Mayor Jim Watson has declared a state of emergency in Ottawa on Wednesday in response to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
In the declaration tabled at the start of council’s first-ever virtual meeting on Wednesday, Watson wrote that COVID-19 “constitutes a danger of major proportions that could result in serious harm to residents of the city of Ottawa.” Declaring a state of emergency will help the city deploy emergency operations and staff in a more “nimble” way, enable a more “flexible” procurement process to purchase equipment that front-line workers need and support the public health team, Watson said in his remarks. [ Signup for our Health IQ newsletter for latest coronavirus updates ] The mayor is one of only two council members