City calls for COVID communication
City’s emergency manager says provincial health officials have been slow to get virus information to municipalities, and longtime councillor wants to know why that is
City officials have often said they are following the province’s lead in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, but at least one city councillor is wondering why it’s not getting information sooner, if the city is on the frontline and the front of people mind’s.
Mayor Ted Clugston often begins press conferences saying that Alberta Health sets pandemic guidelines and that citizens should look there for information or with complaints or inquiries.
Director of emergency planning Merrick Brown told Tuesday’s city council meeting that his office’s responsibility is to respond to provincial health standards, but the city only gets updates of changing standards as they are publicly announced.
That happened last week, he said, when a limit on outside gatherings rose from the 15 (set in late March) to 50 people ahead of the long weekend.
Coun. Robert Dumanowski asked that if every city, town and county has an emergency operation plan, why aren’t cities getting more notice when rules change, especially if local police are fielding complaints from the public.
“Every jurisdiction and municipality has an emergency office, and most people are coming to their municipalities for answers,” said Dumanowski. “It would only make sense.”
Brown said that early on in the pandemic, restrictions were being developed quickly. Since then he has been involved in daily conference calls with AHS officials, but it doesn’t provide any potential schedule of when changes might be made.
He felt that every emergency response event should include a post-incident debriefing about improving processes. The local government would likely be addressed then, he said.
“We’ve been getting the information at the same time as the public,” Brown said during his 40-minute update to council. “I know the province hears us on this issue, but we would appreciate the information (sooner).”
Clugston said cities interpreting the same rules differently “can cause a lot of angst,” in the general public.
“If you close a skate park and no one else does, then in some people’s opinion, you’re the worst city ever.
“That’s probably maybe an unintended consequence.”
Brown said the city’s responsibility is two part.
As an emergency centre operator it needs to maintain essential services, like utility delivery, while local police enforce some health orders, such as gatherings in parks.
Second, the city operates a number of facilities — such as pools, museums and the Canalta Centre — that like any business, are subject to health restrictions.
The city closed many public buildings in late March, and is now contemplating how to best reopen recreation centres and public buildings, including city hall, as the province’s reopening schedule moves forward.
Last week, the Alberta government allowed a wider array of businesses to open, including retailers and restaurants.
The next stage would include further business and service openings, plus rec centres and others, but that has no set date, and officials say it will depend on how illness rates develop.
Even though the city could technically open facilities the moment the province gives the OK, it likely won’t happen “in sync” with that schedule, said Brown.
“We will take our time to have well thoughtout strategy before we reopen our facilities,” he said, adding that the city has cancelled all events on city property until Aug. 31, but the province may allow larger gatherings before then.