There is a special weather statement in effect. Snow is expected to start falling this morning. We could see about 4 to 8 cm for Surrey, Langley, and Abbotsford. Things should start to get a bit wet this afternoon when it changes to mostly rain. Officials are saying to Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions.
B-C health officials reported one thousand, 236 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. Experts and officials say the numbers are likely to be up to five times higher because most places have reached their testing capacities. Health officials say there are one thousand and 35 COVID-19 cases in hospital and 139 of those are in intensive care. They also reported nine more deaths, putting the total number of COVID-19 fatalities at two thousand, 625.
Dr. Bonnie Henry says COVID-19 hospitalizations in B-C are at their highest level and over 60 per cent of patients since December have tested positive for the virus after being admitted for other reasons. She says 706 people have been hospitalized in the last week, but the numbers appear to be peaking for all age groups. She says patients who contracted the dominant Omicron variant are going home in about half the time compared with those who are sickened with the Delta strain. Henry says 16 per cent of people hospitalized since December 1st have needed critical care, a much smaller proportion than in previous waves of the pandemic.
A new park on 191 Street and 72 Avenue in Clayton finally has a name. Surrey City Council has chosen Salmonberry Park as the new name for a small greenspace that was known until now as 58B Neighbourhood Park. Council recently approved both the name and the design concept and now the park will enter its design phase. The new park will be five and half acres when completed. It will have an adventure playground, a bike park, social gathering spaces, open lawn areas, and a nature trail.
Canada has selected its flagbearers for the 2022 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. And the Canadian Olympic Committee couldn’t have picked two more successful athletes, with hockey star Marie-Philip Poulin and short track speed skater Charles Hamelin chosen to march with Canada’s flag at Friday’s opening ceremony. The pair has eight Olympic medals between them.
Experts say the Omicron wave appears to be cresting but it’s difficult to predict what lies ahead. A Professor at SFU says Omicron broke through people’s health defences, while its quick spread left a higher degree of natural immunity. He says that means it will be difficult for the next variant to get a foothold because people either have immunity or have been vaccinated. He says the transition from pandemic to fully endemic, with something like the common cold, could take anywhere from a few years to perhaps dozens or hundreds of years.
Real estate in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley has seen its share of record-breakers over the last few years, but now, a new forecast suggests sales are expected to decline. According to the B.C. Real Estate Association (BCREA), MLS residential sales are forecast to drop 17 per cent from last year’s record high. However, the forecast also estimates home prices to rise by 8.5 per cent in 2022, mostly in the first half of the year.
Pandemic restrictions put Groundhog Day parties on hold for another year in Nova Scotia and Ontario this morning. Canada’s furry weather forecasters are split on whether we’re in for an early spring or not. Shubenacadie Sam did see her shadow and is predicting six more weeks of winter. This is the first year staff at the wildlife park north of Halifax have confirmed that Sam is female. Ontario’s Wiarton Willie told his handlers that it’s going to be an early spring.
British Columbia health officials announced today that there have been 1,776 new COVID-19 cases reported over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the province to 327,625. In a written statement, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix said that there are 25,959 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Of the active cases, 988 (-47) COVID-positive people are currently hospitalized, and 136 (-3) 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: 507 new cases, 10,360 total active cases
- Vancouver Coastal Health: 248 new cases, 5,221 total active cases
- Interior Health: 602 new cases, 7,664 total active cases
- Northern Health: 197 new cases, 1,104 total active cases
- Island Health: 222 new cases, 1,593 total active cases
- Outside of Canada: No new cases, 17 total active cases
There have been 18 new COVID-19-related deaths in British Columbia, for a total of 2,463 deaths in the province.
Ottawa police are expecting a resurgence in what officials have dubbed an “occupation” of the nation’s capital. Anti-vaccine mandate demonstrators have been clogging the city with trucks and demonstrations since Saturday. Deputy police chief Trish Ferguson says the size of the demonstration has dwindled significantly, but it’s not over. More people are expected to arrive in Ottawa over the weekend.
The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver says January home sales were down five per cent from a year earlier due to a lack of listings. The board says new listings dropped seven per cent in January from the same month last year and M-L-S inventory is less than half of what would be optimal to begin the year. It says fierce competition for a scarce number of properties has pushed the benchmark price up 18.5 per cent year-over-year to more than 1.2- million dollars. The board’s economist, Keith Stewart, says conditions in the market also remain tight due to a lot of people taking advantage of low interest rates.
Erin O’Toole is no longer the leader of the Conservative Party after a majority of his M-Ps voted to push him out. O’Toole says it’s been the honour of a lifetime to lead the party of Sir John A. Macdonald and Confederation. He says he believes the party needs to be both an intellectual force and a governing force. O’Toole doesn’t intend to give up his seat — saying there isn’t a bad seat in the House of Commons.
The Canadian Olympic Committee’s chief medical officer says only one member of Canada’s 450-person delegation to the Beijing Olympics is still in COVID-19 protocols. That person is not an athlete. The C-O-C announced this morning that women’s hockey captain Marie-Philip Poulin (MAH’-ree-fee-LEEP’ poo-LEHN’) and short-track speedskating star Charles Hamelin (AM’-eh-lehn) will be Canada’s flag-bearers at Friday’s opening ceremony.
Pandemic restrictions put Groundhog Day parties on hold for another year in Nova Scotia and Ontario this morning. Canada’s furry weather forecasters are split on whether we’re in for an early spring or not. Shubenacadie (shoo-bih-NACK’-uh-dee) Sam did see her shadow and is predicting six more weeks of winter. This is the first year staff at the wildlife park north of Halifax have confirmed that Sam is female. Ontario’s Wiarton Willie told his handlers that it’s going to be an early spring.
Surrey RCMP is informing the public of confirmed shots fired at a Surrey residence. On February 1, 2022 at 2:47 a.m., Surrey RCMP received multiple reports of shots fired in the 8600-block of Tulsy Crescent East. Surrey RCMP Frontline officers attended the area and located a residence and vehicles parked in the driveway that were damaged as a result of the shooting. No injuries were reported. Surrey RCMP General Investigations Unit has conduct of the investigation. Investigators believe that the current occupants of the residence were not the intended target of the shooting. Evidence suggest that a person or persons associated to the previous owners may have been the intended target. The investigation is ongoing and police are working to identify the suspect(s). This shooting is believed to be targeted however not linked to lower mainland gang conflict. Surrey RCMP is aware of a video that has been circulating on social media in regards to this incident.
“We are thankful that no one was injured, however this is undoubtedly a very traumatic experience for the family whose residence was shot” Says Surrey RCMP Media Relations Officer Cst. Sarbjit K. Sangha. “Victim services has been offered to the impacted family and a safety plan has been discussed with the intended target.”
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502, or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca.