Mayor Ken Christian addresses Kamloops regarding their declaration of emergency.

Image Credit: YOUTUBE/ City of Kamloops

The City of Kamloops has declared a state of local emergency.

This declaration allows the City to quickly and effectively address emerging issues for the purposes of enhancing preparedness and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a City of Kamloops media release.

“These are difficult and unprecedented times,” Mayor Ken Christian said in the release.

“The precautions, closures of facilities to public, and cancellation of programs and events over the past several days have been made through the recommendations and direction of our public health officials in the best interest and wellbeing of our residents and employees.”

Effective immediately, the City is temporarily suspending the collection of parking and transit fees. Transit riders are asked to board from the back of the bus and try to maintain two metres of distance between other passengers.

The City is also encouraging all residents and businesses to follow the direction of public health officials, including limiting public gatherings and practicing social distancing.

To protect residents and employees, and practice social distancing, the City will be decreasing non-essential services and implementing work-from-home protocols wherever possible. Council and statutory committee meetings will be postponed until further notice.

The following essential services will remain operating:

• Kamloops Fire Rescue
• Kamloops RCMP
• Kamloops Bylaw services
• Emergency social services
• Residential garbage and recycling pickup (includes commercial and multi-family)
• Landfills, recycling, and yard waste depots
• City parks, dog parks, trails, and public washrooms
• Kamloops Centre for Water Quality
• Kamloops Sewage Treatment Centre
• Building inspection services
• Building permit services
• Business licensing services
• Planning services
• Transportation and engineering services
• Social and community health
• Road maintenance, water, and sewer utilities
• Financial services

To stay up to date on the City’s response to COVID-19, go here.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Brie Welton or call (250) 819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2020