Non-essential activities eyed as Edmonton plans new COVID-19 measures to combat surge of cases

Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson is warning of a potential disaster unless COVID-19 cases in the city are broughtunder control.

With more than9,000 active cases in the Edmonton zone, Iveson called a special council meeting Tuesday to discuss what the city can do to help curb the spread.

"We are on a collision course with calamity," Iveson said during a news conference Monday.

Iveson said the city will now consider what it can do on its own while city officials continue to press the province for stronger public health orders.

"The numbers are likely more significant even than what is being reported," Iveson said. "I think stronger measures are required."

Alberta Health Servicesposts updated numbers daily on its website.

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The city will consider closing or curbing non-essential activities, including businesses, Iveson said, calling it a last resort.

"It's really, to be honest, Plan B," Iveson said. "We would like the province to act within its authority to limit the opportunity for transmission in bars, restaurants, lounges,casinosand other potential transmission sites when the virus is clearly out of control right now."

Measurescan be put in place byadjusting bylaws, said interim city manager Adam Laughlin. That would avoid council havingto declare a state of local emergency as it did in the spring, he noted.

Laughlin said he could not be more specific as details of potential measures are being studied.

"[We're] looking at some of those non-essential services as we did in the spring and seeing if there's some additional restrictions that we can apply to those services," Laughlin said.

The city will look at stronger ways to enforce limits on social gatherings, headded.

Pushing the province

Iveson reiterated as he has several times in the past weeksthe best way to tackle spread of the virus is througha regional approach under the leadership of the province.

"Our preference is that the province use its tools under public health emergency legislation and that it act, in whatever it does, on a consistent and regional basis."

Iveson noted thatonemillion people live in Edmonton proper but the entire Edmonton zone is home to 1.4 million people who move from district to district.

He said he's had "open"conversations with Premier Jason Kenneyin the past week and that he's hopefulthe UCP government will announce firmer steps within the next day.

"It is extremely distressing and heartbreaking to know that within the span of a month, more than 250 have died from COVID-19 in our province," Iveson said.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshiis also calling for stronger measures.

The city will lobby the federal government to extend financial aid to businesses that have chosen to close, particularly those in the hospitality industry, Iveson said.

$152M shortfall

On Monday, council got an update from the finance department about the impact COVID-19 has taken on the city's coffers.

In2020, Edmonton lost $152.9 million as a result of the pandemic. Estimates show the city expects to fall short on revenue projectionsby the same amount next year, the budget report shows.

Additional costs for personal protective equipment and a drop in revenues from recreation centres and public transit both played into the shortfall.

The city isusing money from the provincial and federal governments, called the Municipal Operating Support Transfer funds, to offset the shortfall this year.

@natashariebe