Due to the COVID-19 situation, the City of Chestermere has declared a State of Local Emergency as of Tuesday, March 17 at 12:00 p.m. so it can pursue additional measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our region.
“We take this situation extremely seriously and this declaration means that in partnership with you, our citizens and local businesses, we can protect our community,” says Mayor Marshall Chalmers.
Alberta Health Services has confirmed that transmission of COVID-19 is now happening in our region which means that cases are no longer strictly related to travel. Chalmers expressed that this is very concerning as people do not necessarily know where they picked it up.
“This State of Local Emergency gives our Emergency Management Agency the powers needed to make the decisions required to protect Chestermere,” says Chalmers.
Under the powers of the State of Local Emergency, the City is announcing three changes for businesses and residents:
- Businesses must restrict the number of people on their premises to 50% or less of their maximum occupancy load. This includes staff. This mandatory requirement will ensure that people can safely practice social distancing.
- Businesses must have hand sanitizer stations at their location and require people to sanitize their hands before they enter the building. These are now mandatory measures for businesses in Chestermere. If businesses do not comply, they may face fines or closures.
- Residents are strongly advised to limit social gatherings in homes. Hosting or attending larger than normal sized gathering put you, and the people you love, at risk. We recommend that you cancel birthday parties, celebrations, anniversaries and parties until further notice.
CHEMA continues to urge Albertans to follow AHS prevention guidelines which include:
More information and local updates can be found at www.chestermere.ca/covid19.
