On Tuesday, Dr. Bonnie Henry declared a public health emergency in British Columbia due to COVID-19.

Less than 24 hours after that announcement was made, attorney general Mike Farnworth raised the bar by declaring the outbreak a provincial state of emergency.

“COVID-19 is impacting all of us, touching our lives and our economy and I know it’s been hard on people,” he said.

“I want to assure British Columbians that our government is doing everything possible to mitigate risk for people in our province.”

Farnworth said a faster response is already needed to a rapidly evolving situation and that the government had to make swift decisions over the past 24 hours.

The state of emergency will give support to provincial health officers and minister of health Adrian Dix as they continue their response to this pandemic.

It will also ensure that federal, provincial and local resources are delivered in a joint coordinated way to protect BC residents.

Photo Credit: Government of BC Facebook

The declaration also includes the means to secure critical supply chains and ensure that people have access to essential goods and services.

In order to make these steps happen, the legislature will resume on Monday with a reduced number of members.

This will allow them to pass “important legislation,” which will ensure the continuity of government and provide important employment support to British Columbians.

“We will use any and all resources available to keep people safe,” Farnworth said.

The last two state of emergencies in BC were declared in 2017 and 2018, both because of wildfires.