INNISFAIL – The doors at the administration building are open again to the public after being closed on Nov. 9 following the confirmation of an outside staff member being tested positive for COVID-19.
However, precautionary measures remain in place to ensure the safety of the public and staff, said the town in a news release on Nov. 10. Those measures include social distancing, enhanced cleaning and limited occupancy. The use of face masks in the public facility is also "strongly" encouraged, said a news release.
On Nov. 9, Todd Becker, the town's chief administrative officer, said an outside employee tested positive for COVID on Nov. 8.
He said the town office would be closed on Nov. 9, with some staff members being tested in Red Deer. Becker said COVID emergency procedures were implemented on the same day to clean and sanitize the administration building, as well as to complete contact tracing.
"It is certainly proactive to go a little bit to err on the side of caution," said Town of Innisfail Mayor Jim Romane. "This situation is one of the ground outside staff who has tested positive with very little contact with inside people but I suppose he might have been in the building or something at one particular time on Friday so they are just being cautious, double checking.
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"I am not sure yet to what extent they are going to do any testing but we are certainly taking all precautions," added the mayor.
Later in the afternoon on Nov. 9 there was a regular council meeting via Zoom. Becker advised council of the COVID case, as well as the emergency measures taken at the administration building.
The town stated in a Nov. 9 news release that it was unlikely that the employee who tested positive for COVID had close contact with any member of the public while performing employment duties. The employee is based out of a non-public-facing town facility, with the majority of their work being ‘field-oriented’ in nature, said the town in the news release.
Becker said the employee is “asymptomatic” – not showing signs of the illness but has tested positive.
“That individual is under (14-day) quarantine and will be receiving feedback from AHS over the next few days and giving this person guidance from there,” said Becker.
In the meantime, the town is moving forward to ensure essential town services remain uninterrupted by this COVID case.
“In instances such as these, the town continues to effect the provisions of its 2020 Business Continuity Plan, developed earlier this year as a means of ensuring essential town services remain uninterrupted in the event of a pandemic-related disruption,” said the Nov. 9 news release.
For more information on the Town of Innisfail's COVID-19 response, visit www.innisfail.ca/covid19
