B.C. to end state of emergency as wildfire risk winds down
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 14 Sep, 2023 05:12 PM
The British Columbia government says it is ending the state of emergency imposed last month when thousands of residents were chased out of their homes by wildfires.
The government says in a statement the wildfire risk is diminishing in much of the province as temperatures cool, allowing most residents to return home.
Conservative and NDP members of the House of Commons health committee hammered the minister with questions about a timeline, a benchmark, or a set of conditions that would trigger an end to vaccine requirements for travellers and federal employees.
The province expanded eligibility Monday for the rapid antigen tests, which are intended for future use in case of illness and should not be picked up by anyone with symptoms of an active infection. Eligible individuals can pick up one kit of five tests every 28 days by showing their personal health number.
Videos of the charter flight shared on social media showed unmasked passengers in close proximity singing and dancing in the aisle and on seats as some clutched bottles of liquor, snapped selfies and vaped.
Police say Connor Russell McDonald, 21, has been charged with arson causing property damage and disregard for human life, mischief to property endangering life, mischief to property, and possession of incendiary material.
There are 271 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 49 are in intensive care. In the past 72 hours, eight new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,974.
Aeroflot Flight 111 entered Canadian airspace on Feb. 27 after the federal government had banned all Russian aircraft earlier that day in retaliation for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.