The @ottawacity, @ottawahealth & @JimWatsonOttawa not declaring state of emergency is putting people & businesses at huge risk. This short thread comes following a chat I just had with CEO of a local venue that has yet to close. I called them because I couldn't understand why /1
They're heartbroken, angry, and upset that the decision has fallen on them. They understand the need for social distancing, but if they close their facility absent a formal state of emergency they project bankruptcy within weeks as budgets are tight and their payroll is not. /2
However, were a state of emergency declared, then their insurance policies would kick in and allow them, and their hundreds of employees, to remain gainfully employed. They also told me that they've been on the phone with other organizations in similar states for days /3
And this is why we've been seeing random venues making agonizing decisions in the name of public health while some stay open even as the City shutters theirs, rather than everyone shutting down. /4
Admittedly, I have no idea what the ramifications are for the city to declare a state of emergency. I know they last did so during the ice storm. But given what we're facing, & the city's own responses & the messaging we're hearing from our medical authorities & public health /5
I can't imagine what the holdup is, as by not doing so, they're going to exacerbate a true medical emergency where the price might be actual lives, while simultaneously leading to the bankruptcies of valuable, large, local, establishments, and to a large loss of local jobs /6
Mayor @JimWatsonOttawa, I'm hopeful you can make this right. It strikes me as unconscionable that public health decisions which are being adopted by the City itself are falling on shoulders of CEOs & businesses because of inaction on declaring this to be the emergency that it is
Here is the relevant provision in their insurance policy, "....caused by the action of civil authority, including outbreak". What businesses need are a declaration, and an order to shut down to uphold city's public health recommendations 
And here's a story about the last time Ottawa declared a state of emergency detailing what's involved and where in it they note one of its roles would be to help with ensuring quarantine during a disease outbreak ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new…
