The City of Estevan has provided an update on its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a news release, the city said that during a public health event, Saskatchewan Health Authority, the Ministry of Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada are the authority, and the general community impact of the virus on residents is within their purview.
The City of Estevan's role is to keep staff healthy, align with directives from the health authority and to ensure essential services operate smoothly.
To reduce the risk of potential COVID-19 transmission, the City of Estevan has taken steps with their staff and residents to limit community transmission. All public-facing city-operated facilities are now closed to the general public to protect staff and community members. New policies have been created for the team to ensure that they are practising social distancing and any other recommendations that have come from provincial guidelines.
"We have closed all city-operated facilities that are typically open to the general public. This includes; the Estevan Leisure Centre, and all its entities, all park play structures and City Hall," said Mayor Roy Ludwig. "I want to reiterate that we want to keep these green spaces open for use, but users must respect the social distancing guidelines set out but the provincial government."
The Estevan Fire Rescue Service's building is also closed to visits from the public.
“The closures of facilities does not mean the service has stopped, but rather, some services remain the same and some, altered, to align with those provincial directives. Our top priority is the health, safety and well-being of the community and our employees with limited disruption of services.
“Staff members that can perform duties from home have transitioned to a work from home atmosphere, while others are performing their duties by practising the social distancing guidelines.”
“These situations are very fluid as requirements are changing on a daily if not on an hourly basis, and we are continually monitoring and adjusting as needed.”
