Reminder: New COVID-19 business closures take effect after midnight

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PLACES OF WORSHIP – beginning at 12:01 a.m. on December 13

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• All places of worship will be limited to 15 per cent of fire code occupancy for in-person attendance.
  • Virtual or online services are strongly encouraged.
  • Drive-in services where individuals do not leave their vehicles and adhere to guidance will be permissible and are not subject to capacity restrictions.
  • Mandatory mask mandate, physical distancing and other guidelines remain in place.

RETAIL BUSINESSES – beginning at 12:01 a.m. on December 13

• Retail services must reduce customer capacity to 15 per cent of fire code occupancy, with a minimum of five customers permitted.
  • Curbside pickup, delivery and online services are encouraged.
• Shopping malls will be limited to 15 per cent of fire code occupancy.

CLOSURES – beginning at 12:01 a.m. on December 13

• Restaurants, pubs, bars, lounges and cafes will be closed to in-person service.
  • Only take-out, curbside pickup and delivery services are permitted.
• Casinos, bingo halls, gaming entertainment centres, racing entertainment centres, horse tracks, raceways, bowling alleys, pool halls, legions, and private clubs will be closed.
• Recreational facilities – fitness centres, recreation centres, pools, spas, gyms, studios, day and overnight camps, indoor rinks and arenas – will be closed.
• Outdoor recreation is permitted, but facilities with indoor spaces except for washrooms will be closed.
• Entertainment businesses and entities – libraries, science centres, interpretive centres, museums, galleries, amusement parks and water parks – will be closed.
• Hotels may remain open but must follow restrictions – no spas, pools or in-person dining. Room services only.
• Personal and wellness services, including hair salons, nail salons, massage, tattoos and piercing, will be closed.

Health services, including physiotherapy or acupuncture, social or protective services, shelters for vulnerable persons, emergency services, childcare and not-for-profit community kitchens or charitable kitchens will remain open for in-person attendance.

WORK FROM HOME – beginning at 12:01 a.m. on December 13

• Mandatory work from home measures will be implemented unless the employer determines that work requires a physical presence for operational effectiveness.

CLOSURES – ongoing from November 27

• Entertainment businesses and entities – community halls and centres, indoor children’s play centres and indoor playgrounds, theatres, auditoriums, concert halls, and community theatres, nightclubs, banquet halls and conference centres, indoor and outdoor festivals, concerts with the exception of drive-in events, tradeshows, and sporting events or competitions, remain closed.

CURRENTLY IN PLACE

Below is a breakdown of the restrictions announced on Tuesday, December 8. The province said all indoor and outdoor gatherings are not allowed, those who can work from home must do so, and face masks are required in all indoor public places, including workplaces.

These restrictions are currently in place:

SOCIAL GATHERINGS

• All indoor and outdoor social gatherings – public and private – are prohibited.
• Close contacts are limited to household members only.
  • Individuals who live alone will be allowed up to two close contacts for in-person visiting, with those two people remaining the same for the duration of the restriction period.
• Festivals, parades, events, concerts, exhibitions, competitions, sport and performance remain prohibited.

MASKING

• The mandatory indoor public masking requirement is extended province wide.
  • Public spaces include locations where a business or entity operates and is applicable to employees, visitors and the general public.
  • Applies to all indoor workplaces and facilities outside the home.
  • Farm operators are excluded.
  • Rental accommodations used solely for the purpose of a private residence are excluded.

Alberta has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases, with Premier Jason Kenney stating that hospitalizations have increased 300 per cent since November 1 while ICU admissions have gone up 371 per cent.

The latest restrictions are in effect for the next four weeks. Further details can be found here.