Alberta moves back to ‘step one’ of COVID-19 restrictions as cases rise in province

Law360 Canada (April 7, 2021, 11:46 AM EDT) -- Alberta is moving back into step one of its four-step COVID-19 restriction framework as part of its fight against the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Retail services must now reduce customer capacity to 15 per cent of fire code occupancy. Curbside pickup, delivery and online services are encouraged, and shopping malls will be limited to 15 per cent of fire code occupancy. Only one-on-one training with an individual or household is permitted for indoor fitness activities, with group fitness not allowed.

Starting April 9, indoor in-person service will no longer be permitted at restaurants and bars, but takeout, curbside pickup and delivery services is allowed, as well as outdoor patio dining. Tables and dining parties must be two metres apart or separated by an impermeable barrier that will prevent droplet transmission.

At a press conference announcing the restrictions April 6, Premier Jason Kenney said the province is on track to hit a weekly average of 2,000 daily cases by the end of the month, with up to 1,000 patients in hospital. So-called “variants of concern” make up over half of new cases, he said.

“In the race between variants and the virus, the variants are winning,” he said. “These variants are a real enemy, both to public health and to lives. And tired though we may be, we cannot stop now — we must defeat these variants.”

All places of worship will continue to be limited to 15 per cent of fire code occupancy for in-person attendance. Outdoor social gatherings are limited to 10 participants, provided physical distancing and other measures continue to be followed. Personal and wellness services can be open for appointment only. This includes hair salons, nail salons, massage, tattoos and piercing.

“The rising spread of variants means that we must take stricter measures in order to protect capacity in our health system and save lives,” said Health Minister Tyler Shandro. “These mandatory new health measures will only be needed for a short while as we vaccinate Albertans as quickly as possible.”

There are 10,809 active COVID-19 cases in the province as of April 6, with the total cases of variants of concern at 6,986. There have been 2,001 reported deaths in the province.

More information on Alberta’s restrictions can be found here.

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