The Town of Bentley is taking precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Alberta.
Several facilities in town are closed to the public such as the arena, the Senior’s Drop In Centre, the public library and some individual businesses.
“Obviously everybody’s following the guidelines that have been provided by public health and the Alberta Government and our job as a municipality is to reiterate the precautions that are being taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said Marc Fortais, Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Bentley.
Fortais suggests residents contact individual businesses in town to see if they are open to the public before venturing out.
Despite the closures essential services, such as garbage pick up, will continue through the Town.
The public works staff are taking precautions to ensure the services are maintained as well as ensuring it is being done safely by wearing personal protective equipment and decontaminating anything used to handle garbage, explained Fortais.
“I would also like to reiterate that there are no confirmed cases within Bentley or presumptive cases within Bentley at this point in time,” said Fortais in a phone interview.
“We’re sitting in good shape as far as the outbreak goes, but we just want to take the precautions necessary to ensure that essential services can continue to be provided to the community.”
Additionally, another precaution the Town is considering taking is to closing the doors to the Municipal Office.
Fortais says they at the Town understand the importance of interaction as well as the idea that some residents do not have the ability to use the computer or pay their bills online, so the they have a plan.
Changes will be made to the entryway to allow people to speak through a window with a mail slot where bills can be passed back and forth.
“We all have a responsibility in this,” said Fortais. “All of us have to take the time to ensure that we prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Alberta.”
“There’s a vulnerable population out there including seniors and we want to make sure that even if we stay healthy, and we’re potentially not impacted as other people may be, it’s really important for us to contribute to the safety of those that are vulnerable.”
The Town of Bentley website has a lot of information in relation to the virus and is being updated on a regular basis.
According to Fortais, inserts have also been put in the mail for utility bills and the Town is woking with the Provincial Operations Centre to ensure they have accurate information coming down as it is made available.
“It’s very important for residents to follow the guidelines that are established through public health and the Province of Alberta,” explained Fortais. “Our job as a municipality is to ensure that we amplify that message coming out so that people have clear and consistent information.”