Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is easing restrictions on outdoor gatherings but keeping them in place for those indoors. Henry says up to 10 people will now be allowed to gather outdoors but people should stick to the same group and continue to follow public safety measures such as social distancing. She says other restrictions need to remain in place because COVID-19 is still circulating in communities, particularly in the Lower Mainland. Henry also announced bars and restaurants must stop selling liquor at 8 p-m on St. Patrick’s Day.
Announced yesterday – B.C. is changing its COVID-19 public health orders to cut off alcohol sales early on St. Patrick’s Day, similar to the New Year’s Eve restrictions that were designed to prevent parties from getting out of hand and spreading infection. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Thursday the alcohol sales cutoff would be similar to New Year’s Eve for next Wednesday, March 17, the public health order was amended to stop liquor sales at 8 p.m., rather than the 10 p.m. cutoff that has applied during much of the pandemic. Henry said the measure will allow restaurants to stay open later if they are offering full meal service, but they can’t serve alcohol after the cutoff time.
A woman has been left shaken but not seriously injured, according to RCMP, after a carjacking in Coquitlam. Coquitlam RCMP responded to a call in the 600 block of Berry Street, a residential area near the Coquitlam Tennis Centre, just before midnight, last night to people have been arrested and are in custody as of 5 a.m., today, but investigators are saying very little else outside of “the investigation is ongoing.” “Nobody was seriously injured,” Acting Sgt. Carrie Krewenchuk said. The RCMP would not say if the car was damaged or if it was returned to the owner, either. “I can’t comment on that,” she said. Meanwhile, a woman who lives near where the carjacking took place posted on social media that her husband happened to be coming home when he spotted the victim running down their street. She described the incident as “terrifying” and “very scary,” sharing the news in order for others to be aware. Police have not confirmed details included in the social media account, which include suggestions the suspects used a knife to force the woman out of her vehicle and stole her belongings as well. The witness account also describes the attack as taking place at the Tennis Centre parking lots and the woman fleeing to the residential street in the aftermath.
Staff at Vancouver’s federal quarantine hotel are ready to strike, saying the company is using the pandemic as an excuse to lay off long-term workers — many of whom are minority women. UNITE HERE Local 40 issued 72-hour strike notice Thursday, saying the Pacific Gateway Hotel continues to lay off dozens of workers even as the vaccine rollout gives some hope for the industry’s recovery. The federal government took over the hotel to use as a quarantine site last year. The hotel is largely staffed by workers from the Red Cross but the union says there was no need to replace existing employees. Two women who have worked at the hotel for decades spoke at a news conference, explaining how they have been affected by the layoffs of their peers and what is at stake if they lose their jobs. They posed Justin Trudeau with a powerful question saying ““Prime Minister Trudeau, we have one question for you: When we go on strike. Will you cross the picket line, or will you join us in saying no two unequal women in the hotel industry?” The union anticipates another 100 workers will be terminated this month. According to the union, the hotel will replace terminated workers with non-unionized employees. Although a strike would not shut down the hotel, a picket line will be set up.
The economy added 259-thousand jobs in February, blowing past economists’ predictions for a gain of just 75-thousand jobs last month. Statistics Canada reports the unemployment rate fell to 8.2 per cent, which is the lowest it has been since last March. The country is now less than 600-thousand jobs short of the level recorded in February of last year, before the pandemic started.
Health Canada says there is no evidence that the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is causing blood clots. It issued a statement last evening confirming it is aware of reports out of Europe, where at least nine countries have temporarily suspended use of AstraZeneca doses. Health Canada says it thoroughly reviewed the vaccine and wants to reassure everyone that its benefits continue to outweigh its risks. The European Medicines Agency says 30 blood clots in more than five-million patients who got the vaccine isn’t out of step with the normal rate of blood clots in the general population.
Get ready to “spring forward” this weekend — we’re making the switch to Daylight Saving Time to greet the new season. On Sunday, here in BC we will move their clocks forward by an hour at 2 a.m. While the switch makes way for the beginning of spring, it can take a few days for people to adjust. Sleep experts say many people feel tired during the transition. Time change has also been linked to collisions in the week following, so make sure you remain alert when out and about. A survey in 2019 also revealed an overwhelming number of British Columbians are in favour of doing away with time changes, but this year, we are still involved so make sure to spring ahead this Sunday
Statistics Canada says the national unemployment rate dropped last month and B-C’s rate also fell as pandemic restrictions ease and jobs return. Economists say the number of people looking for work across Canada was 8.2% in February, down from 9.4% the month earlier, while BC’s rate fell almost as sharply to 6.9% from January’s 8% setting. Stats Can says nearly 260,000 jobs were added last month —most in Ontario and Quebec — but the agency also warns that Canada-wide unemployment would have been 10.7% in February if the data had included workers who’ve quit searching for a job. Number crunchers also warn that last month’s gains still leave the country near 600-thousand jobs below last February’s employment setting, or just over 3% below pre-pandemic levels.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says one of his government’s top priorities is ensuring that no one misses out on vaccines. He says Indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus. He wants to see all residents immunized as soon as possible. Meantime, Health Canada’s chief medical adviser says there is no scientific explanation to suggest a link between the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and blood clots. There have been some reported cases in Europe, but Dr. Supriya Sharma says Health Canada has no evidence of a link.
Premier John Horgan says Richmond is getting a new urgent primary care centre to provide more health-care options in that city. He says the care centre in Richmond is one of five new urgent primary care facilities within the Vancouver Coastal Health area. Horgan says the Richmond centre will launch in two phases, with a temporary site opening on April 1 and a permanent location set to open in November. Plans to rebuild the Richmond Hospital are also underway and the premier says more details will be provided in next month’s B-C Budget.
Up to 10 people can now meet outdoors in B-C after nearly four months of restrictions that barred people from gathering with others from different households. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says this means kids can have play dates with friends — but with the same group of friends — during March break. She says restrictions on indoor gatherings and rules for restaurants, bars, retail stores and other venues remain in place, and it’s still important to practise physical distancing outside. The news came as B-C reported 569 new cases yesterday and three more deaths, pushing the death toll to 1,397.
New modelling released today indicates that vaccinations were about 80 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19 infections in residents and staff at long-term care homes in B-C. Data presented by health officials indicates there were “substantial declines” in infections among both groups in the first few weeks after receiving a vaccine dose. The research was conducted from mid-December through mid-February when there was an overall decline in new daily cases. But it showed there was a greater drop among vaccinated health care workers and seniors than the general population.
Two RCMP officers have been charged with one count each of assault following a 2019 incident. The BC Prosecution Service announced the charges Friday (March 12) against Surrey RCMP Constable John Tsonos and RCMP Constable Matthew McGuire in connection “with their involvement in the arrest of an individual suspected to be in possession of stolen property” on Oct. 10, 2019 in Richmond. On Oct. 19, 2019, officers from the Surrey RCMP Auto Crime Target Team found a man “allegedly driving a stolen vehicle in Surrey,” according to a release from BC RCMP media relations officer Staff Sergeant Janelle Shoihet. She said officers stopped the vehicle and the driver was arrested in Richmond, with help from an officer there. However, when officers were taking the man into custody, they “allegedly assaulted him.” BC RCMP said “immediately upon learning of the allegations,” senior officers from both detachments started Code of Conduct investigations and criminal investigations against the officers involved. Shoihet said the results of the investigations were submitted to the BC Prosecution Service in 2020.