Health

WHITEHORSE — Yukon is permanently expanding the power of pharmacists to assess patients and prescribe medication for common and minor ailments.

BEIJING (AP) — China says it will resume issuing passports for tourism in another big step away from anti-virus controls that isolated the country for almost three years, setting up a potential flood of Chinese going abroad for next month’s Lunar New

OTTAWA — The national public health agency says it's "closely monitoring" the COVID-19 situation in China, but gives no indication it's planning to follow the U.S. by requiring that travellers from China be tested for the virus.

As of Jan. 1 pharmacists in Ontario will be allowed to prescribe treatments for 13 common conditions, but that doesn't mean they'll all be ready to do it.

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong will scrap some of its COVID-19 restrictions, including PCR tests for inbound travelers and vaccination requirements to enter certain venues, the city’s leader said Wednesday.

OTTAWA — Canadians who were caught violating federal COVID-19 quarantine rules racked up at least $15 million in fines this year, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, but it's not clear how much of that will actually be paid.

OTTAWA — Canadian Blood Services is hoping to appeal to the generous spirit of the holiday season as it faces a severe shortfall of blood products after several days of stormy weather across the country.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Cara Berg Raunick watched with bafflement as Indiana's Republican legislators took less than two weeks to debate and pass an abortion ban that the governor signed quickly into law.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's governing coalition is arguing over whether remaining COVID-19 restrictions should be dropped after one of the country's top virologists was quoted as saying that the pandemic is over.

TORONTO — A Toronto hospital has opened a stand-alone clinic where paramedics can drop off homeless people who are intoxicated by alcohol so they can recover and then access services.