The mayor of Fort McMurray said the northeastern Alberta city and surrounding communities are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 because tens of thousands of workers travel from across Canada to work in the oilsands.
Don Scott proposed several aggressive measures to respond to the pandemic during a virtual city council meeting on Tuesday, including an order that residents stay in their homes except to access essential services.
Councillors voted against debating his motion. “I’d rather be accused of doing too much than too little,” Scott said in an interview Wednesday. “This is the time to act decisively.” Oilsands operators rely on workers from across the country who fly to sites and stay there for several days or weeks at a time.