B.C. health minister says province preparing for potential COVID-19 surge
B.C. health minister says province preparing for potential COVID-19 surge
Preparations are underway to help British Columbia fight any potential surges in COVID-19 this fall.
Health Minister Adrian Dix says the COVID-19 pandemic has not ended and he's urging people to continue to stay safe and ensure they have been vaccinated.
Dix says the number of people in hospital in B.C. with COVID-19 continues to decline but that isn't the case in other jurisdictions.
The minister made the comments at a news conference announcing the government is seeking proposals to build a new hospital and cancer centre in Surrey.
Dix says there are currently no immediate plans to return to a provincewide mask mandate.
He says it's unclear what the COVID infection rate will look like this fall, but they're preparing for a possible spike in respiratory illnesses.
“So, no option is ever excluded. Right now we see overall the level of hospitalizations coming down for COVID-19, but we also see other places in the world with real challenges.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'We've been abandoned': Man dies in B.C. town waiting for health care near ambulance station
For the second time in less than a month, a resident of Ashcroft, B.C., died while waiting for health care.

Canadian home sales fall for 5th month in a row, down 29 per cent from last July
Canada's average resale home price fell 4.5% from a year ago in July and was down 5.4% on the month as buyers continued to sit on the sidelines amid rising borrowing costs.
British regulator 1st in world to OK Moderna's updated COVID booster
British drug regulators have become the first in the world to authorize an updated version of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine that aims to protect against the original virus and the omicron variant.
Canada less than halfway to Afghan resettlement goal one year after Taliban takeover
A year after the Taliban seized control of Kabul, Canada's resettlement efforts have lagged behind official targets and the efforts to help those fleeing the war in Ukraine. More than 17,300 Afghans have arrived in Canada since last August compared to 71,800 Ukrainians who have come to Canada in 2022 alone.
Anne Heche taken off life support, 9 days after car crash
Anne Heche, the Emmy-winning film and television actor whose dramatic Hollywood rise in the 1990s and accomplished career contrasted with personal chapters of turmoil, died of injuries from a fiery car crash. She was 53.
China announces new drills as U.S. delegation visits Taiwan
China announced more military drills around Taiwan as the self-governing island's president met with members of a new U.S. congressional delegation on Monday, threatening to renew tensions between Beijing and Washington just days after a similar visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi angered China.
Padma Lakshmi 'worried and wordless' over attack on ex-husband Salman Rushdie
Padma Lakshmi is supporting her ex-husband Salman Rushdie in his recovery. The 'Top Chef' star tweeted Sunday that she is 'relieved' Rushdie is 'pulling through after Friday's nightmare' in which he was stabbed multiple times while on stage in New York.
Colonial Building in Newfoundland won't be renamed after all: provincial government
The Newfoundland and Labrador government says it will not be changing the name of the Colonial Building in downtown St. John's.
Pfizer CEO tests positive for COVID-19, has mild symptoms
The top executive at Pfizer, a leading producer of COVID-19 vaccines, has tested positive for the virus and says he is experiencing very mild symptoms.