PUBLIC HEALTH STATE OF EMERGENCY – 11/24/2020

Calgary and surrounding areas

Communities in the Calgary area include:

• Okotoks
• Rockyview County
• Surrounding villages and businesses

 

INDOOR GATHERINGS

Mandatory restriction – Provincewide – effective Nov. 24

• No indoor social gatherings are permitted in any setting (private homes, public spaces or workplaces)
  • Indoor close contacts must be limited to people in the same household
  • People who live alone can have up to the same 2 non-household contacts for the duration of the restriction
  • Work and support group meetings are not social gatherings, but attendance should be limited and public health measures followed
  • This does not apply to service visits from caregivers, health or child care providers
• Outdoor social gatherings are limited to 10 people and must not have an indoor component
  • Backyard gatherings that require movement in/out of homes are not permitted
  • Attendees should remain distanced at all times and follow public health measures
• Festivals and events are prohibited (indoors and outdoors)

WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS

Mandatory restriction – Provincewide – effective Nov. 24

• Maximum of 10 people for wedding ceremonies or funeral services
  • This includes the officiant, bride/groom and witnesses
  • This does not include staff or organizers who are not considered an invited guest
  • This applies to any facility, including places of worship and funeral homes.
  • This includes services held indoors or outdoors, seated or non-seated.
• Receptions are not permitted

This measure will help limit exposure, reduce outbreaks and protect vulnerable attendees.

PLACES OF WORSHIP

Mandatory restriction – Enhanced status (purple) areas – effective Nov. 24

• Maximum of 1/3 normal attendance for places of worship
• Physical distancing between households must be maintained
• Mask use is required
• Online services are encouraged
• In-person faith group meetings can continue but must maintain physical distancing and public health measures must be followed

Faith communities are often significant aspects of people’s lives, and include intimate and close contact between members. This measure will help limit exposure at these activities, reducing outbreaks and protecting vulnerable members who attend.

MANDATORY MASKS

Mandatory restriction – Calgary and Edmonton areas – Effective Nov. 24

• Masks are mandatory in all indoor workplaces, except when working alone in an office or a safely distanced cubicle or an appropriate barrier is in place
  • This applies to all employees, visitors, delivery personnel and contractors
  • This includes all locations where employees are present and masks won’t pose a safety risk
  • This does not change current student mask requirements in schools

EMPLOYERS TO ALLOW WORKING FROM HOME

K-12 SCHOOLS

Mandatory restriction – Provincewide – Starting Nov. 30

Grades 7-12 students

• Move to at-home learning Nov. 30 to Jan. 8, except during winter break*
• Resume in-person classes Jan. 11
• Diploma exams are optional for rest of the school year. Students and families can choose to write an exam or receive an exemption for the April, June and August 2021 exams.

Grades K-6 students (including Early Childhood Services)

• Continue in-person learning to Dec. 18
• Move to at-home learning Dec. 18 to Jan. 8, except during winter break*
• Resume in-person classes Jan. 11

*Schools have different winter break schedules, check with your school for details.

Business and service restrictions

Effective Nov. 27, new restrictions will limit the amount of contact between people in the community, while still allowing businesses to offer services. These measures apply to all communities on the enhanced list (purple areas).

Albertans are encouraged to limit in-person visits to retail locations and use curbside pick up, delivery and online services.

Mandatory restriction – Enhanced status (purple) areas – Effective Nov. 27

Businesses that are closed for in-person service include:

• Banquet halls, conference centres, trade shows, auditoria and concert venues, non-approved/licensed markets, community centres
• Children’s play places or indoor playgrounds
• All levels of sport (professional, semi-professional, junior, collegiate/universities and amateur). Exemptions may be considered.

Mandatory restriction – Enhanced status (purple) areas – Effective Nov. 27

Restaurants, bars, pubs and lounges will be open with restrictions if they follow all public health guidance in place including:

• Maximum of 6 people from the same immediate household at a table and no movement between tables.
  • People who live alone can meet with up to 2 non-household contacts as long as they’re the same two throughout the duration of these restrictions
• Only seated eating and drinking is permitted. No other services or entertainment will be allowed, including billiards, games or darts.
• Liquor can be sold until 10 pm and food-serving establishments must close to in person-dining at 11 pm. Liquor sales apply to casinos, but casinos are not required to close at 11 pm.

Albertans are encouraged to use take out, delivery, drive-thru and curbside pick-up options.

Additional inspections will occur to verify that public health measures are being followed. Establishments that are non compliant may face orders and fines.

Mandatory restriction – Enhanced status (purple) areas – Effective Nov. 27

Most retail businesses may remain open with capacity limited to 25% of the occupancy set under the Alberta Fire Code.

• Retail, including liquor and cannabis
• Grocery stores
• Pharmacies
• Clothing stores
• Computer and technology stores
• Hardware
• Automotive
• Farmers markets approved by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
• Unlicensed outdoor seasonal markets

Some entertainment and event services may remain open with capacity limited to 25% of the occupancy set under the Alberta Fire Code.

• Movie theatres
• Museums and galleries
• Libraries
• Casinos, offering slots only. Table games must be closed at this time.
• Indoor entertainment centres including amusement parks, water parks, bingo halls and racing centres.
• Indoor fitness, recreation, sports and physical activity centres, including dance and yoga studios, martial arts, gymnastics and private or public swimming pools.
  • Facilities can be open for individual studio time, training or exercise only.
  • There can be no group fitness, group classes, group training, team practices or games.
  • Instructors can use facility to broadcast virtual fitness classes from, but there can be no group class.

All public health guidance and physical distancing requirements must be followed.

Albertans and businesses are encouraged to limit in-person visits and use curbside pick up, delivery and online services instead.

Mandatory restriction – Enhanced status (purple) areas – Effective Nov. 27

Businesses open by appointment only are not permitted to offer walk-in services. Appointments should be limited to one-on-one services.

• Personal services such as hair salons and barbershops, esthetics, manicure, pedicure, body waxing and make-up, piercing and tattoo services,
• Wellness services including acupuncture, massage and reflexology
• Professional services such as lawyers, mediators, accountants and photographers
• Private one-on-one lessons (no private group lessons permitted)
• Hotels, motels, hunting and fishing lodges

These businesses must follow all current public health guidance for their sector and should consider virtual options where possible.

Home-based businesses should follow the restrictions for the type of service they provide.