British Columbia remains in the longest state of emergency the province has ever seen after a further extension on Tuesday.
Premier John Horgan has extended the provincial state of emergency for the tenth time on August 4 after the previous extension period ran out.
Minister of Public Safety Mike Farnworth initially declared a state of emergency on March 18 as a result of COVID-19, which was originally in effect for 14 days.
See also: 146 COVID-19 cases in reported over B.C. Day long weekend, no new deaths
It was then extended nine times by Premier Horgan, on March 31, April 15, April 29, May 13th, May 27, June 10, June 24, July 7, and July 22.
Tuesday’s announcement further extends the state of emergency until the end of day on August 18, 2020.
“In recent weeks, British Columbians have been reminded that COVID-19 case counts can easily rise if we’re not careful,” said Premier John Horgan in a statement.
“As we continue our slow and safe approach to Phase 3, extending the provincial state of emergency will continue to provide government with the resources we need to respond to any new challenges. This is not the time to let our guard down.”
Declarations of emergency can be extended by the province by increments of 14 days at a time.
The province has recently seen an increase in the number of daily cases, with more 146 new cases reported over the course of four days.
A large portion of these have been attributed to private events, social gatherings, and workplace exposures.
