Warmer weather is coming to much of British Columbia this week.
Environment Canada has lifted arctic outflow and extreme cold warnings for much of the province after several days of record-breaking temperatures and bone-chilling wind chills.
But Environment Canada says the forecast calls for snowflurries in the Metro Vancouver area by Tuesday, followed by rain later this week.
Temperatures are still forecast to remain well below zero Celsius in the province's northeast and Kootenay regions.
BA.2 was detected in Canada as early as December, according to Health Canada data, but a report last week from the B.C. COVID-19 modelling group suggests the newer Omicron strain could be spreading faster in parts of the country than the current dominant version, BA.1.
It's budget day in Alberta, and Premier Jason Kenney says there will be a massive infusion of money for the health-care system. Kenney says the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed a system that has too few hospital beds, labs and intensive care spaces.
Trudeau said he would be meeting Thursday with G7 partners and would work quickly with NATO and Canada's allies "to collectively respond to these reckless and dangerous acts, including by imposing significant sanctions in addition to those already announced."
Health Canada says its effectiveness and safety in those under 18 and over 64 have "not yet been established." Clinical trials suggested the vaccine was 71 per cent effective in protecting against COVID-19 one week after the second dose. The dosing schedule is 21 days apart.
The meeting at the Lester B. Pearson Building in Ottawa took place as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was meeting virtually Thursday with G7 partners to discuss a response. Trudeau said before the meeting that Russia’s actions will be met with severe consequences.
There are 653 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 in B.C., and 108 are in intensive care.