Drug overdose deaths are down by 24 per cent between April last year and this April, but still B-C’s Coroner says 182 people died.
Fentanyl remains the primary killer, with the drug detected in 82 per cent of test results for those who died so far this year.
The coroner’s service says nearly half of those who overdosed were between the ages of 30 and 49.
The latest figures lift the number of deaths since the public health emergency was declared eight years ago to 14-thousand 582 people.
The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear an appeal from the federal government trying to stop a class action against the RCMP over bullying and harassment. Last fall the Federal Court of Appeal upheld a judge's order certifying the class action.
The change is being made at the tail end of the Omicron wave in Canada, as new reported cases of COVID-19 have declined since mid-January. Duclos said the change is possible because of Canada's high vaccination rates and fewer cases of the virus being detected at the border.
The World Health Organization says it expects to reject the COVID-19 vaccine candidate from Canada's Medicago because of the company's ties to big tobacco. The two-dose Medicago Covifenz vaccine was authorized in Canada last month for adults between 18 and 64 years old.
Based on an inspection it was determined that the vehicles were intentionally lit on fire. Although this incident appears to be targeted, a motive has not yet been determined and the vehicle owners are not known to police.
There are 329 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 51 are in intensive care. In the past 24 hours, eight new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,953.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth has appointed a three-person team including two former deputy ministers and a public policy consultant to do the review.