WESTLOCK — With local COVID-19 cases on the rise, Town of Westlock councillors will yet again discuss a mask bylaw for the municipality at their regular meeting slated for tonight, Monday, Oct. 26.
Mayor Ralph Leriger said the uptick in active cases, which sat at 13 as of Oct. 23, warrants another discussion by council — Leriger has previously stated the town will be placed on an Alberta Health Services COVID-19 watchlist if there are 10 active cases.
As per tonight’s agenda, Bylaw 2020-22 would require everyone in all public places to wear a mask and Bylaw 2020-23 would require only those entering town facilities and using the Community Assistance Bus to wear a mask. Town facilities would include all town-owned buildings as well as the space FCSS occupies — administration is asking that if council passes one bylaw that they defeat the other.
For what's being proposed see: https://westlock.allnetmeetings.com/pubs/download.aspx?ty=ag&agid=C3978320-B124-4A43-AEFA-E1DBA0C64443&atid=2A28FE24-ECD5-46EE-9C76-0593A5D7E322
Councillors rejected a mask bylaw at their Aug. 10 meeting and instead voted 6-0 to have the municipality continue its COVID-19 public education campaign. AHS continues to encourage people to wear non-medical masks in public when it’s difficult to maintain physical distancing of two metres.
“We’ve seen the numbers rise and we said before that making it to the Alberta Health Services watchliist would be the trigger for a further discussion. We’re not there yet, but it appears we could be there soon,” said the mayor, who delivered the same message to Westlock & District Chamber of Commerce members Oct. 22. At the time, only seven active cases were confirmed.
“The concern from the medical community is that cases are rising and that’s how it happens … once it gets a foothold it can spread really quickly. But it doesn’t matter whether we enact a complete community-wide one, or a facility one, or do nothing and continue to educate … we need co-operation. The premier is exactly right when he says that we cannot legislate our way through, or enforce our way through the pandemic. We have to rely on people taking personal accountability.”
Leriger says administration has been reviewing what other municipalities have done and he expects a robust discussion — while small municipalities have been resistant to mask bylaws, larger ones like Edmonton and St. Albert have had them in place since early August.
“We all know that we can’t survive another lockdown, so what can we do, what tools are in the toolbox that we can use to act responsibly and keep our businesses open?”What's a "watch zone?"
According to the AHS website, a “watch” designation means provincial officials are monitoring the risk and discussing with local officials and other community leaders the possible need for additional health measures.
Regions with at least 10 active cases and a rate of over 50 active cases per 100,000 population are considered to meet the threshold for “watch.”
As of Oct. 23, Westlock, which includes Westlock County, the town and Village of Clyde, sat at 95.1 per 100,000, Barrhead’s number is 59.3 and Athabasca’s stands at 15.2.
This story has been updated from the print version that appears in the Oct. 27 edition of Town & Country This Week.
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