Title
Affirming the Declaration of Local Emergency issued March 15, 2020 by Mayor Melvin Carter III.
Body
WHEREAS, Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019, commonly known as COVID-19, a respiratory disease that can result in serious illness or death, is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is a new strain of coronavirus that had not been previously identified in humans and can easily spread from person to person; and
WHEREAS, the CDC has identified the potential public health threat posed by COVID-19, and has advised that person-to-person spread of COVID-19 will continue to occur; and
WHEREAS, Ramsey County has had multiple positive test results for COVID-19; and,
WHEREAS, on January 31, 2020, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declared a public health emergency for COVID-19, beginning on January 27, 2020; and
WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020 President Donald Trump declared that the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States constitutes a National Emergency; and
WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, Governor Tim Walz declared a Peacetime State of Emergency to authorize any and all necessary resources to be used in support of the COVID-19 response; and
WHEREAS, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Minnesota Department of Public Health recommend that any individual with confirmed COVID-19 should remain under home isolation precautions until the risk of secondary transmission to others is thought to be low; and
WHEREAS, during this pandemic, it is possible that individuals who are not diagnosed with COVID-19 will be placed in quarantine to control or prevent further spread of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, the necessary resources to respond to and recover from this pandemic will exceed those resources available within the City, and additional resources will be needed from Ramsey County, and state and federal sources; and
WHEREAS, on March 15, 2020, Mayor Melvin Carter III declared a local state of emergency pursuant to Minn. Stat. 12.29; and
WHEREAS, Minn. Stat. 12.29 and St. Paul Administrative Code Section 13.06 provides that a local state of emergency not be continued for a period in excess of three days except by, or with, the consent of City Council; and
WHEREAS, Council finds it necessary to continue the state of emergency; and
WHEREAS, in the judgement of the Council immediate consideration of the emergency declaration is required; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that Council hereby continues the local state of emergency for a period of 90 days.