City of Calgary lifts State of Local Emergency

CALGARY — The State of Local Emergency (SOLE) has now been lifted for the City of Calgary.

The SOLE was first put into effect back in November 2020 due to rising concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and was renewed back in May for 90 days.

WATCH: City officials provide an update on COVID-19 in Calgary.

“Calgarians have done an incredible job adhering to the public health measures and responding to the call to get vaccinated,” said Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) Chief Sue Henry on Monday. “While the SOLE has been lifted, it’s important to proceed with cautious optimism.”

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“This is an exciting time for our city as we look ahead to a life where COVID is a more normal part of our operations. We’re not there yet,” said Henry. “We need to hang in there a little bit longer, and continue to adhere to any and all health restrictions, and I would encourage you to make the choice to get vaccinated.”

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi says while this is exciting, it also doesn’t really change much in terms of operations.

“It’s really helpful for us to be able to move to the next stage in our emergency management plan, but for citizens, I will encourage you to keep doing what you’re doing. Wash your hands, keep your distance, wear masks, get your shots, and soon we will be able to open up just a little bit more,” Nenshi said.

Nenshi added that nobody wants to move backwards and that the future is in our hands.

Henry added that while the SOLE is now being lifted, the city’s adaptive roadway program will continue through the summer, and health orders and related bylaws will continue to be enforced in the city.

 

Mask mandate still on the table

 

As the province is getting ready to move into stage three of its reopening plan, many are wondering as to when masks won’t be the social norm. Currently, the temporary COVID-19 Face Coverings Bylaw went into effect on Aug. 1, 2020 and is set to remain in place until the end of December.

The mayor says out of safety, they will keep Calgary’s mandate in place for now and are consulting with local health officials as to what the next best steps will be.

However, Nenshi made note of what’s happening in the U.K. and that he doesn’t see Calgary lifting its bylaw anytime soon.

“I will note that today in Britain, a place where there’s already 50 per cent second vaccination, they actually delayed reopening by four weeks because of this Delta variant,” he explained.

“I’m quite concerned about the outbreak at the Foothills hospital — it’s a small outbreak and it’s been managed — but I’m concerned about the math behind it and what it said about the need for those second doses. So right now, my sense is that we should probably use a second dose based trigger for when we remove the mask bylaw.”

Nenshi goes on to say it’s about the best decision for Calgarians, and ultimately he believes the bylaw in the city will be in place only for a couple of weeks after the province makes its recommendation to eliminate them.

“If people keep getting their second doses at the rate they’re getting them, the difference will probably be a couple of weeks. So I’m speculating — but I would find it hard to imagine that we would not repeal the face coverings bylaw by the end of July at the latest.”