B-C provincial health officer Doctor Bonnie Henry is scheduled to provide an update this afternoon on the province's respiratory illness season.
It's Henry's first update of 2024 and she'll be joined by Health Minister Adrian Dix.
The most recent information from the province's centre for disease control says that in late December Influenza A and R-S-V cases were on the rise.
The centre said at the time that COVID-19 numbers were remaining stable or decreasing since early November.
Liberal MPs gathered Wednesday for what was expected to be their final caucus meeting of the year, a day after Canada shifted its stance to join international calls for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The decision came amid conflict within Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal caucus over how to respond to the latest eruption in violence, which was triggered when Hamas militants launched their brazen Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Police are seeking an Interpol Red Notice on a Surrey truck driver sentenced to serve 15 years in jail for cocaine smuggling who escaped to India last year. B-C R-C-M-P say a Canada-wide warrant has also been issued for Raj Kumar Mehmi, who was sentenced in absentia in November for smuggling 80 kilograms of cocaine across the Pacific Highway crossing from the U-S.
Police in Surrey are investigating a shooting early this morning that has sent one man to hospital. Surrey Mounties say they received a report of shots fired at a vehicle just before 2 a-m at the intersection of 64th Avenue and 124th Street.
On November 25th Pawandeep Singh, 27, was reported missing to police. He was last seen on November 5, 2023 in the 8400-block of 171A Street. His last contact with a family member by phone was on November 20, 2023. Family and friends have not been able to make any contact with him since and are concerned for his wellbeing. Despite ongoing efforts, he has not been located.
A 17-year-old Calgarian who was arrested as part of a national security investigation is to be prohibited from accessing social media and required to participate in an intervention plan that addresses ideological extremism. The teen, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was arrested in June and was subject to a section of the Criminal Code that allows for a peace bond if there's fear the person may commit a terrorism offence.
With a rush to build more housing across the province, the B-C government says it is adopting new building and fire codes for sustainability and creating homes faster. The Ministry of Housing says the proposed changes to the building code will expand the use of mass timber in taller buildings, while helping to reduce carbon pollution.