PITT MEADOWS, BC – In an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the City of Pitt Meadows is ramping-up proactive public education and monitoring efforts to reinforce physical distancing requirements as set out by the Provincial Medical Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. City Bylaw officers will be on the look-out for businesses and individuals who are not complying with the two-metre separation as well as restaurants, bars and cafés that are not complying with take-out or delivery service only.
“Unfortunately, some people are still not abiding by the guidelines from the Provincial Medical Health Officer,” says Mayor Bill Dingwall. “These guidelines are not optional; they’re mandatory. While you may think you are low-risk and have an ability to survive this, you can still be a carrier. This means that you are jeopardizing the safety and health of others—especially those in compromised or high-risk categories. Your actions can negatively impact the lives of many others by causing loss of income, emotional distress, serious health issues and/or death.”
The City of Pitt Meadows enacted a state of local emergency on Friday, March 20. Under the state of local emergency, all residents, visitors and businesses are directed to comply with the following conditions immediately:
1. Restaurants, Bars, Café’s, etc.
- May only provide take-out or delivery service;
- Customers may only be on premises for the time it takes to purchase and collect their purchase;
- Businesses must ensure that when there are people on premises that there is sufficient space available to enable them to maintain a minimum distance of two metres from one another; and,
- No more than 50 people may be on premise at one time.
2. Respect the closure of all playground equipment and sports courts within the City limits.
3. Respect the requirement throughout all City spaces that all users must maintain a minimum of two metres apart, from those who are not part of their immediate household, including, but not limited to: parks and open spaces, as well as whenever safely possible: dikes, trails, pathways and sidewalks.
“This is a very serious matter and the City is fully prepared to take further action,” says Mayor Bill Dingwall. “Let me be clear, parents and guardians are responsible for their children. If we see young people not complying, every effort will be made to contact parents who may be held liable.”
City Bylaw officers and staff will be monitoring parks and businesses to ensure compliance. While the first steps are education, awareness and monitoring, the City is prepared to take further action and issue penalties as needed. Those who disobey this order may be subject to fines and/or a notice of business closure.
For the latest information, visit pittmeadows.ca/covid19 or the City’s social media channels.
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For more information please contact:
Carolyn Baldridge,
Manager of Communications & Community Engagement
City of Pitt Meadows
cbaldridge@pittmeadows.ca