New vaccine requirements and restrictions for fourth wave of Covid-19

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The province has declared a state of public health emergency and will be implementing new Covid-19 health restrictions and measures to ease pressure off of the health care system. Measures are temporary to slow the spread of the virus and apply province-wide.

New restrictions will include restaurants, indoor gatherings, weddings and funerals, retail, entertainment venues, and indoor sport and fitness beginning September 20. Measures in workplaces, indoor private gatherings, places of worship, schools and children’s activities, as well as mandatory masking and physical distancing in all indoor public spaces begin September 16.

Starting September 20, businesses or event organizers who choose to implement a program checking patrons for government-issued proof of vaccination or a recent negative privately purchased COVID-19 test will be able to have an exemption to restrictions. If a business or service chooses not to require proof of vaccination, they will be required to adhere to the new health measures.

New public health measures taking effect September 16:

Workplaces:
  • Mandatory work-from-home measures are in place unless the employer has determined a physical presence is required for operational effectiveness.
Private social gatherings:
  • Indoor private gatherings for vaccine-eligible, fully vaccinated individuals are limited to a single household plus one other household to a maximum of 10 people, with no restrictions on children under the age of 12.
  • Attendance at any indoor private social gathering is not permitted for vaccine-eligible individuals who are unvaccinated.
  • Outdoor private social gatherings are permitted to a maximum of 200 people, with two-metre physical distancing maintained at all times.
Places of worship:
  • Places of worship must limit attendance to one-third fire code capacity.
  • Face masks will be mandatory and there must be two-metre physical distancing between households or two close contacts for those living alone.
Outdoor events and facilities with no indoor portion (excluding washrooms):
  • No attendance restrictions, however two-metre physical distancing must be in place.
Schools (K-12):
  • Mandatory masking for students in grades 4 and up, plus staff and teachers in all grades. Schools that can implement an alternate COVID safety plan can be exempted from mandatory masking.
  • Elementary schools are to implement class cohorting.
  • For physical activities in schools:
    • Youth aged 18 and under are not required to mask or maintain two-metre distance when engaged in physical activity.
    • There are no restrictions on outdoor activities.
    • Indoor sports/performance/recreation/special interests are permitted with requirements for two-metre physical distancing, where possible.
Children’s sport/performance/recreation (extracurricular sports, performance, recreation and special interest):
  • Indoor activities are permitted, with requirements for two-metre physical distancing and masking where possible, and symptom screening for participants.
  • Youth aged 18 and under are not required to mask or maintain physical distancing during a physical activity, such as a team sport.
  • Spectator attendance is limited to one-third fire code capacity. Attendees must be masked and ensure physical distancing between different households or an individual who lives alone and their two close contacts.
  • There are no restrictions on outdoor activities.
Children’s activities:
  • Children’s day camps must have two-metre physical distancing between participants and masking indoors.
  • Children’s overnight camps must follow cohort models.

Additional public health measures coming into effect September 20:

Restaurants:
  • Outdoor dining only with a maximum of six individuals per table (one household or two close contacts for those living alone).
  • Liquor sales and consumption restrictions (10 p.m. sales and 11 p.m. consumption) apply.
  • Restaurants are eligible to implement the Restrictions Exemption Program.
Weddings and funerals:
  • All indoor ceremonies and services are limited to 50 attendees or 50 per cent fire code capacity, whichever is less.
  • No indoor receptions are permitted.
    • The hosting facility would be eligible to implement the Restrictions Exemption Program.
  • All outdoor ceremonies and services for weddings and funerals must be limited to 200 attendees. Outdoor receptions are required to follow liquor sales and consumption restrictions (i.e., sales end at 10 p.m. and consumption ends by 11 p.m.).
    • The hosting facility would be eligible to implement the Restrictions Exemption Program.
Retail, entertainment and recreation facilities (includes any indoor venues, libraries, conferences, rental spaces, concerts, nightclubs, casinos and similar):
  • Attendance is limited to one-third fire code capacity and attendees are only permitted to attend with their household or two close contacts for those living alone. Attendees must be masked and have two-metre physical distancing between households.
    • These facilities are eligible to implement the Restrictions Exemption Program.
Adult (over 18 years old) sport, fitness, performance, and recreation:
  • Indoor activities:
    • No indoor group classes or activities are permitted.
    • One-on-one training or individual workouts are permitted but three-metre physical distancing is required.
    • No contact between players; indoor competitions are paused except where vaccine exemptions have been granted.
    • These facilities and programs are eligible to implement the Restrictions Exemption Program. Specific exemptions may also be granted on a case-by-case basis.
  • There are no restrictions on outdoor activities.

The new Restrictions Exemption Program will come into effect on September 20, 2021. Vaccine-eligible people will be required to show government-issued proof of Covid-19 vaccination or a negative privately paid Covid-19 test from within the previous 72 hours to access a variety of social, recreational and discretionary events and businesses participating in the program throughout the province.

Businesses have the choice to implement the Restrictions Exemption Program to operate as usual, provided they are only serving those that have proof of vaccination or a recently negative Covid-19 test. If businesses chose not to do so, they will have to follow the new measures starting September 20.

Proof of vaccination can be shown by getting copies and/or a printable card through MyHealth Records. The province advises for the time being, Albertans should avoid logging into MyHealth Records to download their records. The printable card, which was going to be made available on September 16, will now be available on September 19.

-Erika Rolling, Trending 55 Newsroom