COQUITLAM, BC, June 22, 2021 – Coquitlam has adopted a new 2021 COVID-19 Restart Framework to provide a clear path for how City services and facilities will return to normal operations post-pandemic.
The City’s Framework, available at www.coquitlam.ca/covid19, aligns with BC’s Restart: A plan to bring us back together, and is in step with public health guidance by B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer (PHO) for the safe return to normal.
This Framework ensures that Coquitlam is well-positioned for a safe, gradual and organized recovery from COVID-19.
What to Expect from Coquitlam’s Framework
Coquitlam’s Framework is broken out into four phases, with dates aligning with BC’s Restart, and covers the range of City services and facilities:
- Recreation Activities – over the coming weeks, gradually expanding programming options and capacity, as permitted by the PHO, and reinstating the One Pass and previous fee structure in September.
- Council / Public Hearings / Advisory Committee Meetings – will continue in a hybrid in person / online model, with public in-person attendance as permitted by PHO orders.
- Events / Public Engagement – gradually increasing indoor gatherings with safety protocols in place until a return to pre-pandemic practices anticipated by September 2021.
- City Facilities – administrative and engineered safety measures (e.g. Plexiglas barriers) slowly being phased out through summer and fall, and all City facilities are anticipated to be fully open by September 2021.
- Business Meetings – gradually increasing in-person meetings with safety protocols in place as permitted by PHO orders.
The City will also be gradually pivoting from recovery services currently covered under the Community Support and Recovery Plan (CSRP) to normal operations and considering opportunities to incorporate key new programs and initiatives into the City’s ongoing operational plans. As Coquitlam moves forward with these transitions, more information will be shared at www.coquitlam.ca/csrp.
Coquitlam a Leader during Pandemic Operations
Coquitlam was one of the first Metro Vancouver municipalities to successfully re-open facilities, including recreation programming and City Hall, beginning in June 2020. Coquitlam is also one of the few municipalities that was able to keep these important services open throughout subsequent waves of the pandemic, with the exception of PHO orders related to specific areas of the City’s business (e.g. indoor group fitness classes, adult non-fitness and sport programming, etc.).
Since the onset of the pandemic, the City of Coquitlam has been operating with sound operational health and safety plans in alignment with Provincial health orders.
Media contact:
Kathleen Vincent
Manager Corporate Communications
City of Coquitlam
604-927-3019
kvincent@coquitlam.ca