With more cases of COVID-19 announced on Wednesday, and a state of emergency declared by the provincial government, the city of Swift Current moved quickly to announce that it would be closing both city hall and the Swift Current service centre to public access, taking effect on Friday, March 20, 2020.

These new measures add to the already shuttered recreation services that were suspended on Monday in what has proven to be a fast-moving chain of events in the city.

Mayor Denis Perrault took to Twitter in a video to explain the closures; explaining that while closed to the public, business will continue in a modified format, with an emphasis on social distancing through the use of telephone and online.

A large majority of visits to City Hall are for bill payments and to connect or disconnect utility services.

The city has announced the following adjustments to its bill payments:

  • Utility and property tax payments made via online banking will continue to be applied as usual.
  • Pre-authorized payments will continue to be withdrawn from customer accounts as scheduled for those that are already enrolled in the program.
  • Credit card payments can be made by calling 306-778-2731.

The city has also announced that during the pandemic, they will be waiving all late payment charges and will not proceed with service interruptions for non-payment until further notice. Customers with non-paid accounts will still be required to pay their outstanding balances when the crisis has passed.

New instructions for utility connection and disconnections can be found at www.swiftcurrent.ca/closure.