MONROE, La. – Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo announced an executive order Thursday regarding water connections in the city.
Mayo stated that it will halt previously scheduled water disconnections due to nonpayment for the next 60 days. He also said this will be put in place to make sure residents and businesses can take proper sanitation precautions.
Additionally, he said all water bills will have to be paid, but he wants to make sure everyone has access to properly running water to minimize the potential spread of the coronavirus.
The executive order will go into effect immediately.
“I am working closely with my department heads to discuss and monitor this situation and additional safeguards as the need arises – including the possibility of postponing or cancelling certain events. Of course, we will work with event promoters if they approach us with the desire to do so. Earlier today, I issued a memo to all city department heads instructing them to take extra precautions to disinfect our public facilities. We want to look out for our personnel and the members of the public who frequent our buildings. For example, Monroe Transit will be doing daily sanitation spays and wipe downs of the busses in our public transit system. One of our bus drivers was under the weather today, and instead of putting them or our passengers at risk, we decided it would be best for that employee to go home until they were cleared by a doctor,” Mayor Mayo said in a statement.
“The number of presumptive cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to rise across the nation and we should expect to see numbers rise in Louisiana. I spoke with Governor John Bel Edwards about it this morning. We know this pandemic has the full attention of Governor Edwards, who on yesterday declared a public health emergency for the State of Louisiana. The City of Monroe will continue to work with public health officials and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency preparedness to remain diligent in our efforts to inform the public and minimize the spread of this disease. We continue to encourage Monroe residents to make every effort to use proper hygiene practices and follow the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce the spread of the virus.”
