VANCOUVER British Columbia is aiming to launch a provincewide online booking system this week for COVID-19 vaccinations as variants of concern make up a rising number of cases. So far, the Fraser region is the only one where residents can book an appointment online instead of risking an hours-long wait when booking by phone. The province has seen a surge in infections, surpassing 1,000 cases three times last week as more pharmacies administer the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to people between the ages of 55 and 65. That stream is running parallel to another that s currently vaccinating people in their early 70s as well as Indigenous people over 18 and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable.
VANCOUVER Health officials are warning patrons of a barber shop in New Westminster and a restaurant in Surrey that they may have been exposed to COVID-19. Fraser Health issued public exposure notices this week for B & J Barbershop and the Panorama Ridge location of Browns Socialhouse. The barber shop is located at 212 E Columbia St., and the exposure there happened from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 20. The exposures at the restaurant at 15260 56 Ave. happened more recently and over a longer time period, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on March 23 and 24, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 25 and 26 and 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on March 27.
VANCOUVER Seven Vancouver Canucks have been added to the NHL s COVID protocol list, bringing the team s total to 14. The NHL announced Saturday that goaltender Thatcher Demko, defenceman Tyler Myers and forwards Bo Horvat, Tyler Motte, Travis Boyd, Jayce Hawryluk and Brandon Sutter have been added to the list. They join goaltender Braden Holtby, defencemen Alex Edler, Quinn Hughes and Travis Hamonic and forwards Adam Gaudette, Zack MacEwan and Antoine Roussel. The news comes as B.C. set a record for positive cases Saturday with 1,072 new infections, up 1,018 from the day before. It remains to be seen whether the increased number of Canuck players under protocol will result in additional missed games for the team. Vancouver has already had four games postponed, and as of now the team cannot practice before April 6.
VANCOUVER One week after a man with a knife went on an unprovoked stabbing spree in and around the Lynn Valley Library, the community is coming together to honour the victims of the attack. Organized by the Lynn Valley Lions Club, a drive thru vigil was held at Lynn Canyon Park on Saturday evening between 7:30 and 9:30. “When there’s such a senseless act like we experienced, it’s really important for the community to be able to come out and show their solidarity,” said the club’s president Eric Miura. The club has experience putting on large community events even a few already during the pandemic but pulling off something like this in a compressed time frame has been a monumental task involving the local branch of The Royal Canadian Legion, the District of North Vancouver and a number of local businesses.
VANCOUVER Interior Health is advising those who attended a party in a restaurant at Big White Ski Resort on Monday to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19. In a letter to the resort, which has been posted on the resort s website, Dr. Silvina Mema, medical health officer for Interior Health, writes that those who attended the gathering have put themselves at risk of contracting COVID-19. The party at Charley Victoria s All Day Après happened on the evening of March 29, shortly after provincial health officials had announced a temporary ban on indoor dining that would take effect at midnight that evening and is scheduled to last until April 19.