Tofino Covid19 Announcement

March 16, 2020 COVID-19 Update (#2) As the situation evolves, the District of Tofino will be assessing additional measures and is committed to communicating with the public. Our website will be updated daily by 11:00 a.m. with any new measures or information that becomes available. TOFINO, B.C. – The District of Tofino is making changes to municipal services due to the evolving Covid-19 pandemic. At this time, we would like to sincerely thank our community for your calm and patience as we monitor the situation and determine the best steps forward for our community. The District’s immediate priority is the safety of our residents and staff, and the delivery of essential services such as water and sanitation. As public health agencies are encouraging social distancing in order to lessen the potential spread of the virus, effective immediately (March 16th, 2020), we are taking the following precautionary steps:   The District Office will be open to the public between 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.only. Staff will be available during regular office hours via phone (250-725-3229) and email (www.tofino.ca/contact). Please limit non-essential visits to public facilities, and follow recommended self-isolation and reporting procedures if you are feeling unwell. As of this week, Spring Break recreation programs will continue as planned. However, we will re-evaluate daily. Please check our website after 11:00 a.m. for updates. Spring Break programs scheduled for the week of March 23rd will be cancelled. Senior’s programming and pickleball at the Community Hall will be cancelled until further notice. Parks, trails and outdoor spaces remain open to the public. The District is limiting access to the following community facilities: To allow our Public Works staff to focus on essential service delivery, all public washrooms will be closed. Showers will remain operational for those rinsing surf equipment at the beach. The Fire Hall and Public Works Yard are closed to the public. Please check back regularly for information about Community Hall programming and rentals. Council meetings will have limited seating as we create space between attendees. Recordings are available online for viewing after each regular Council and Committee of the Whole meeting at www.tofino.ca/meetings. The Community Children’s Centre has implemented all provincial recommendations and is providing new guidance to parents about Sick Policies in the Parent Handbook. More information will be provided to parents at the Centre. Beginning March 6, 2020, the District of Tofino opened a Level One Emergency Operations Centre to monitor the evolving situation, support lead agencies upon request, and plan for potential long term impacts and disruptions. Right now, the District is focused on the following main goals: Ensuring continuity of essential District services; Promoting awareness and information to the public; Taking precautions for a safe and healthy workplace; and Liaising with and supporting lead agencies. With these goals in mind, the District has activated its Response Plan which includes increased cleaning of public facilities, an internal and external communications plan, and updated workplace procedures to support District staff. To view the District of Tofino Covid-19 Response Plan and find links to official sources of information, click the link below. See District Response Plan and Resources Media Contact: Elyse Goatcher-Bergmann Manager of Corporate Services District of Tofino (T) 250 725 3229 (E) elysegb@tofino.ca Copyright © 2020 District of Tofino, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have signed up to receive notifications from the District of Tofino. If you feel you've been subscribed by accident, or you no longer wish to receive notifications, please use the link provided to unsubscribe. Our mailing address is: District of Tofino 121 Third Street Box 9 Tofino, BC  V0R2Z0 Canada Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list (Unsubscribe sla1974@telus.net).