Skip to content

Campbell River offers bylaw officers to enforce public health orders

Province has issued orders for a coordinated response to support public health
21100392_web1_170426-CRM-tax-rate_1

The City of Campbell River is onboard with the province’s coordinated response to support public health and ensure essential goods and services remain available.

With Thursday’s announcement that the Province of British Columbia will use extraordinary powers in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the City of Campbell River says it is preparing to help.

Under the Emergency Program Act, the province has issued orders for a coordinated response to support public health and ensure essential goods and services remain available. This includes allowing municipal bylaw officers to support enforcement of public health orders for business closures and gatherings, in line with offences under the Public Health Act.

“The city will continue to work with and assist the provincial government,” says city manager Deborah Sargent. “We are planning to be as responsive as possible with the resources we have available to help share information and enforce public health orders. We are currently evaluating all options to support the province and ensure that people follow those orders.”

The city’s bylaw officers will help enforce public health orders by:

· Prohibiting gatherings larger than 50 people

· Monitoring facilities and areas closed to the public by a public health order

· Providing warnings, information and advice to businesses and members of the public about public health orders, including warnings to businesses and members of the public who may be acting in contravention of a public health order

· Enforcing closure of establishments serving liquor that do not offer meal service (such as nightclubs) as well as personal service establishments, such as nail salons, tattoo parlours, barbershops, beauty parlours, health spas and massage parlours

· Enforcing safe operating conditions at retail liquor establishments and where meals and drinks are prepared and served

· Providing health officers with information in respect of potential contraventions of a public health order

The provincial government has confirmed that any business or service that has not been ordered to close, and is also not identified on the essential service list, may stay open if it can adapt its services and workplace to the orders and recommendations of the PHO.

Public health orders for all citizens include:

· People returning from traveling outside Canada must be quarantined for 14 days.

· People who are not required to be in quarantine are to go out only for essential goods and services – and to do that safely by maintaining the required social distance.

Full versions of the orders can be found on the Province’s website at: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/office-of-the-provincial-health-officer/current-health-topics/covid-19-novel-coronavirus

RELATED: COVID-19: Here’s what is considered an essential service in B.C.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter