St. Patrick's Day revellers urged to follow public health guidelines

Public health officials are urging St. Patrick's Day revellers to follow physical distancing and other anti-pandemic guidelines today.
The main concern is that gatherings and celebrations could turn into COVID-19 super-spreader events.
Some provinces and cities have put new restrictions in place; others will rely on existing measures.
The Irish embassy in Ottawa is holding a virtual event instead of a traditional reception.
British Columbia has ordered bars and restaurants to stop serving alcohol at 8 p.m., while pubs in Atlantic Canada will be closed or have limited seating,
Niagara Falls will be lit green for 15 minutes on the hour tonight.
-
WATCH: D.C. Jeffrey Northrup's funeral
Toronto Constable Northrup was killed while responding to a call downtown. His funeral will be held at BMO Field -
Ontario unveils three-step reopening plan, starting with outdoor activities
As of May 22, outdoor recreational amenities – like golf courses and tennis courts – will be allowed to reopen, the government said -
Stricter public health measures in two Ontario regions as vaccine push continues
Hamilton is going into the strictest grey-lockdown phase of Ontario's pandemic response plan today, while the Eastern Ontario Health Unit enters the second-strictest red zone. -
Canada's vaccine rollout shifts into high-gear this week
The federal public health agency says it's expecting nearly 1.2 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine this week. -
UPDATE: Four taken to hospital in Oshawa house fire; four residents unaccounted for
Oshawa Fire says in a series of tweets that crews responded to a fire on Olive Avenue between Simcoe and Ritson around 1:00 a.m. Monday. -
No verdict announced in trial of Michael Spavor
The Intermediate People's Court of Dandong, China, says on its website that it held a closed-door hearing against Spavor on charges of spying and illegally sending state secrets abroad. -
AstraZeneca doses from US expected in Canada by the end of March: Procurement minister
"We will receive 1.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the United States within the next week or two." -
Three mass vaccination clinics open in Toronto today
The Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the Scarborough Town Centre, and the Toronto Congress Centre are all scheduled to open at 11:00 a.m. today. -
Georgia massage parlor shootings leave 8 dead; man captured
Shootings at two massage parlors in Atlanta and one in the suburbs Tuesday evening left eight people dead, many of them women of Asian descent.