At the request of Mayor Tommy Battle, the Huntsville City Council approved a State of Emergency declaration on Monday in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The declaration gives the mayor’s office increased power over staffing and purchasing decisions.

Battle said he requested the declaration so his administration “can respond quickly” to any situation that arises as a result of the coronavirus.

Battle added, “This will cut through a lot of red tape. … Sometimes it takes five weeks to get something through council. We may need to adjust and pivot very quickly in this. This just gives us the power to do that.”

The City of Madison took similar measures Monday, investing power in Mayor Paul Finley.

Huntsville’s State of Emergency is designated to last for three weeks. It can be extended by Council President Devyn Keith if the group is unable to meet in the future.

As of 3:00 p.m., there are still no confirmed cases among residents in Madison County, but a confirmed patient that lives in Limestone County worked at the Marshall Space Flight Center, which is located on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville.

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: henry@new-yhn.local or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.