Red Deer city manager Allan Seabrooke. (rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Sheldon Spackman

No managers travelled abroad, city confirms

City of Red Deer has policies in place discouraging foreign travel by staff

Jan 7, 2021 | 10:34 AM

Red Deer’s city manager says directives to staff regarding non-essential international travel during the pandemic largely follow provincial and federal health recommendations.

Allan Seabrooke says that indeed means non-essential international travel is not recommended.

“If you do decide to go, regardless of the recommendations from the federal government, you will be required to do a 14-day self-isolation upon return,” he explains when it comes to City staff, “and you have to include that mandatory quarantine time in your vacation request. So in other words, we’re not covering you during that quarantine.”

For example, Seabrooke shared, “If you have three weeks of vacation and you take one week to travel, you will also have to take two more weeks when you get back.”

Seabrooke also notes that the Arrival Testing – International Border Testing Pilot Program in place at the Calgary International Airport will not alter the isolation requirements for City of Red Deer employees, admitting this requirement acts as a disincentive to travelling abroad.

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“In terms of penalizing or sanctioning any employees that have found to have travelled abroad, we do not have such a policy. Staff has not been told that they cannot travel out of country.”

City officials confirm no members of The City of Red Deer’s general management team travelled outside the province during the holidays or over the last month.

As for the rest of staff, the City of Red Deer is unable to provide specific numbers for employees who may have travelled over the last month as this is determined at a supervisory level.

Seabrooke suggests it’s important for The City to show leadership under current circumstances.

“We do fully support what the other two levels of government and medical officers of health are saying, that non-essential travel is discouraged,” he remarks. “We have to ensure that we take every precaution that we can here at The City to avoid the spread of COVID in our workplace.

“I think if we all continue to support the health messaging and avoid those large gatherings, we’ll keep each other safe and we’ll get through this,” he concludes.