Please see the full letter from Deputy Minister Tara Richards of Emergency Management BC regarding Policy 5.13 — COVID-19 Pandemic Response Task Number Eligibility:

On March 17, 2020, a public health emergency was declared under the Public Health Act followed on March 18, 2020 by a declaration of a provincial state of emergency under the Emergency Program Act (EPA). These declarations allowed emergency management officials to use extraordinary powers under the EPA to support the Province's COVID-19 pandemic response. To support community response, Emergency Management BC (EMBC) developed Policy 5.13: COVID-19 Pandemic Response Task Number Eligibility and the supporting eligibility supplement detailing the types of emergency response costs eligible for reimbursement, which provided certainty for First Nations and local governments to undertake response actions without delay due to eligibility concerns.

On May 25, 2021, the Province announced BC’s Restart Plan — a four-step plan to bring BC back together, which will be a slow and gradual return to a more normal life. With the announcement of Step 3 of the plan, the provincial state of emergency will be lifted end of day on June 30, 2021. As the legislative authority to reimburse incremental First Nations and local government COVID-19 emergency response costs is tied to the provincial state of emergency, Policy 5.13 will be simultaneously rescinded. Costs incurred while the provincial state of emergency was in effect remain eligible for reimbursement through the regular financial response claim reimbursement process.

If you have any questions, please contact your EMBC Regional Office.