Vancouver police arrested a Surrey man on Saturday night after a woman was struck in what police say was a hit and run. Police say the 66-year-old woman was walking near Commercial Drive and East Broadway in East Vancouver when she was hit and killed. A 30-year-old man from Surrey was arrested, and officers say speed and alcohol are potential factors.
Vaccination rates for eligible Surrey residents have increased by 1.2 per cent since Oct. 18, according to the latest data. The increase comes as the province’s vaccine card entered its second stage, with second doses required as of Oct. 24. Surrey’s daily average rate of cases remains the same from the previous weeks at five to 10 cases per 100,000 people.
The world has reached a grim milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic, with a death toll that today surpassed five-million. The staggering figure is almost certainly an undercount because of limited testing and people dying at home without medical attention, especially in poor countries such as India. The death toll rivals the number of people killed in battles among nations since 1950, Globally, COVID-19 is now the third leading cause of death, after heart disease and stroke.
The Royal Canadian Legion’s poppy campaign is bringing back payments from tap-enabled devices or cards, as well as digital poppies that can be purchased online and shared on social media. That’s in addition to the more than 34-thousand traditional poppy boxes across the country, where people can donate cash and receive a poppy pin. But they’ll have the same mission as always — to raise money to support veterans and veteran assistance programs.
Canada is set to take the first step towards capping emissions from the oil and gas sector today. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau starts two days of leaders’ talks at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, alongside more than 120 other world leaders. Canada told the U-N in July that by 2030 — it aims to have 40 to 45 per cent fewer emissions than it did in 2005.
Some students at SFU say they’ll start a hunger strike today to protest the institution’s connections to the fossil fuel industry. The hunger strikers are demanding the university commit to full divestment from fossil fuels by 2025. They says other post-secondary institutions, including the U B-C, U-Vic and the University of Toronto have already made the commitment. The students will consume only salt, lemon water and vitamins during the hunger strike.
Former members of the Vancouver Whitecaps and Canadian women’s national teams are calling for the firings of executives they say misrepresented the departures of two coaches accused of abuse. The retired women’s players will publicly call for the dismissals this week, as was first reported by the Guardian newspaper. This comes after a former Whitecaps women’s player came forward last week with disturbing detailed allegations against her former coach. It also comes as former coach Bob Birarda faces criminal charges in relation with other claims. In a statement, the players say they are “looking for real systemic and cultural change to come from what has happened to us.”
A Toronto teacher has been placed on home assignment after he showed up to class wearing blackface makeup as part of a Halloween costume. In a letter sent to parents, the principal said a student had alerted the vice principal that a white staff member was in blackface on Friday. The principal said the teacher was asked to immediately wash their face.
The prime minister is calling for more global action to fight climate change. Justin Trudeau was speaking at the 26th meeting of the Council of Parties to the U-N climate convention, known as COP-26. The P-M has committed to a cap on emissions produced by Canada’s oil and gas sector. Trudeau spoke of the fire-ravaged community of Lytton, British Columbia as an example of the need for faster cuts to emissions. He said a record-setting summer heat wave set the stage for the devastating wildfire that swept through the village, destroying much of the community.
B-C is expanding early eligibility for COVID-19 booster shots to people who received two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Boosters are already being offered to seniors and people with compromised immune systems but AstraZeneca recipients will also be getting invitations for boosters six months after their second dose. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says that’s because data has shown that individuals who received two doses of the viral vector vaccine have had waning protection from infection — although it is still strong. Boosters for all people 12 years and older are expected to be available starting early next year.
A staffing shortage due to the B-C government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers has forced surgeries to be postponed in some hospitals. Health Minister Adrian Dix says more than 33-hundred health-care workers have been put on unpaid leave because they are not vaccinated. Dix says that has forced operating services to be reduced in the Interior and Fraser health authorities. He says added demand for health care has also forced postponements of surgeries in many other parts of the province.
A battle for control of Rogers Communications is making its way to B-C Supreme Court today. The hearing stems from a petition filed by Edward Rogers last week asking the court to declare as legitimate a board he formed after being ousted as chair last month. The son of late Rogers founder Ted Rogers says he has the power to fire and appoint board members because he is chair of Rogers Control Trust, which holds voting control through its ownership of 97 per cent of the company’s Class A shares. However, his mother Loretta Rogers, sisters Melinda Rogers-Hixon and Martha Rogers and their associates say Edward Rogers’ board is illegitimate and the only valid board is the one that existed prior to his changes.
Island Health has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at a Nanaimo residential care facility. It says two staff members and one resident at the Chartwell Malaspina Care Centre’s Hummingbird Unit recently tested positive for COVID-19. Island Health says the origin of the outbreak is under investigation and social visits, admissions and transfers to the unit have been stopped and residents and staff have been isolated to the Hummingbird Unit. The Malaspina facility was also hit with a COVID-19 outbreak last December.
British Columbia health officials announced on Monday that there have been 1,370 new test-positive COVID-19 cases since Friday, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the province to 206,284. There were 568 cases discovered between Friday and Saturday, 470 between Saturday and Sunday, and 332 between Sunday and Monday. In a written statement, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said that there are 4,668 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Of the active cases, 436 individuals are currently hospitalized and 140 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: 603 new cases, 2,024 total active cases
- Vancouver Coastal Health: 124 new cases, 570 total active cases
- Interior Health: 222 new cases, 588 total active cases
- Northern Health: 203 new cases, 764 total active cases
- Island Health: 218 new cases, 663 total active cases
- Outside of Canada: no new cases, 59 total active cases
There have been 25 new COVID-19-related deaths, for a total of 2,181 deaths in British Columbia. Of the new deaths, eight were in Fraser Health, seven were in Interior Health, five were in Northern Health, and five were in Island Health. To date, 90% of all eligible people 12 and older in BC have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine; 85% have received their second dose. From October 22 to 28, people not fully vaccinated accounted for 65% of cases and from October 15 to 18, they accounted for 74% of hospitalizations.
Past week cases (October 22 to 28) – Total 4,018
- Not vaccinated: 2,354 (58.6%)
- Partially vaccinated: 240 (6.0%)
- Fully vaccinated: 1,424 (35.4%)
Past two weeks cases hospitalized (October 15 to 28) – Total 468
- Not vaccinated: 316 (67.5%)
- Partially vaccinated: 28 (6.0%)
- Fully vaccinated: 124 (26.5%)
Past week, cases per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (October 22 to 28)
- Not vaccinated: 291.5
- Partially vaccinated: 80.8
- Fully vaccinated: 33.1
Past two weeks, cases hospitalized per 100,000 population after adjusting for age (October 15 to 28)
- Not vaccinated: 59.1
- Partially vaccinated: 12
- Fully vaccinated: 2.7