The Town of Strathmore has declared a State of Local Emergency to support the Province of Alberta’s efforts to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This declaration provides authority to the Director of Emergency Management to ensure compliance of local initiatives that support Alberta Health Services guidelines around COVID-19.
This will include limiting the establishments in Strathmore to 50 per cent of the licensed occupancy, at this time this will not include grocery stores, pharmacies or shopping centres. Alberta Health Services (AHS) facilities are also currently exempt.
The town is asking that employers begin to move towards teleworking, exceptions may be allowed on a case-by-case basis.
On Monday morning the town announced the closure of all recreation facilities as well as the Strathmore Municipal Library and the Happy Gang Seniors Drop-in Centre.
Mayor Pat Fule said, "My most important duty as Mayor of Strathmore is to protect the welfare of our community. Earlier today I signed a Declaration of a State of Local Emergency. This declaration is a tool that delegates authority to town officials to enforce important public health protocols. We are taking this bold and immediate action to slow the spread of COVID-19. These extraordinary steps are critical to protecting our public health and safety. This decision was based on the best possible information from Alberta Health Services and the Town’s senior leadership."
The Director of Emergency Management, Trent West, will now lead the Pandemic Response Co-ordination Team.
The Town of Strathmore is working co-operatively with other municipal, regional, and provincial authorities to provide a coordinated response to the COVID-19 threat. Everyone in the community is encouraged to take extra precautions – such as washing your hands frequently, coughing into your sleeve, and disinfecting frequently used surfaces. Social distancing is a very important element to the current response, and the Emergency Management Team will be providing additional guidelines to support this initiative.
"I’m grateful to everyone who has stepped up to protect our community. I’m grateful to the front line medical personnel who are caring for those who are ill. I’m grateful to businesses and their staff throughout the community who are working under incredible pressure. I’m grateful to everyone who is staying calm, looking out for your neighbors, and respecting the guidelines we are implementing."
"By working together during these circumstances we will grow stronger as a community. You can rely on the Town of Strathmore to provide regular, informative updates in the days and weeks ahead."
The town’s top priority is to protect the health of Strathmore’s residents and maintain essential services. In the coming days, the town will announce additional updates to services and facility access. An update on affected Town of Strathmore services, programs, and facilities will be maintained on strathmore.ca/covid19.
Online services remain available through the My Strathmore portal at strathmore.ca.
Fri, May 3, 10:00 AM
