Health

Canada develops COVID-19 guidelines on when to cancel major events

OTTAWA - The Public Health Agency of Canada has posted guidelines aimed at helping event planners figure out whether to cancel mass gatherings of people as the federal government works to quell the po...

Mar 12, 2020

Trudeau goes into self-isolation over COVID-19

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife are in self-isolation over COVID-19 concerns, which has forced the cancellation of an in-person meeting of Canada's first ministers. The Prime ...

Mar 12, 2020

First presumptive case of COVID-19 confirmed on Vancouver Island

NANAIMO - Vancouver Island has its first case of COVID-19. Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, made the announcement at a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon. A man in his 60's was travelli...

Alex Rawnsley Mar 11, 2020 Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announcing Vancouver Island has it's first presumptive case of COVID-19. (CBC)

WHO declares COVID-19 crisis is now a pandemic

ROME - Expressing increasing alarm about mounting infections, the World Health Organization declared Wednesday that the global coronavirus crisis is now a pandemic. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who hea...

Mar 11, 2020

Illness to Campbell River players delays VIJHL playoff series with Oceanside

NANAIMO - The Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) has taken the precautionary measure of postponing the start of its North Division final playoff series due to health concerns.The Oceanside ...

Mar 10, 2020 A minimal amount of players hit the ice in Campbell River for practice on Monday, Mar. 9. Many of the Storm players are under self isolation for flu-like symptoms. (Mark Berry/Campbell River Storm)

Province announces first COVID-19 death in Canada, no cases on Vancouver Island

VICTORIA - The first fatality of COVID-19 in Canada has been announced.A man living in a Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver passed away Sunday night from complications related to the coronavir...

Alex Rawnsley Mar 09, 2020 Dr. Bonnie Henry announced more cases of COVID-19 in British Columbia, including the country's first death on Monday, Mar. 9. (CBC)

Bungy jumpers strip away clothes, stigma of mental health struggles

NANAIMO - Clothes, modesty and stigma were among the things shed at a long-standing fundraiser over the weekend south of Nanaimo.The 14th annual Naked Bungy for MHRP (Mental Health Recovery Partners) ...

Mar 09, 2020 Around 88 jumpers took the 150 foot plunge without their clothes at Wildplay, south of Nanaimo. (MHRP)

Canada funds development of COVID-19 'lab-in-a-box'

OTTAWA - Canadian researchers are developing a "lab-in-a-box" that could make it cheaper and faster to diagnose cases of the novel coronavirus, particularly in remote areas of the world.The project re...

Mar 07, 2020

Coronavirus may force government to ditch balanced-budget plan: Kenney

EDMONTON - Premier Jason Kenney says the novel cornonavirus outbreak is hammering Alberta's economy and may force his government to abandon its core election promise to balance the books by 2023....

Mar 06, 2020

'Risk still remains very low in our communities:' officials caution against Nanaimo coronavirus panic

NANAIMO - In the wake of eight more confirmed cases of COVID-19 in B.C., provincial health officials are urging caution and measured reactions to a growing global health concern.All the new cases in t...

Mar 06, 2020 The toilet paper aisle at a Nanaimo grocery store is nearly bare as panic over COVID-19 forces people into stockpiling supplies. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)