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Faced with the unknown ramifications of a foreign fitness crisis and we decided to do everything we could to help protect the citizens of the city of Bonfield, Mayor Randy McLaren took the lead and declared a state of local emergency on March 26.
See the story: Bonfield declares a state of emergency
In retrospect, McLaren says he “has no regrets at all” of the resolution, with few precedents for paintings, which he and his at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian soil.
McLaren added: “So far everything has worked well for us. We who have not had a case of COVID-19 in the municipality to date. So, obviously, it was a wonderful success. I learned that it’s much more wonderful to act as soon as possible. I’d rather take the blame for throwing the gun at the protective people. I would do it again.”
The mayor feels that the declaration of a local state of emergency has conveyed to the other people in Bonfield the potentially serious effect that the pandemic can have on the city, without instilling concern among its inhabitants. Equally important, the measure pointed to an older and more vulnerable population who were and were protected.
“This gives us the flexibility to temporarily respond to any problems related to a pandemic,” he says. “Our emergency group, which is activated through a state of emergency, meets weekly to discuss strategies. We talk about the use of the park, landfills, payment of taxes, all of which includes the interaction of our citizens with the municipality and with each other.
At Bonfield, the resolution taken from the beginning of acting quickly, mcLaren says, and many neighbouring municipalities did the same.
“This situation, as it was going on, and if it goes back in March, we now have the merit of looking back to know that you can control it quite a bit using social estrangement and other measures,” McLaren notes. “But at the time, we didn’t know that and it was vital to draw the public’s attention to the fact that it wasn’t as usual.”
When asked what the initial message was intended to be conveyed to citizens in March, McLaren said, “We have to and we have to do it now.”
Bonfield Township remains a local state of emergency, as do 240 other municipalities, adding many of Bonfield’s neighbors, McLaren notes. North Bay has never declared a state of emergency. With the passage of Bill 195, many of the emergency measures have moved since the initial provincial declaration of the state of emergency.
How about a wave at the moment? McLaren says if that happens, Bonfield will act accordingly. And now the city has tried.
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