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Photo: Alberta Government
By EverythingGP Staff
Restrictions Eased

Kenney lays out “path forward” as restrictions on in-person dining, indoor fitness to be eased Feb. 8

Jan 29, 2021 | 4:18 PM

Premier Jason Kenney announced Friday that the Government of Alberta will ease some COVID-19 related public health restrictions, beginning on Monday, February 8.

This comes as the Premier revealed the government’s “path forward” plan, which is intended to set clear benchmarks for the easing, or (re-)implementation, of public health restrictions in the province. These benchmarks are based on hospitalizations and ICU admissions.

Changes to restrictions, or moving forward to the next step, will be considered once a benchmark is reached, but will not be guaranteed. After such a decision has been made, the situation will be re-evaluated three weeks later.

With that, starting Monday, February 8, Alberta will enter Step 1 of its four-step plan. This is due to the province meeting the threshold of dropping below a maximum of 600 COVID-19 hospitalizations.

There were 594 people in hospital in Alberta as of the end of day Thursday.

Step 1 sees the re-opening of indoor fitness, restaurants, cafes, and pubs, and indoor and outdoor school-related children’s sport and performance activities being eased, with clear and strict health restrictions.

The following measures must be followed for these activities, as per the province:

Indoor and outdoor children’s sport and performance

  • Children’s sport and performance activities are permitted if they are related to school activities, such as physical education classes.
  • This will allow K-12 schools and post-secondary institutions to use off-site facilities to support curriculum-related educational activities.

Indoor fitness

  • Only one-on-one training is permitted for indoor fitness activities (e.g. fitness in dance studios, training figure skating on ice, one-on-one lessons).
  • One-on-one sessions cannot interact with others and there must be a minimum of three metres distance between sessions in the same facility.
  • Sessions have to be scheduled or by appointment.
  • No drop-in for individuals or groups is allowed.
  • No sports games, competitions, team practice, league play or group exercise of any kind.
  • Trainers must be professional, certified and/or paid trainers who are providing active instruction and correction. Passive supervision of a physical activity is not considered training.
  • Trainers should remain masked during the session; clients are not required to wear a mask while exercising.
  • More than one trainer and client ‘pair’ are allowed into the facility, studio, rink, court, pool, ice surface, etc., as long as:
    • Each trainer and client stays three metres away from all other trainers and clients at all times, including in entryways and exits.
    • Each trainer only interacts with their assigned client, and each client only interacts with their assigned trainer.
    • No interaction between clients or between trainers is allowed.
    • No ‘cycling through’ multiple trainers, as in circuit training.

Restaurants, cafes and pubs

  • Restaurants, cafes and pubs must collect the contact information of one person from the dining party.
  • Up to a maximum of six people per table; individuals must be from the same household or the two close contacts for people living alone.
  • Liquor service ends at 10 p.m.
  • In-person dining must close by 11 p.m.
  • No entertainment allowed (e.g., no VLTs, pool tables, live music, etc.)

With that first benchmark reached, Steps 2 to 4, and the corresponding benchmarks for the further easing of restrictions, are as follows:

Courtesy of the Government of Alberta

“By outlining the benchmarks we must achieve to see more reopenings, we are offering hope and a path forward,” said Kenney. “But we have to proceed with caution. This stepped approach will only work if Albertans continue to follow existing health measures and make good choices to keep our numbers trending down.

“It’s up to each one of us to maintain our vigilance.”

Kenney was blunt in saying that should cases once again surge as they did in November and December, restrictions can be re-imposed on activities like in-person dining and fitness facilities.

“Please do not take today’s announcement as encouragement to go out there and return to normal patterns of socializing and social interaction,” said Kenney.

Kenney adds total hospitalizations is the key metric that will guide how and when public health measures will be eased – but that daily case numbers and growth will guide the potential to pause further relaxations or increase restrictions if the threat of the virus grows again.

He adds mandatory indoor masking and distancing requirements will remain in place throughout the entire stepped approach, and some degree of restrictions will still apply to all activities within each step.

by EverythingGP Staff