The Alberta Government has announced more mandatory health restrictions to help stop the spike of COVID-19 and protect the health system.
These include new restrictions on outdoor social gatherings, schools, retail, restaurants, places of worship, personal and wellness services, outdoor sports and fitness, funerals, and post-secondary institutions.
The new restrictions come into force effective May 5, unless indicated otherwise, and will remain in place for at least three weeks.
These new measures apply to all Albertans, businesses, organizations and service providers in municipalities or areas with more than 50 cases per 100,000 people and with 30 or more active cases.
“This is a last resort and a necessary step," said Premier Jason Kenney. "With cases continuing to rise, we have no choice but to take serious action now or jeopardize putting the health system at risk. If we don’t do this now, if this doesn’t work, then we’ll need a much longer list of restrictions, which no Albertan wants to see. The best way to get out of this is for all Albertans to follow these new measures and get vaccinated when it’s their turn.”
The following mandatory public health measures will apply to all communities with more than 50 cases per 100,000 people and with 30 or more active cases:
Outdoor social gatherings – Effective May 5
All outside social gatherings must be limited to no more than five people.
This is a decrease from the previous 10-person limit.
Mandatory physical distancing must be maintained at all times between members of different households.
All indoor social gatherings are still prohibited.
Indoor fitness – Effective May 5
All indoor fitness must close, including for one-on-one training.
Funerals – Effective May 5
No more than 10 people can attend funeral services, including participants and guests.
This is a decrease from the current limit of 20 people, and brings funerals in line with wedding services.
Wedding and funeral receptions are still not permitted.
Retail – Effective May 5
Retail services must limit customer capacity to 10 per cent of fire code occupancy (not including staff) or a minimum of five customers.
The 10 per cent capacity limit at shopping malls will exclude common area square footage.
Curbside pick up, delivery and online services are encouraged.
Post-secondary institutions – Effective May 5
All post-secondary learning must shift to online learning only.
Places of worship – Effective May 5
Faith services are limited to in-person attendance of 15 people. This is a decrease from the previous 15 per cent capacity limit.
Physical distancing between households must be maintained at all times.
Virtual or online services are strongly recommended.
Drive-in services where people do not leave their vehicles and adhere to guidance are allowed.
Hotels/motels – Effective May 5
Hotels and motels can remain open but pools and recreation facilities must close.
Working from home – Effective May 5
Working from home remains mandatory unless the employer requires the employee's physical presence to operate effectively.
Where at work for operational effectiveness, employees must mask for all indoor settings, except in work stations or where two-metre physical distancing or adequate physical barriers are in place.
Work place transmission – Effective May 5
Any workplace, except work camps and essential and critical services, with transmission of three or more cases will be required by health officials to close for 10 days.
Any workplace that does not comply will be subject to enforcement.
Schools (K-12) – Effective May 7
All kindergarten to Grade 12 students will temporarily shift to at-home learning, starting on May 7. Students will return to in-class learning on May 25. Exceptions will continue to be available for students with disabilities so they can continue to attend in-person classes as necessary.
Restaurants, bars, pubs, lounges and cafes – Effective at 11:59 pm on May 9
In-person dining on patios is prohibited. Only take out or delivery services are allowed.
Personal and wellness services – Effective at 11:59 pm on May 9
Hair salons, barbers, nail salons, estheticians, tattoos and piercing, must close.
Previously, these were allowed by appointment only.
Health, social and professional services – Effective at 11:59 pm on May 9
Regulated health services, such as physicians, dentists and chiropractors, can remain open by appointment only.
Non-regulated health services, such as massage therapists and kinesiologists, can remain open by appointment only.
Professional services, such as lawyers and photographers, can remain open by appointment only.
Social services, such as shelters and not-for-profit community kitchens, can remain open.
Sports, performance and recreation – Effective at 11:59 pm on May 9
All outdoor sports and recreation are now prohibited except with members of your household or, if living alone, two close contacts. This is a decrease from the current limit of 10 people.
This includes:
all group physical activities, such as team sports, fitness classes, training sessions
all one-on-one lessons and training activities
all practices, training and games
All indoor sport and recreation is prohibited, including youth sports.
All indoor performance activity is prohibited, including youth performances.
Professional sport organizations that have received an exemption can continue, provided protocols are strictly followed.
All other public health measures remain in place, including masking and physical distancing requirements.
These measures apply to any region or community except those with fewer than 50 cases per 100,000 people and fewer than 30 active cases.
This eliminates any distinction in restrictions for hot spot areas.
Municipalities below the regional threshold
Municipalities that have fewer than 50 cases per 100,000 people and/or fewer than 30 active cases will be required to return to Step 0 level restrictions. This includes:
Outdoor social gatherings
All outside social gatherings must be limited to no more than 10 people
Mandatory physical distancing must be maintained at all times between members of different households.
All indoor social gatherings are still prohibited.
Funerals
No more than 20 people can attend funeral services, including participants and guests.
This continues the current limit of 20 people, and brings funerals in line with wedding services.
Wedding and funeral receptions are still not permitted.
Indoor Fitness – Effective May 5
All indoor fitness must close, including for 1-on-1 training.
All youth and adult indoor sport, performance and recreation activities – Effective May 5
All youth and adult indoor sport, performance and recreation activities are prohibited.
All indoor recreation facilities must close. Outdoor recreation amenities can be open to public access unless specifically closed by public health order.
Outdoor recreation with up to 10 people is allowed.
Personal and wellness services can stay open by appointment only.
Strengthening enforcement
To reinforce the importance of following public health orders and the consequences of not doing so, fines will double to $2,000 for Public Health Act violations. To do this, an Order in Council will amend the Procedures Regulation of the Provincial Offences Procedure Act to enable the increased fines to take effect as soon as possible.
Repeat offenders, whether individuals, organizations or businesses, who are repeatedly or continually violating public health orders will be targeted with a new enforcement protocol. The protocol is now in place and will be used to coordinate a multi-agency response to repeat offenders.
If one organization is unable to gain compliance, a coalition of enforcement partners will work with each other to respond as quickly as possible with the most effective measures to gain compliance in that situation. The protocol also outlines steps for ongoing monitoring, which will assist authorities with deciding how to escalate legal and regulatory consequences against offenders that refuse to comply with previous enforcement measures.
Partners in the provincial group include Alberta Health Services, Occupational Health and Safety, Alberta Prosecution Service and local police services. Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis will also participate when cases involve licensees or activities under its jurisdiction.
As is the case with the public health orders themselves, the goal of this enforcement protocol is to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and the resulting threat to public health and strain on the health care system.
Alberta’s government is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting lives and livelihoods with precise measures to bend the curve, sustain small businesses and protect Alberta’s health-care system
