B.C. government extends record-breaking provincial state of emergency

The B.C. government has extended the provincial state of emergency until June 23.

The province first declared a state of emergency in connection with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on March 18. The province must legally extend the declaration every two weeks. The state of emergency is now the longest in B.C.’s history.

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Horgan told reporters recently there is “no likely end in sight” for the state of emergency.

The declaration gives the province extra powers to accumulate resources or control supply chains.

Horgan and his cabinet met in person for the first time in months on Tuesday. The meeting was held in Vancouver and followed strict physical distancing guidelines.

“This is part and parcel of our making sure that we’re putting public safety first, putting us in a position to better manage any challenges that may emerge and I’m confident that as the summer proceeds we’ll see less and less requirement for the state of emergency,” Horgan said.

“But we are coming out of the flood season and looking squarely in the face of fire season. So, we’ll see how that unfolds.”