EDMONTON -- Alberta's justice minister has reinstated the use of community peace officers to enforce public health orders.

It comes less than a week after the initial order granting those powers expired. 

Justice Minister Kaycee Madu signed the order on Thursday "at the request of municipalities, and given that there is no provincial state of emergency at this time," according to a ministry spokesman. 

Ministerial Order 64/2020 was issued on Nov. 27.It allowed all peace officers, which include Level 1 community peace officers and Level 2 officers employed by Alberta Environment and Parks and Environmental Enforcement Services, to hand tickets to anyone found to be in violation of any of the Chief Medical Officer of Health's orders.

Without the order in place, enforcement of the PHA would be left solely to Alberta Sheriffs, RCMP and municipal law enforcement agencies.

Earlier this week, Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson said he was "baffled" by the decision not to immediately renew the order.