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State of local emergency declared by Mayor Don Scott

Last Updated Mar 20, 2020 at 5:30 pm MDT

PHOTO. Nathalia Cordeau-Hilliard. Reporter.

The municipality has declared a state of local emergency (SOLE).

Mayor Don Scott made the declaration at 4 p.m. March 20.

The move was made to assist the province’s efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Director of Emergency Management, Scott Davis said that the decision was made due to a “host of factors.”

“I didn’t feel it was prudent to go through the weekend and not take some aggressive steps and wait until Monday,” said Davis.

Not only does SOLE provide additional resources, it also provides special powers under the Emergency Management Act.

Extra resources may include supplies needed by people such as Regional Emergency Services such as gloves, ventilators and masks.

Davis said that by declaring SOLE it allows the municipality to access a higher level of procurement for those items.

 

The municipality will now have the ability to relocate staff, prohibit travel to or from any area of the municipality and take over properties to help fight the spread of the virus.

It would also take care of our homeless population by potentially using different facilities to support them.

“If we need to protect somebody in our region, we are well positioned to do that now with these additional powers that we can employ,” said Mayor Scott. 

Davis said that the municipality has refreshed the region’s pandemic plan, which will be shared with senior leadership.

Mayor Scott added that 60 swabs were taken yesterday at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre.

As of Friday afternoon there were 195 cases of COVID-19 in the province.