Title
Affirming the extension of Declaration of Local Emergency issued November 30, 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, on March 15, 2020, I declared under the authority given in Minnesota Statutes
§12.29, that a local emergency exists within Saint Paul, effective March 15, 2020, with all the powers and responsibilities attending thereto as provided by Chapter 12, Minnesota Statute, and Saint Paul Legislative Code, Chapter 13; and
WHEREAS, on March 17, 2020, the Saint Paul City Council, in Res 20-550 approved that declaration and extended the emergency for ninety days, until June 15, 2020; and
WHEREAS, on June 8, 2020, I declared under the authority given in Minnesota Statutes
§12.29, that the local emergency continued to exist within Saint Paul, effective June 8, 2020, with all the powers and responsibilities attending thereto as provided by Chapter 12, Minnesota Statute, and Saint Paul Legislative Code, Chapter 13; and
WHEREAS, on June 10, 2020, the Saint Paul City Council, in Res 20-874 approved that declaration and extended the emergency for ninety days, until September 8, 2020; and
WHEREAS, on September 8, 2020, Mayor Melvin Carter declared under the authority given in Minnesota Statutes §12.29, that the local emergency continued to exist within Saint Paul, effective September 8, 2020, with all the powers and responsibilities attending thereto as provided by Chapter 12, Minnesota Statute, and Saint Paul Legislative Code, Chapter 13; and
WHEREAS, on September 9, 2020 the Saint Paul City Council, in Res 20-1249 approved that declaration and extended the emergency for ninety days, until December 8, 2020; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to present an unprecedented and rapidly evolving challenge to our City. As of November 23, 2020, there have been 270,157 reported cases of COVID-19 in Minnesota, and 3,241 deaths; and
WHEREAS, on November 18, 2020, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued Executive Order 20-99 Implementing a Four Week Dial Back on Certain Activities to Slow the Spread of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, in EO 20-99, Governor Walz explained that the spread of COVID-19 in Minnesota is quickening, detailing that it took Minnesota over 6 months to record 100,000 COVID-19 cases, but only 42 days to add an additional 100,000 new cases and that with each day the new cases sets a new highpoint; and
WHEREAS, during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency, Mayor Melvin Carter has exercised executive authority through more than 30 Executive Orders to provide relief and further prepare our City for the COVID-19 Pandemic; and
WHEREAS, these Executive Orders remain in effect only as long as the emergency continues; and
WHEREAS, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Minnesota Department of Public Health continue to recommend social distancing, source-control and cleaning measures, detailed plans for businesses, and 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 November 30, 2020, Mayor Melvin Carter III again declared a local state of emergency pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 12.29; and
WHEREAS, Minn. Stat. § 12.29 and St. Paul Administrative Code § 13.06 provide 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.