Alberta woke up Monday morning to a new, unfortunate normal for people around the globe: all schools from kindergarten to post-secondary are closed, as well as any gathering over 250 is cancelled to help stop the spread of COVID-19. 

School boards are currently working hard on figuring out a way to deliver the rest of their fall semester to their students. In the meantime, parents who are looking for child care can hopefully take advantage of some older students who are also out of school and looking for babysitting opportunities.

A number of local municipalities have also put out statements, with many of them closing all municipal buildings in order to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

As per the Alberta Governments statement, any gathering that is expected to attract over 250 people have been cancelled. So if you have an event coming up that will likely exceed those limits, it's likely to be cancelled until further notice.

The Alberta Government has also promised $500 million to the COVID-19 response. This money will go towards ensuring front-line health care professionals have the proper tools they require for testing, monitoring, and treating patients. Practicing good hygiene by doing simple things like washing your hands regularly and coughing or sneezing into your elbow are effective ways to fight the spread of COVID-19.

The Alberta Government is also limiting access to its provincial parks at this time, with some places closing temporarily, while others are done for the season.

Jason Kenney also said that they will be amending the Employment Standards Code by implementing paid job-protected leave to cover employees if they need to self-isolate, or if they need to care for a loved one who's infected with COVID-19. More details on this announcement are expected in the near future.

The City of Lacombe has closed all of its municipal facilities until further notice. 

The Town of Blackfalds is also following suit, closing or cancelling many of their public programs. You can see their statement plus a full list of cancellations here.  UPDATE: Effective as of 1 p.m. on March 16th, all Town Municipal facilities are closed until April 15th. 

The Town of Sylvan Lake has activated its Emergency Coordination Centre to help better coordinate its COVID-19 response. Places like the NexSource Centre are closed until further notice, as well as the Sylvan Lake Family & Community Centre. As of March 13th, at 5:00 pm, all Municipal Government buildings and public park washrooms are still open. All non-essential municipal workshops and meetings are cancelled. 

The Town of Ponoka is also closing some of their facilities, including the Ponoka Culture and Recreation Complex, the Ponoka Aquaplex, and the Town of Ponoka's Operations Facility and Electrical Department.

The City of Red Deer has just declared a local state of emergency, as of 11:11 am on Monday, March 16th. This gives them additional resources and special powers under the Emergency Management Act. Click here for more details. 

Red Deer County has decided to put a hold on any Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) events or gatherings. Family Resource Centres in Benalto and Springbrook are also closed at this time.

Emergency Financial Assistance is available through the Government of Alberta for residents who will need help to cover child-care,