Creston, BC – April 7, 2020:  As the Easter long weekend approaches, the Town of Creston Council and Staff will be staying close to home, not engaging in non-essential travel and above all, staying connected virtually with family and friends. We strongly encourage our residents to do the same.

Take Care of Your Mental Health: We are all experiencing varying degrees of stress, anxiety and apprehension in response to the uncertainty and the ever-changing environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These are normal reactions to unprecedented and unnerving events. While we focus on measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, it is important to ensure that we are also monitoring and caring for our mental health. The Town of Creston has updated our COVID-19 information page to include links to free mental health resources: http://www.creston.ca/2415/COVID-19-Mental-Health.

Inter-Provincial Travel: The Province of British Columbia declared a State of Emergency on March 18, 2020. Declaring a Provincial State of Emergency ensures a coordinated province wide response to the COVID-19 crisis. During this time, our Provincial Medical Health Officer (PMHO) Dr. Bonnie Henry has issued a series of orders , as has Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, who has issued a series of ministerial orders.  At this time, these orders do not speak to inter-provincial travel. At today’s Provincial COVID-19 press conference, Dr. Bonnie Henry stated that she does not believe closing the Alberta/British Columbia border is necessary at this point. Further, there is no authority or legal ability by a local government, except by the direction of the Province, to prohibit the movement of people between Provinces, municipalities or communities. For additional questions please contact:

• Public Health Agency of Canada: 1-833-784-4397,  phac.covid19.aspc@canada.ca
• Service BC:  1 -888- COVID 19
• Health Link BC: 8-1-1

Media Contact:

• Kirsten Dunbar
• EOC Information Officer
• kirsten.dunbar@creston.ca
• 250 428-2214 (231)