Health

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia lawmakers passed up the chance Friday to become the first state to approve new legislation restricting access to abortions since the U.S.

TORONTO — Harm reduction workers say supervised consumption sites and safer supply programs need to be expanded to prevent further overdose deaths in Toronto, a call that comes after several recent suspected opioid deaths.

EDMONTON — Alberta is to begin taking bookings for COVID-19 vaccinations and administering the shots for children ages six months to five years starting Tuesday. It's the last province to announce its vaccine rollout plans for this age group.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland headlined a White House event Friday bringing together pro bono lawyers, bar associations and public interest groups to discuss how best to offer legal services and protections for women seeking abor

People who call for an ambulance in Ontario may have to wait longer for one to arrive as health-care staffing shortages and recent temporary emergency room closures slow down emergency services' response, a paramedics' group said Friday.

MONTREAL — The number of new COVID-19 cases in Quebec is expected to decline slowly, the province's public health director said Friday. Dr.

Public Health Ontario says there were 367 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the province as of Thursday, up from 326 on Monday. The agency's latest report says most of the cases – nearly 78 per cent – were reported in Toronto.

TORONTO — Several Ontario hospitals were reducing service in certain areas over the long weekend due to staff shortages as an Ontario nurses union called on the province to tackle what it called an alarming situation.

MONTREAL — The International AIDS Society will re-evaluate how it organizes international conferences as a result of visa denials by the Canadian government, the organization's president said Friday in Montreal.

VICTORIA — The British Columbia government says monkeypox vaccine is being made available to eligible patients in most areas of the province. A statement from the Ministry of Health says cases of the virus are low in B.C.