City hall is ramping up its response to the COVID-19 outbreak including the cancellation of a planned community engagement meeting next month.
“The City of Chilliwack is closely adhering to the health guidelines provided in yesterday’s joint statement by the Honourable Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry,” Mayor Ken Popove said in a statement issued by city hall Friday afternoon. “In light of their announcement, we continue to review all city-run events and programs.”
City hall cancelled a planned April 2 Community Engagement Meeting, advertising for which had not yet gone out. The scheduled 7 p.m. meeting was set to be a way to get information, get feedback and ask questions of city council at city hall either in person or via a live-stream online.
A number of similar meetings have been held in recent years.
• RELATED: Weigh in on various issues at Chilliwack engagement meeting
• RELATED: Sparse turnout at first of three community engagement meetings – 2016
As for the regularly scheduled city council meeting on April 7, a spokesperson said a decision had not yet been made.
“We encourage residents to follow provincial guidelines, which includes cancelling non-essential travel outside of Canada, self-isolation for 14 days upon return to Canada, not gathering in groups larger than 250 people, and practising social distancing to prevent transmission of COVID-19,” Popove’s statement reads.
“I have personally spoken to many businesses and organizations within our community to ensure they are aware of the health guidelines provided by the Province and know that our community will continue to make good decisions in support of provincial health guidelines to lessen the impacts of COVID-19.”
So far, neither the city nor the Fraser Valley Regional District has moved to shut down leisure centres, arenas, public halls, or libraries. As for those city-owned facilities, Popove said any decision to close them will come at the direction of the provincial government.
A number of organizers have already cancelled planned events in the city including Hockey Day in Chilliwack and the All About Fishing event, both this weekend.
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• READ MORE: Chilliwack’s All About Fishing event cancelled over COVID-19 concerns
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