COVID-19 update: restrictions to be eased and benchmarks set

Premier Jason Kenney has announced a set of benchmarks for the province to meet in order to lift restrictions. The targeted bench marks are aimed at lowering COVID-19 hospitalization numbers. The province will enter step one as soon as February 8, 2021so long as hospitalizations remain below 600.

“Albertans have done a great job of bringing our numbers down from our peak in December. We aren’t out of the woods yet, but there are opportunities where we can safely ease restrictions while also protecting our health-care system. This first step is a cautious one, and it will bring relief to many Albertans and Alberta businesses,” said Kenney.

The benchmarks are:

Step 1- 600 and declining
Step 1 will see restrictions eased in the following areas:
Indoor and outdoor children’s sport
Indoor personal fitness
Restaurants, pubs, and cafes

Step 2- 450 and declining
Step 2 will see restrictions in the following areas:
Retail
Community halls, hotels, banquets, and conference centres
Further restrictions eased from step 1

Step 3- 300 and declining
Step 3 will see restrictions eased in the following areas:
Places of worship
Adult team sports
Museums, art galleries, zoo, interpretive centres
Indoor seated events movie theatres and auditoriums
Casinos, racing centres, and bingo halls
Further restrictions eased from step 1 and 2

Step 4- 150 and declining
Step 4 will see restrictions eased in the following areas:
Indoor entertainment and play centres
Trade shows and exhibiting events
Performance activities
Outdoor sporting events
Wedding ceremonies
Amusement parks
Indoor concerts and sporting events
Indoor and outdoor festivals
Day camps and overnight camps
Further restrictions eased from steps 1-3

“By outlining a roadmap with clear targets, we want Albertans to see themselves as part of the solution. We must all continue to follow public health measures and reduce the spread of COVID-19 to see our downward trend continue. Only as we see hospitalizations fall low enough can we consider additional easing of restrictions,” said Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw.

The eased restrictions will include the following:

Indoor and Outdoor Children’s Sports:

Children’s sport and performance activities are permitted, if they are related to school activities.
K-12 schools will be permitted to use off-site facilities for curriculum related educational activities.

Indoor fitness:

One-on-one training is permitted including in dance studios, and figure skating.
Trainers must be professional, certified, or paid trainers and must remain masked while exercising.
Clients do not need to wear a mask while exercising.
One-on-one sessions must be scheduled, they cannot interact with other people, groups must maintain a three-metre distance from other groups.
No drop-in is permitted for pairs.
No sports games, competitions, team practices, league play or group exercise of any kind
Training pairs may enter facilities together as long as they maintain 3 meter distance
No circuit training

Restaurants, Café’s, and Pubs:

Restaurants, Café’s and pubs must collect the contact information of one person from a dining party.
A maximum of six people may dine together from the same household.
Liquor service sends at 10 PM
In-person dining must close by 11 PM
No entertainment allowed including VLTs, pool tables, live music.