged so far in connection with the attack.
British Columbia health officials announced on Thursday that there have been 3,223 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the province to 273,731. In a written statement, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said that there are 31,817 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, a new record for BC. Of the active cases, 324 (+7) individuals are currently hospitalized and 90 (+7) are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
New cases and total active cases are broken down by health region as follows:
- Fraser Health: 1,538 new cases, 14,794 total active cases
- Vancouver Coastal Health: 662 new cases, 9,594 total active cases
- Interior Health: 408 new cases, 2,807 total active cases
- Northern Health: 194 new cases, 850 total active cases
- Island Health: 417 new cases, 3,765 total active cases
- Outside of Canada: Four new cases, seven total active cases
There have been three new COVID-19-related deaths, for a total of 2,430 deaths in British Columbia.
The New York Times is buying sports news site The Athletic for 550-million-dollars. It’s the Times’ latest move in its strategy to expand its audience of paying subscribers as the newspaper print ads business fades. The Times gained millions of subscribers during the Trump presidency and the pandemic, keeping it on track for its goal of 10 million by 2025. Digital media outlets have been consolidating recently to help them compete with tech giants such as Google and Facebook.
Surrey R-C-M-P say they have determined that a woman who was reported to have been shot this morning was actually stabbed. Police had earlier said the woman was being treated in hospital following a report of a shooting in the Whalley neighbourhood just before 9 a-m. They say that while the victim was not shot, there is evidence that a shooting did occur at the location. The victim remains in hospital in stable condition.
B-C’s Seniors Advocate is urging the province to declare that all long-term care residents are entitled to designate at least one person as an essential visitor during the latest COVID-19 restrictions. Isobel Mackenzie made the same request after a report issued by her office in November 2020 found care home administrators had denied 52 per cent of requests made by residents to designate an essential visitor. Mackenzie says that means the majority of long-term care residents are left without the necessary support of loved ones when social visits are banned due to COVID-19 restrictions. She says essential visitors would also help overburdened homes facing projected staff absences of up to 30 per cent during the Omicron wave of the pandemic.
Federal N-D-P leader Jagmeet Singh says he and his wife welcomed their first child on Monday. The Burnaby M-P says in a tweet that his baby girl is his birthday present for life because she was born one day after he turned 43. Singh says his wife and daughter are both healthy and the couple’s hearts are filled with gratitude. He has represented the federal riding of Burnaby South since 2019.
B-C’s active COVID-19 case count is close to 30-thousand as the Omicron (OH’-mih-kron) variant continues to spread. The ministry of health says there were three-thousand, 798 new COVID-19 cases reported yesterday but no new deaths. It adds that 83 people are in intensive care units.
B-C officials are voicing their support for the province’s health-care workers. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, Health Minister Adrian Dix and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth say there are reports of people attempting to intimidate or threaten workers at COVID-19 testing sites. The government’s Access to Services Act makes impeding the work of or intimidating workers at testing sites illegal and can result in criminal charges.
The Canada Border Services Agency says it has seized 100 kilograms of meth after a stop at a crossing in Surrey, B-C. The agency says the seizure happened in October but only issued the release yesterday. Border agents screened the driver, but when they went to inspect the vehicle, they say the driver fled at high speed. The driver was arrested for smuggling and for fleeing the border crossing, but the agency doesn’t say if the suspect was charged.