Winnipeg city councillors to hold first electronic council meeting amid coronavirus

Winnipeg city councillors will hold their first electronic meeting of council next week.

At an emergency meeting earlier this month, councillors agreed to temporarily hold council and committee meetings electronically to ensure physical distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak.

On Tuesday, the city announced Monday’s Property and Development, Heritage and Downtown Development meeting will be the first of the new socially-distanced meetings.

Councillors and required members of the public service will have the option of taking part by attending in person or connecting by Zoom video conferencing.

Going forward all city council and committee meetings will be conducted electronically until at least May.

Winnipeg City Hall’s council building remains temporarily closed to the public so anyone wishing to speak as a delegation will only be allowed to do so remotely.

The city says delegations need to register by 4:30 p.m. the day prior to the meeting via 311 or by emailing cityclerks@winnipeg.ca.

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Delegates will be given a phone number and access code to take part in the meeting once they’ve registered, the city says.

The public can watch all meetings at the city’s website or through the city’s YouTube channel.

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Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.