British Columbia remains under a provincial state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The provincial government announced in a brief media release Tuesday that they have agreed to extend the provincial state of emergency another two weeks.
Extending the state of emergency allows the province’s minister of public safety and solicitor general, Mike Farnworth, to be able to use “extraordinary powers” under the Emergency Program Act to support the government’s response to the pandemic.
“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 press release. “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.”
READ MORE: B.C. reports 146 new cases of COVID-19 over long weekend, 2 new cases in Island Health
The state of emergency is set to expire on Aug. 18, although it will likely be extended further, as the province has been under one since March 18.
B.C. can only extend a state of emergency two weeks at a single time.
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