The City of Cranbrook, in conjunction with the Regional District of East Kootenay, has activated a regional emergency operations centre, according to a video address from Mayor Lee Pratt.
Speaking on behalf of city council, Mayor Pratt said the move was made in response to ‘unprecedented and very difficult times’ surrounding the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across the country, city staff and council have been working together to help minimize the impact and to see a recovery take place as soon as possible,” Pratt said.
Message From The Mayor - March 20, 2020 from City of Cranbrook on Vimeo.
Pratt said the city is focused on preserving critical infrastructure such as water, sewer, garbage collection and fire and emergency response. He noted that while the city has closed offices and facilities to the public, some services, such as planning, engineering services, and building inspections, can still be accessed over the phone through appointments.
Pratt also highlighted the strain the pandemic has placed on the economy and the business community, noting the city has set up a regional economic resiliency task force.
“We are very concerned with the health and well being of our business community,” Pratt s aid. “We have set up an economic resiliency task force with a number of stakeholders to create and implement strategies to help now and support future recovery from this pandemic.”
Pratt closed by asking the public to heed the advice from the federal and provincial health authorities, such as practicing social distancing, washing hands and limiting social interactions.
“We, the citizens of Cranbrook, will recover in time but it will take united leadership at every step of the way and people acting with courage and kindness,” he said.
trevor.crawley@cranbrooktownsman.com
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