By Liam Verster

COVID-19 outbreak prevention

Allard urges public to follow government mandates to prevent a COVID-19 outbreak

Mar 29, 2020 | 6:00 AM

Tracy Allard, the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Grande Prairie, is asking the public to be responsible, and follow the provincial and federal mandates in place to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Allard says the biggest way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is by regularly washing hands, and by avoiding public settings and public interaction as much as possible.

“People are getting antsy, they’re stuck in their homes and want to go out,” said Allard. “Even things like going to the grocery store, it’s absolutely an essential service, but don’t go hang out there. Go get your stuff and get out of there.'”

She says her family is following this advice, by not going out as a group to the grocery store, and by getting what they need and getting out as quickly as possible.

Allard was also out of the country and has been in self-isolation. She returned home on March 12, and has just finished her 14 day quarantine this past Friday. She says all Canadians need to follow this rule, and go directly into self-isolation when they return home from abroad, rather than going out to do chores or run errands.

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“I don’t believe it’s malicious, I think it’s, if anything, sort of a misunderstanding. People think ‘Well I’ll self-isolate as soon as I get my groceries’ or ‘I’ll self-isolate once I get my car insurance re-registered in Canada’.”

“No. You need to come home, do not pass go, do not collect $200, you need to go straight to your house, and stay there. You need to arrange for somebody to pick up groceries on your behalf, or call for a delivery, you need to make other arrangements.

“But I think, again it’s not ill-intended, you know ‘I just want to see my grand kids ,’ well you’re putting your grand kids at risk, please do not go see your grand kids. Go home, observe the 14 days, for yourself and for the greater good of your community.”

The Provincial Government has granted police the ability to fine anyone putting the pubic at risk by breaking their quarantine. Allard says it’s unfortunate that it’s come to this, but adds there is a lot of fear of an outbreak. She says her office fields calls daily of people afraid of a COVID-19 outbreak in Grande Prairie.

“By and large, I would say that residents are being very respectful, and there’s so many positive stories of residents seeing a need and filling a need and trying to help one another, I love that about Grande Prairie, but I would say that we’re at a point where enforcement is critical. We as a government have a responsibility to do everything we can to keep our citizens safe.”

She adds that very few people in today’s world have seen an actual pandemic, let alone one of this scale, and that people need to understand the gravity of the situation, and do their part to help reduce the spread of the virus.

“Take every precaution. These precautions are here for a reason and they’re shown to work.”

“And also know that we are doing everything that we can as a government to address the issue.”

Allard says Alberta has the highest per capita testing rate in North America and that the Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, has been taking this pandemic very seriously.

Allard adds the Provincial Government has also recently put $500-million into the Health Care Budget, in order to address COVID-19, and an additional $60-million has been put into the Community and Social Services Budget, to support people, specifically those who are most vulnerable.