The City of Wetaskiwin is no longer under a state of local emergency. The decision to lift the state of local emergency was made effective the evening of Wednesday June 17, 2020 after 85 consecutive days—a record for the municipality.
The state of local emergency was originally declared on March 24, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The state of local emergency allowed the City to access necessary resources to address any potential outbreaks of COVID-19 within the community and gave the City the ability to enforce any additional restrictions and closures required to protect public health.
“I want to thank everyone who helped us get through the emergency portion of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Wetaskiwin Mayor Tyler Gandam. “I know it wasn’t easy for anyone, and the fact we were able to keep our local number of cases low is a testament to the sacrifices you made as a community. Thank you for your ongoing support.”
The City is now moving into Phase 2 of the provincial re-launch strategy and is currently planning the re-opening of City facilities to the public.
“This does not mean, however, that the pandemic itself is over,” said Robert Osmond, City of Wetaskiwin Director of Emergency Management. “We still need to abide by all provincial public health orders—including adhering to physical distancing requirements.”
At the Emergency Advisory Committee meeting held on June 17, City Council directed Administration to bring back options and timelines for resuming normal City operations in a staged approach with restrictions. This will be discussed in detail at the regular June 22, 2020 Wetaskiwin City Council meeting. A virtual link to the meeting will be available online at www.wetaskiwin.ca.
shaela.dansereau@pipestoneflyer.ca
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