Red Deer’s Emergency Advisory Committee of Council has passed a motion to renew the state of local emergency for up to 90 days, which will take it up to Feb. 15, 2022, the city said in a press release Friday morning.
The SOLE was originally declared on Sept. 17 in response to the impact COVID-19 was having on the community and healthcare system.
During the SOLE, the Emergency Operations Centre was able to support in conducting a safe municipal election. An emergency order was also signed by the centre on Sept. 23 to allow the temporary emergency shelter at Cannery Row, which was set to close on Sept. 30, to continue operating for the duration of the state of emergency. With the renewal approved Friday, the emergency order will be reviewed and a decision will be made about extending the centre order for Cannery Row.
“Council is committed to the health and safety of our community. The decision made to renew the state of local emergency by the Emergency Advisory Committee, made up of council members, reflects this commitment,” said Mayor Ken Johnston.
“The state of local emergency isn’t an organizational approach to responding to COVID-19, it’s a community-wide response to help protect our citizens and our healthcare system from the continually evolving pandemic.”
Ken McMullen, director of Emergency Management, said the Emergency Operations Centre came to the decision to request an extension ” to give us the ability to be nimble in our response to COVID-19, recognizing that although positive case numbers are trending downward, our positivity rate still remains above the provincial average and our hospitalization rates remain high.”
“Our goal throughout this pandemic has been, and continues to be, to keep our community safe and minimize the spread while protecting our healthcare system. Difficult decisions need to be made during this time, and we appreciate the support of our Emergency Advisory Committee of Council,” said McMullen.
A SOLE allows the city access to additional resources under the Emergency Management Act, including personnel, from other orders of government if required.
For more information on the city’s response to COVID-19, visit www.reddeer.ca/covid-19. For information about provincial restrictions, measures and statistics, visit www.alberta.ca/covid.
Send your news tips
Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter