City of Calgary lifting State of Local Emergency this Friday

Jun 11 2020, 10:53 pm

The City of Calgary is lifting the State of Local Emergency on Friday.

The decision coincides with the Province of Alberta’s announcement to enact Stage 2 of the COVID-19 Relaunch Strategy, which will allow for the reopening of movie theatres, gyms, pools, and many other businesses and services throughout the province.

According to a release from the city, a number of factors went into the decision to lift the State of Local Emergency, first and foremost being the stability of new coronavirus cases.

“Lifting our State of Local Emergency does not mean the pandemic has ended,” said Calgary Emergency Management Agency Chief Tom Sampson in the release.

“COVID-19 remains a public health risk. We will be closely monitoring the situation and may reinstate the orders if necessary.”

Calgarians are still expected to abide by the public health guidelines of maintaining physical distancing with those who are not a part of your household or bubble, to practice safe hand hygiene, and to remain home whenever sick.

“We’ve arrived at Stage 2 because of our hard work over the past three months,” said Sampson.

“Our case numbers are low and we want to keep them that way. I know Calgarians do, too. Let’s remain committed to practicing public health measures to keep ourselves and each other safe.”

The release also noted that a number of temporary circles have been painted on the grass in Bowness, Riley, Prince’s Island, and North Glenmore Parks to help Calgarians maintain physical distancing.

The chalk used to paint the circles is environmentally, child, and pet friendly and is expected to last for one to two weeks. If the circles are well-received, the release states, more will be painted.

Chandler WalterChandler Walter

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