City of Cold Lake local task force monitoring COVID-19 situation, prepared to respond if necessary

The City of Cold Lake and Alberta Health Services (AHS) have opened up lines of communication and are monitoring the situation surrounding COVID-19, the City said in a public notice.

The response to COVID-19 is being led by AHS.

The City of Cold Lake has been working closely with the local AHS team to support its efforts as needed.

A local task force was established to share the most recent information, continue to provide support to the lead agency as necessary, and to assist with a response, if required.

The City of Cold Lake and its programs and services have not been affected, and the City has put in place extra measures and directives to ensure that staff members monitor their health, that staff members’ risk of exposure is mitigated, and that any staff members required to self-isolate can do so promptly.

The City of Cold Lake reminds residents to follow AHS for the most up-to-date information.

So far, the City said they have not been made aware of any local cases of COVID-19.

The risk of exposure in Alberta is still assessed at low, although AHS anticipates that this risk may increase in the coming weeks.

AHS is advising members of the public who have symptoms such as fever, cough, and difficulty breathing and have travelled outside of Canada or have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19 to stay home and call Health Link 811.

If such people are not seriously ill, they should not go to a physician’s office, a health care facility, or a lab without consulting Health Link 811 first.

Should such people be seriously ill and need immediate medical attention, they should call 911 and should inform them that they may have COVID-19.

Mayor Craig Copeland

“Our city staff is working with the authorities Alberta Health Services, the senior leadership, there’s a task team together, they’ve been reviewing buildings inside the City of Cold Lake that can be utilized for emergency if things really get bad here,” said Mayor Craig Copeland on the Morning After on Friday.

“And so they’re doing that across the province right now. And I imagine shortly, Alberta Health Services will sort of give some guidance. But we’re in the cities here to assist in any way that we can for sure.”

Copeland said the impacts to the local economy will be huge with cancellations of upcoming Bantam and Midget female hockey Provincials

“It’s really going to impact the restaurant, hotel industry massively. And so it’s a big kick in the head,” he said.

“They’re trying to shut down the ability for the virus to be transferred in a mass population. So we have to do our part to make sure that we, stem that curve of this virus and got to take it really serious. But we really feel for the restaurants in Cold Lake.”