Mayor Ted Clugston and city clerk Angela Cruickshank conduct Monday's city council meeting at city hall. Clugston told reporters afterward that he's disappointed the province hasn't taken a more regionalized approach to lifting some pandemic restrictions on business operations.--News photo Collin gGallant
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
Mayor Ted Clugston says he’s tired of being compared to Lethbridge, and the local area should be allowed greater leeway when it comes to pandemic restrictions.
Speaking after Monday’s council meeting, Clugston said he was disappointed to see only minor adjustments to the province’s reopening plan, and that his calls to bring in a regionalized approach to reward areas where cases are low are falling on deaf ears.
“I’m completely disappointed,” said Clugston. “Three weeks ago we had measurable targets, and like them or not, you knew what they were. Now the goalposts have moved.”
On Monday the province announced it will allow low-intensity exercise, like some dance classes and yoga, as well as weightlifting, at fitness facilities to go ahead unsupervised, though with registration or appointment required. Libraries will also be allowed to open to the general public with a 15 per cent of fire-code capacity.
That’s much less than outlined in a potential revisiting of restrictions set for March 1. Provincial officials say the growth of variant strains and levelling off in the decline of new cases means more caution is needed.
Clugston says Medicine Hat continues to be considered in the South zone health region, which includes Lethbridge, where there were 199 active cases on Monday.
In Medicine Hat, where there are 20, said Clugston, businesses need relief and to open up more fully.
“We’ve asked for a regional approach and I’m getting a little frustrated,” he said.
“I’m reading that some doctors are telling the premier to not lift restrictions.
“I’d like to see each one of those doctors who said that give half their salary to a business owner or a restaurant owner. When you demand people lose heir livelihoods you better be willing to give up some of yours.
“I do think we’ve earned the right to move forward a little bit faster than other parts of the province.”
As well, Lethbridge city council voted last week to extend a local mask bylaw to the end of April, while Medicine Hat’s local face-covering ordinance will expire Thursday, though the provincewide mask requirement remains in place.
Local council passed its mask bylaw days before the province announced a blanket measure. Both require most people with some specialized exceptions to wear a face covering inside publicly accessible buildings, workplaces, cabs and buses, thought the provincial order actually takes legal precedence.
Clugston called the debate in Lethbridge inconsequential considering the provincial order is still in effect.
In his biweekly updates to council, director of emergency management Merrick Brown has said to expect health officials to wait for effects of lifting restrictions before further changes were made.
On Monday, he said city administrators were evaluating the changes announced Monday.
“We’ve seen the last 12 months, closures and reopenings,” he said. “We can’t always reopen at the point that changes are announced. At that time we have to put our plans into place and show that we can do it (safely).”
Beyond public facilities, Brown said the city operations pertaining to essential service delivery were working well.
