Amid the pandemic discussions and precautions, life does go on for provincial decision makers, and after being part of the approval process of last week's Alberta budget, Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche MLA Laila Goodridge says she and her Legislative colleagues are continuing to represent Albertans — with some of their own precautions in place.
"It is not business as usual," Goodridge told the POST on Friday, saying all MLAs are technically not sitting in the Legislature — but remain on-call. There are elected members of an emergency cabinet group making decisions, she assured, and all MLAs can be called back by Speaker of the House at anytime. When MLAs are called to the Legislature, like they were last week to decide on emergency management criteria changes, the seating assignments for the 87 elected representatives and Legislative staff have been changed to allow for the practice of social distancing.
MLAs spreading out
"The standing orders have been changed to all us to sit in any desk," said Goodridge, explaining that even with the reduced attendance over the last few weeks, when MLAs are called in, they no longer sit within just a few feet of each other in their assigned seats.
Until the COVID pandemic, Goodridge sat in the second row of the government side of the House, with Airdrie's Peter Guthrie to her left and Calgary North MLA Muhammad Yaseer to her right. Behind her was Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA Tany Yao and in front of her Legislative seat was Minister of Municipal Affairs and Edmonton southwest MLA Kaycee Madu.
Great response
The precautions, not only at the Legislature, but across the globe, are held in very high regard for the area's MLA who shows a sense of pride in her constituents and government for the response so far.
While confirmed cases are rising — provincial officials were reporting 1,250 confirmed cases across Alberta by the Lakeland This Week press deadline — there are still no reported cases in the Lac La Biche portion of her riding. The rural Wood Buffalo area recorded its first two confirmed cases on Sunday. There are four reported cases of COVID-19 in the city of Fort McMurray. Overall, compared to other areas of the province, the northeast has seen far fewer cases — so far.
"It shows that people in northern Alberta are taking this very seriously," she said, complimenting the legislators, front line workers and all community members who are practicing healthy protocols. "This is our responsibility and our duty to keep our communities safe."
Two confirmed in Wood Buffalo
For Lac La Biche County residents who may feel the precautions aren't as important to follow since there are no confirmed cases in their riding as last Sunday night, Goodridge says initial precautions may be working — but the effort has to continue.
"It's good to see the communities coming together by staying apart ... and it's not here — yet," she said of the Lac La Biche region. "It's not here yet — that we know of."
She said the precautions need to be followed closely, explaining that all residents in her riding — whether their communities have no reported cases or several — need to be reacting to the global pandemic with as much reverence as possible.
"This is not something to be taken lightly."
With a variety of avenues where residents are seeking information and details about the virus, provincial and federal healthcare and financial assistance, Goodridge said she is often asked by constituents where to find information. She advises all Albertans to follow the guidelines explained in the daily updates by the province's Chief Medical Officer and the Alberta government's COVID 19 information pages on the dedicated provincial website. Links to those updates, government contacts and regional information for residents in the Lac La Biche, St. Paul, Bonnyville-Cold Lake and the Elk Point areas are updated regularly at the LakelandToday.ca COVID-19 landing page.
"It's updated as soon as things change. It has lists of all the services and links to federal sites. That's generally where we send people for the best information," she said of the government's site, also adding that common sense practices continue to be some of the best ways to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus. "Continue to follow social media distancing and practice increased hygiene."
Above all, Goodridge encourages her constituents to remain positive.
"My biggest piece of advice during these extraordinary and unprecedented crisis is the need to act with extraordinary kindness. Reach out to your neighbours, check in on them ... We need to remember that kindness counts."
