Title
RESOLUTION ADOPTING MAYOR’S EMERGENCY DECLARATION AND DECLARING SPECIAL HEALTH EMERGENCY FOR PURPOSES OF MINNESOTA STATUTES SECTIONS 365.27 AND 13D.021.
Body
CITY PROPOSAL:
WHEREAS, on March 16, 2020, City Mayor Emily Larson signed and filed a City of Duluth Emergency Declaration and Proclamation in regards to Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019, commonly known as COVID-19; and
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 Center for Disease Control 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, Minnesota 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; -
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 St. Louis County, and state and federal sources.
BE IT RESOLVED, that the council approves and adopts the Mayor’s March 16, 2020 City of Duluth Emergency Declaration and Proclamation; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the council declares that the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019, commonly known as COVID-19, to be a special emergency effective March 16, 2020 pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 365.37; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the council declares the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019, commonly known as COVID-19 as a current health pandemic and emergency pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 13D.021.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This resolution adopts the mayor’s March 16, 2020 emergency declaration and proclamation, and declares a special emergency pursuant to Minnesota Statutes 365.37 (special emergency exemption to competitive bidding) and 13D.021 (meetings by telephone or other electronic meetings; conditions).