Mayor James McDonald signed a State of Emergency Declaration for the City of Bradford at 3:30 p.m Thursday, a decision he says he did not make lightly.

The declaration will allow the city to take quicker emergency actions without time restrictions imposed by law requirements, “except mandatory constitutional requirements, pertaining to performance of public work, entering into contracts, incurring of obligations, employment of temporary workers, rental of equipment, purchase of supplies and materials and expenditures of public funds.”

“People may think that it is odd to declare a state of emergency in a city where there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus, but that is exactly why it makes sense to do so: to take steps to minimize the effects of the COVID-19 virus on the City of Bradford,” McDonald said in a press release. “For the remainder of this unprecedented viral outbreak and after its conclusion, I want the City of Bradford and anyone who has an interest in our community to know that I took whatever steps and precautions that I was legally authorized to take to preserve our citizens’ health, business interests and peace of mind.”

McDonald said, while some may not agree with his declaration, he feels it’s imperative to consider options and take definitive steps now to protect the city.

“This declaration should not cause additional alarm or panic, but should serve to calm our fears in the possible, yet unlikely, event that the COVID-19 virus surfaces on a large scale in our area,” he noted.

At this point in time, the mayor asks citizens to continue to follow advisories and directives put in place by Governor Wolf’s office, as well as follow Pennsylvania Department of Health and Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.