They run with a slate called Safe Surrey Coalition.

But recent events have some questioning two city councillors鈥� adherence to that concept following reports Councillor Laurie Guerra is in Mexico during this Coronavirus pandemic, and Councillor Mandeep Nagra鈥檚 attendance at the mayor鈥檚 March 16 press conference concerning the city鈥檚 response to the public health crisis, 10 days after he returned from a trip to India.

The Now-Leader has reached out to Mayor Doug McCallum on both matters, but has not yet received a response.

On March 13, McCallum held a press conference at city hall to discuss the city鈥檚 response to COVID-19, in which he stated, 鈥淏y taking personal responsibility, you are not only protecting yourself, you are protecting your family, loved ones, friends, and ultimately your community.鈥�

鈥淲e have also instituted a ban on all work-related international travel for staff,鈥� he said at that presser.

The Now-Leader has yet to establish why Guerra is in Mexico, when she left and when she鈥檚 scheduled to return. Phone calls to her have not been returned. The next council meeting is set for April 6.

On March 12, provincial health officials issued a recommendation for British Columbians not to travel outside Canada and, for those that do, to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return.

Update on City of Surrey Closures in Response to Covid-19

鈥� City of Surrey (@CityofSurrey)

McCallum also held a presser on Monday, March 16 at city hall concerning COVID-19 with a few city councillors at his side, Nagra among them. Nagra had returned from a trip to India on March 6.

Nagra told the Now-Leader on Wednesday that after he returned he isolated himself 鈥渇or almost a week, but there was no guidelines for isolation, they came in on the 12th. If the guidelines had came on the 6th, I would have stayed home, but I was at the next council meeting.鈥�

That meeting was on March 9, three days after he got back. 鈥淪o there were no guidelines or instructions to stay home 14 days after your arrival.鈥�

After he became aware of the guidelines, he said, 鈥淚 stayed home most of the time. I did not attend any gatherings. I was invited to a number of events, but I cancelled everything.鈥�

He said he cancelled on a Sikh temple event on Wednesday morning.

Asked why he attended the mayor鈥檚 COVID-19 presser on Monday, Nagra replied, 鈥淚 checked for any symptoms, I鈥檓 feeling totally fine and healthy. There鈥檚 absolutely no symptoms at all.鈥�

鈥淚 am taking all the precautions and I am watching for any symptoms as the arise,鈥� Nagra said. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 totally healthy and there are no symptoms at all, and that鈥檚 the reason I was there. I think we should all be self-isolating right now, right.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 know where people are catching it from, we don鈥檛 have the exact source, right, we might be catching the same common places like door handles and all that stuff. So we should all be self-isolating at this time, to stop the spread,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 only getting out when I really have to. I have this responsibility where I have to make sure that the safety of our residents is ensured, so that鈥檚 the reason I was there at the press conference.鈥�

As for Guerra, he said, 鈥淚 think she鈥檒l be back by the end of this week.鈥�

Props to 鈦︹仼 for making the exact same face so many of us make when we hear people say they plan to travel regardless of the pandemic.

鈥� Robert Benzie (@robertbenzie)

Paul Daynes, a strategist for the Keep the RCMP in Surrey campaign, is not impressed.

鈥淲ell, I think Surrey, we鈥檝e had to deal with a very nasty virus called the Safe Surrey Coalition,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey have absolutely no sense whatsoever of social responsibility. Guerra goes to Mexico the day before a travel advisory is given.鈥�

鈥淪ociety, generally, is trying to make things easier for their citizens,鈥� he said.

Concerning Nagra, Daynes has this to say.

鈥淓very other citizen seems to be getting the message, I mean the media are accused of many things, but not getting the information out there, the do鈥檚 and the don鈥檛鈥檚, is not one of them. We鈥檙e being inundated with it; there鈥檚 no excuse for not knowing what is the right thing to do. Does he need to be told what the right thing to do is? Because 99 per cent of the people I encounter, from the rich, the powerful, the influential down to just ordinary working Joes like myself, we all know what the right thing to do is, but these guys clearly don鈥檛.鈥�

Councillor Brenda Locke, who at press time said she鈥檇 been working at home because she was nursing a 鈥渟tupid cold,鈥� told the Now-Leader 鈥淚 understand鈥� that Guerra is in Mexico but she doesn鈥檛 know exactly where.

鈥淪he said she was leaving on Friday, I believe she鈥檚 still there. I don鈥檛 really know, but,鈥� Locke said. 鈥淪he left on vacation. I don鈥檛 want to comment on anything she鈥檚 doing. I guess people made arrangements for spring break, and she probably made the arrangement some time ago.鈥�

鈥淚 just know she said she was going to Mexico.鈥�

As for Nagra, Locke noted 鈥渢his thing is moving pretty fast鈥� and at the time he came back, she thinks, 鈥渢hey didn鈥檛 say to him he had to self-monitor or self-isolate. This thing has moved so quickly.鈥�

鈥淎lso, when Mandeep went, India wasn鈥檛 one with a big red dot on it at that time. It is now, but it wasn鈥檛 then.鈥�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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