Province announces new measures against COVID-19, including closure of all non-essential businesses

That includes open spaces such as trails, fields and parks as well as public and private gatherings where people are brought together in a single room or space at the same time i.e. funerals, weddings and other formal and informal events.

NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES

Kenney announced that all non-essential businesses have been ordered to close, effective immediately. These businesses include:

· Close contact businesses: including hair salons and barbershops, tattoo and piercing studios, esthetic services and wellness studios and clinics. Non-emergency and non-critical health services provided by regulated health professionals or registered professionals including dentistry, physiotherapy, massage, podiatry, chiropractic and optometry services.

· Dine-in restaurants: These establishments will no longer be able to offer dine-in service. However, take-out and delivery service will continue to be permitted.

· Non-essential retail services that fall into the categories of clothing, computer and gaming stores and services in shopping malls and shopping centres, like hobby and toys, gift and specialty items and furniture.

Workplaces that have not been ordered to close can continue to have more than 15 workers as long as they’re following public health measures, which include maintaining two metres of social distancing, hygiene enforcement and making sure that anyone who is ill does not attend their work sites.

Any business that does not follow this public health order will be subject to a fine. Courts have the ability to administer fines of up to $100,000 for a first offence and up to $500,000 for any following violations.

More details on affected businesses can be found here.

Kenney also announced that hotels and other lodging providers can delay paying the tourism level until August 31, freeing up more than $5 million in additional cash flow for employers.

PARKS CANADA

Earlier this week, Parks Canada announced the temporary suspension of vehicle access to all provincial parks and provincial recreation areas.

The restrictions do not apply to forestry or oil and gas operations. Access for First Nations and identified Metis Harvesters is still allowed. Physical distancing and the mass gathering restrictions will apply.

SECURITY FOR RENTERS

As part of an overall $7.7 billion package in direct supports and deferrals designed to relieve the immediate financial burden brought on by the crisis.

Effective immediately, tenants cannot be evicted for non-payment of rent and/or utilities before May 1, 2020. Rents will also not be increased while the province’s state of public health emergency remains in effect, even if a notice of an increase has already been given.

As of April 1, late fees cannot be applied to late rent payments for the next three months. Also effective as of April 1, landlords and tenants need to work together to develop payment plans while the state of public health emergency is in effect.

“As of today, no one will be facing immediate eviction from their home for non-payment of rent or utilities owed to the landlord. Additionally, tenants will not face increasing financial pressure from rent increases or fees for late rent payments,” Kenney said.

“We are expecting landlords and tenants to work together to figure out payment plans that help everyone meet financial obligations as we manage COVID-19, and we are doing further policy work on support for renters during these tough times.”

The Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service will not hear applications that could lead to someone being evicted due to non-payment unless a reasonable attempt has been made to work out a plan for payment.

Until June 30, landlords will not be able to further penalize tenants who are late on rent by charging any late fees, even if their signed rental agreement says a late fee can be applied. Landlords will also not be able to retroactively collect late fees for this time period.

LEGISLATURE TO RECONVENE

MLAs will be back in the legislature on Tuesday, March 31 to debate legislation related to COVID-19.

Nixon said the goal is to protect the most vulnerable and create conditions for Alberta’s economy to rebound from the effects of the pandemic.

56 NEW CASES

There are 56 new cases of the novel coronavirus in Alberta.

In her daily update for Friday, March 27, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said that brings the provincial total to 542 cases of COVID-19.

Hinshaw announced that within those 56 new cases, two of those are at the McKenzie Towne Long Term Care centre, bringing the total number of cases at that facility to 15.

The province suspects that up to 42 of the total cases may have come from community transmission, an increase of eight from Thursday, March 26.

Hinshaw said 23 people are being treated in hospital, with 10 of those in intensive care. 33 Albertans have recovered from COVID-19, an increase of six from Thursday.

She said those 33 recoveries are included within the total of 542 cases in Alberta.

No additional deaths were recorded in the province, with two deaths due to COVID-19 announced in the last couple of weeks.

Of those 542 cases, 337 are in the Calgary Health Zone, 120 in the Edmonton Zone, 43 in the Central Zone, 30 in the North Zone and 12 in the South Zone.

Three of those cases in the South are in west Lethbridge, two in south Lethbridge, two within the MD of Taber and five confirmed cases in Medicine Hat.

Hinshaw announced that Alberta Health Services, effective immediately, is postponing any diagnostic imaging procedures that are considered “non-urgent”.

Anyone needing outpatient or emergent outpatient, CT or MRI scans will still receive one.

She added that Alberta Precision Laboratories and DynaLIFE are asking physicians and community providers to immediately stop all non-essential and routine laboratory testing. Any blood work critical to a patient’s immediate care will continue to be tested.

Additionally, the Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons have developed a tool for Alberta physicians to self report their ability to be redeployed for clinical services during the health crisis.

Hinshaw said the number of cases linked to community transmission continues to rise, so it’s important to practice social distancing to help combat the coronavirus.

The full press conference from the provincial government can be viewed below, courtesy YourAlberta on YouTube.

by Justin Goulet

Province announces new measures against COVID-19, including closure of all non-essential businesses

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