Chilliwack – Following direction from the Province to adhere to social distancing requirements and to ensure enough staff remain available to continue the business of the City, the City of Chilliwack has made the difficult decision to temporarily close City Hall, Fire Department Reception and the Operations Centre to the public, effective March 19, 2020. Staff will continue to be accessible to the public via phone, email and virtual meetings.
“We have always prided ourselves on being accessible to the community, so closing our doors temporarily was a difficult decision based on the most up to date information we had available from health authorities,” said Mayor Ken Popove. “We are also looking at measures to maintain social distancing between staff members to ensure business continuity.”
Online City services through the MyChilliwack Information Portal at my.chilliwack.com will remain available to the public and staff will continue to conduct via phone and email.
Municipal Contact Information
| City Hall General Reception Phone: 604-792-9311 Email: info@chilliwack.com | Operations Centre Phone: 604-793-2810 After Hours: 604-792-2233 Email: operations@chilliwack.com |
| Chilliwack Fire Department Non-Emergency Phone: 604-792-8713 Email: firedepartment@chilliwack.com |
What the City is Doing
The City is actively monitoring updates from local, provincial and federal health authorities and is committed to taking further action as directed by these agencies.
Updates will be posted on the City’s social media channels and at chilliwack.com/covid19.
To help prevent the spread of the virus, the following measures have been implemented in addition to facility closures:
- Deep cleaning of civic facilities during closures.
- Reminding staff to take precautions and limit face-to-face meetings.
- Encouraging staff that feel unwell to stay home.
- Providing remote access tools for key staff should they need to work from home.
- Continuing to keep the community informed.
For all health-related concerns, please call 811 or 1-888-COVID-19 (1-888-268-4319) or text 604-630-0300.
Mayor’s Statement on COVID-19
March 18, 2020
Last night, I joined 170 BC Mayors on a conference call with Minister of Health Adrian Dix, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Selina Robinson, and Dr. Bonnie Henry to receive an update on the COVID-19 situation in our Province. The call was reassuring and I am confident that these leaders have the situation well in hand. In order to ensure effective communication between our levels of government continues, these calls will happen weekly, and I will share new information as it becomes available.
While we have not been officially made aware of any cases of COVID-19 in Chilliwack, it is important that we do not become complacent. As the number of cases continues to rise, I think we can now assume that there may already be cases in Chilliwack. As your City, we continue to work proactively regarding this rapidly evolving situation, and I am asking the community to do their part to help us flatten the curve. Put social distancing into practice and stay home, if possible. Practice good hand hygiene. If you feel unwell, stay home, and use the Province’s new COVID-19 self-assessment tool to determine if you need testing.
Mayor Ken Popove
Chilliwack, BC
