City of Vancouver declares state of emergency amid coronavirus outbreak

1:56 Vancouver city hall expand powers to crack down on hoarding, plan to protect people in DTES

The City of Vancouver has declared a state of emergency in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

It gives the city power to enforce public safety measures, such as closing all public-serving businesses or monitoring grocery stores and pharmacies to curb panic buying.

2:48 Vancouver mayor declares state of emergency in response to COVID-19 pandemic

• Vancouver mayor declares state of emergency in response to COVID-19 pandemic
• Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart calls on federal, provincial government to protect vulnerable residents
• Vancouver mayor asks for more help to reduce COVID-19’s impact local economy

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Police and fire officials can also enforce public health orders and restrictions on businesses.

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“We have seen empty shelves and panic shopping in the last few days. This is unacceptable,” Mayor Kennedy Stewart told a news conference on Wednesday.

“Stay home as much as you can, and on the rare occasion that you need to leave home to get essentials, keep a safe distance of one to two metres from others.”

Stewart has called a “virtual council meeting” for Thursday to further address the issue.

The city had already announced the closure of most civic facilities and the suspension of non-essential programs to curb the spread of the disease.

Meanwhile, on the same day, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth declared a provincial state of emergency in B.C. to address the COVID-19 pandemic.