By Shaun Penner

"Taking a cautious approach"

Low-intensity indoor fitness, libraries green-lit by province as Step 2 of relaunch approved

Mar 1, 2021 | 4:51 PM

Premier Jason Kenney says Alberta will be moving into Step 2 of its relaunch plan, loosening public health restrictions on some indoor fitness activities and libraries starting Monday.

The province laid out the next set of public health measures to be lifted on Monday, including low-intensity fitness activities “not focused specifically on cardio, that have a low depth and rate of respiration”.

Examples of permitted activities include barre, pilates, stretching, tai-chi, low-intensity yoga, light weightlifting, low-intensity treadmill use and indoor rock climbing, by appointment only.

High-intensity activities like running, spin and interval training are still only permitted for one-on-one or one-on-one household training only, with a personal trainer.

Mandatory physical distance of three metres will be required between all participants, not from the same household, including coaches and trainers, and masks must be worn at all times by trainers and those participating in low-intensity activities.

All indoor fitness must be pre-registered. No drop-ins will be allowed.

Libraries will also be permitted to reopen at 15 per cent of fire code capacity, not including staff.

Other facilities originally included in Step 2, like banquet halls and other restrictions surrounding retail businesses, have been moved to Step 3 due to the current positivity rate in the province.

“We are taking a cautious approach, recognizing that active cases and hospitalizations have declined, but the threat of COVID-19 remains real,” said Kenney. “Thanks to the hard work of Albertans over the past few weeks, we’re taking this safe step forward.”

A decision on moving to Step 3 will be considered if hospitalizations sit at 300 or lower in three weeks’ time, at the earliest.

The province says metrics based on cases and growth, including variant cases, are being monitored and will also be used to guide any decisions around the need to pause further steps or potentially increase restrictions.