The Mayor of 100 Mile House, Mitch Campsall, calls upon the community to stay calm but to take the threat of COVID-19 seriously.
Campsall said that now more then ever, it’s important to stay up to date on the latest information being provided by the B.C. Government and to follow their recommendations to the letter. If people aren’t staying home except for essential travel and are still gathering in large groups, he said it will just increase the time these restrictions need to be in place.
“We need to work as a community and all of our cities need to work that way,” Campsall said. “There isn’t much myself or any other mayor can actually do other than adhere to everything that is going on with the Ministry of Health and our healthcare workers. They’re the ones on the front lines, we need to protect them as they’re protecting us.”
Being cautious about how and when you go out is critical, Campsall added. This pandemic if impacting all of our lives, Campsall said, but he can’t stress enough how important it is to listen to our medical experts.
While he’s not sure if 100 Mile will be cancelling town council meetings yet, Campsall said they have closed town hall and have their staff working from home during this crisis. This is to ensure that the town’s regular services such as water, garbage and emergency services like the police are still continuing uninterrupted.
“The doors may be closed but we’re not closed,” Campsall said.
During these times Campsall said it’s good to remember 100 Mile House, by demographics, has the second-largest seniors population in B.C. As such he feels it’s good to look to your neighbours and see if they need help, as many of the community’s seniors are going to need help during the next few weeks.
“We need to look after our neighbour, sometimes it might only take a phone call because they want someone to talk to,” Campsall said. “It might seem like a little thing but that might mean the world to somebody.”
The Hillside Community Church, for example, is offering to help ensure medication and food are being delivered to senior citizens unable to get out of their homes right now.
Overall, Campsall would just like to remind the community once more that the only way COVID-19 can be contained and ultimately beaten is if we all work together to stop it. Grocery stores will continue to receive their products he said and that hoarding is not needed.
