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NL!L.ZP OR DINANCE CE ' � AN ORDINANCE CONFIRMING AND RATIFYING THE DECLARATION OF LOCAL EMERGENCY ISSUED BY THE PORTSMOUTH DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ON MARCH 12, 2020 IN RESPONSE TO COVID -19 AND FURTHER IMPLEMENTING EMERGENCY PROCEDURES TO ENSURE THE CONTINUITY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT. WHEREAS, on March 12, 2020 Governor Northam declared pursuant to Section 44- 146.7 of the Virginia Code that a state of emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Virginia due to the necessity to respond to the potential spread of COVID -19 (the "State Declaration "); and WHEREAS, Executive Order Fifty -One acknowledged the existence of a public health emergency which constitutes a disaster as defined by Virginia Code Section 44- 146.16 arising from the public health threat presented by a communicable disease anticipated to spread; and WHEREAS, on March 12, 2020 Dr. L. Pettis Patton, in her capacity as Director of Emergency Management for the City pursuant to Article XIII of Chapter 2 of the Code of the City of Portsmouth, Virginia, issued a Declaration of Local Emergency Due to Novel Coronavirus (COVID -19) Impacting Portsmouth, Virginia", a copy of which is attached as Exhibit A (the "Declaration'); and WHEREAS, because City Council was not able to meet within 14 days of the issuance of the Declaration, on March 23, 2020 Dr. Patton issued an Extension of Declaration of Local Emergency Due to Novel Coronavirus (COVID -19) Impacting Portsmouth, Virginia, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit B (the Extension'); and WHEREAS, the Declaration and Extension are collectively referred to hereinafter as the "Local Declaration"; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 2- 658(d) of the City Code, and Section 44- 146.21(A) of the Code of Virginia, it is incumbent upon City Council to confirm, modify, extend or cancel the Local Declaration; and WHEREAS, there have been numerous cases of COVID -19 in Portsmouth, the Hampton Roads region, and the Commonwealth of Virginia; and WHEREAS, Governor Northam and other state and federal representatives have warned that it could take months to effectively deal with COVID -19; and WHEREAS, the medical and epidemiological communities have urged the practice of "social distancing" to "flatten the curve" by slowing the spread of COVID-19, thereby preventing the overrun of hospital facilities; and WHEREAS, both the federal and state governments have declared ongoing states of emergency and imposed restrictions to enforce social distancing, and