Casinos, gyms and dine-in restaurant services are ordered to close and a mandatory mask bylaw has been introduced to help curb the soaring COVID-19 cases in Alberta.
On Tuesday afternoon, Premier Jason Kenney implemented new provincewide restrictions to help contain the rapid spread of COVID-19. By his side were by Tyler Shandro, Minister of Health; Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation; and Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health.
“If stronger action is not taken now, we know that hundreds or potentially thousands of Albertans will die. We cannot let that happen. We will not let that happen," Kenney said.
The new restrictions, which will be in place for at least four weeks, include a ban on indoor and outdoor gatherings, both public and private, which takes effect immediately, along with the provincewide mandatory mask bylaw. Albertans will be allowed to spend time only with those who are in their same household. Anyone who lives alone can still have two non-household close contacts.
As of Dec. 13, working from home is mandatory unless the employer determines that work requires a physical presence for operation effectiveness.
Caregivers, healthcare providers, childcare providers and co-parenting arrangements are excluded from the rules.
Regulated health professionals can continue to operate in-person, including physiotherapy, social or protective services, shelters for vulnerable persons, emergency services and soup kitchens.
Retail services and places of worship will be able to continue to operate, although as of Dec. 13 they will be capped at 15 per cent of their fire code capacity. Businesses offering personal and wellness services including hair salons, nail salons, tattoo parlours and massage businesses will be ordered closed as of Dec. 13.
Funerals and wedding ceremonies will continue to be capped at 10 people.
On Dec. 13, the sweeping measures that will come into place include the closure of restaurants, pubs, bars, lounges and cafes to in-person service with only takeout, delivery and curbside pickup allowed.
Casinos, bingo halls, gaming entertainment centres, racing entertainment centres, horse tracks, raceways, bowling alleys, pool halls, legions and private clubs will be ordered to close.
Recreation facilities including fitness centres, recreation centres, pools, spas, gyms, studios, camps, indoor rinks and arenas will be ordered to close on Dec. 13.
Libraries, science centres, interpretive centres, museums, galleries, amusement parks and water parks will also need to shut down on Dec. 13
Hotels are allowed to remain open, but must follow restrictions including no spas, pools or in-person dining with room services only.
Outdoor recreation is allowed to continue but any facilities with indoor spaces will be closed, although washroom use will continue to be permitted.
Schools are slated to continue to operate under the rules announced two weeks ago, with students in grades 7 to 12 homeschooling until mid-January and elementary students continuing to learn in the classroom.
The new restrictions come after weeks of steadily increasing COVID-19 cases in the province. For a full list of restrictions, visit alberta.ca.