Mayor Steve Ferguson has declared a state of emergency in the County of Prince Edward.
He made the following comments to Quinte News Thursday morning.
Below was submitted to Quinte News
“We are sending a clear message to all residents that they must do everything they can to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. I implore everyone: stay home and avoid close contact with people outside of your immediate families,” says Mayor Ferguson, who took this measure in consultation with the municipality’s Emergency Control Group.
During careful deliberations, Mayor Ferguson identified the following reasons for taking the extraordinary measure in response to the pandemic outbreak:
- To show strong support for the provincial declaration of emergency
- To recognize the importance of the continuity of municipal operations during the pandemic outbreak in ways that support the health and safety of staff
- To ensure the municipality can respond to the probability of flooding as water levels continue to rise well above normal
“This declaration does not change the services the County of Prince Edward provides. We are committed to providing essential services to residents and businesses in a manner that ensures the health and safety of our staff,” Mayor Ferguson says. “While our administrative offices are closed, many of our services are available online, over the phone, or through mail. We have introduced additional safety protocols to protect staff who are carrying out other critical functions.
“We appreciate the efforts of our staff, members of council, volunteer organizations, and the public who are contributing so much to help our community during this challenging time,” Mayor Ferguson adds.
Both Warden Rick Phillips from Hastings County and Mayor Jim Harrison from Quinte West advised that they intend on making their declarations simultaneously with Prince Edward County as partners in the provision of critical services across the region.
For the most up to date information on COVID-19, refer to the Hastings Prince Edward Public Health website for local updates and the Ministry of Health for provincial updates.
