Premier Jason Kenney announced a new host of restrictions Dec. 8, including a mandatory mask bylaw along with the closure of gyms, casinos and restaurants.
“If stronger action is not taken now, we know that hundreds or potentially thousands of Albertans will die," Kenney said. "We cannot let that happen. We will not let that happen."
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Additional restrictions, which will be in place for at least four weeks, include a ban on indoor and outdoor gatherings. The ban, which applies to both public and private gatherings, takes effect immediately, along with a province-wide mandatory mask bylaw. According to Kenney, Albertans will only be allowed to spend time with members of their household. Anyone who lives alone can still have two non-household close contacts.
"We all know the last few weeks have been a different story," Kenney said. "Like nearly every developed society in the northern hemisphere this fall, we're experiencing a surge in cases, hospitalizations, and, most sadly, deaths, as cold weather has caused people to move indoors and the virus to spread more quickly."
Retail services and places of worship will be able to continue to operate, although as of Dec. 13, they will be capped at 15 per cent of their fire code capacity. Businesses offering personal and wellness services including hair salons, nail salons, tattoo parlours and massage businesses will be ordered to close by Dec. 13.
Other sweeping measures that will come into effect that date include the closure of restaurants, pubs, bars, lounges and cafes to in-person service with only takeout, delivery and curbside pickup allowed.
Working from home is mandatory as of Dec. 13, unless the employer determines that work requires a physical presence for operational effectiveness.
Casinos, bingo halls, gaming entertainment centres, racing entertainment centres, horse tracks, raceways, bowling alleys, pool halls, legions and private clubs will be ordered to close.
Recreation facilities including fitness centres, recreation centres, pools, spas, gyms, studios, camps, indoor rinks and arenas will be ordered to close on Dec. 13, as will libraries, science centres, interpretive centres, museums, galleries, amusement parks and water parks.
Hotels are allowed to remain open, Kenney said, but must follow restrictions including not offering spas, pools or in-person dining.
Outdoor recreation is allowed to continue but any facilities with indoor spaces will be closed, although washroom use will continue to be permitted.
Locally, the prevalence of the virus continues to fluctuate. According to the Alberta government's relaunch map, there were 296 active cases of the virus in Airdrie Dec. 9, down 30 from the day prior. In total, Airdrie has reported 1,131 total cases of COVID-19, 830 recoveries and five deaths. As of Dec. 9, there was an infection rate of 422 per 100,000 population.
There were seven Airdrie schools listed on the provincial school status map. Windsong Heights School, Bert Church High School, Northcott Prairie School and Herons Crossing School are under "watch" with five or more active cases, while École Edwards Elementary School, W.H. Croxford High School and Good Shepherd School are listed under "open," with two to four active cases. Airdrie students in grades 7-12 continue to learn from home, while younger students are still involved with in-class learning.
Provincially, there has been a total of 72,028 total cases of COVID-19 in Alberta. An additional 1,727 cases were reported on Dec. 8. Of those cases, there are 20,388 active, 51,000 recovered, 654 in hospital, 112 in ICU and 640 deaths.
"If we do not succeed in bending down the curve, we will see these hospitalization numbers continue to increase," Kenney said. "That's not the conclusion of a theoretical model. It's the hard, mathematical reality of the exponential spread of this virus. That means more cancelled surgeries, more delayed healthcare, more strain on our emergency and intensive care wards and it means more deaths, especially among our most elderly and vulnerable."
