Alberta enters the next stage of its relaunch plan
Posted Jun 12, 2020 7:29 am.
Last Updated Jun 12, 2020 7:44 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) – Several COVID-19 related restrictions are being lifted in the province as Alberta enters phase two of its relaunch plan.
The initial date for stage two of the relaunch was June 19, however, the province says we’re ready to move ahead of schedule.
Alberta is lifting the 50 per cent capacity limits for restaurants, bars, and cafes while movie theatres, public libraries, some rec centres, and other businesses will re-open.
WATCH: Expert urges caution in public for Phase 2
Indoor gatherings like weddings and funerals can now have 50 people as long as physical distancing is being followed while outdoor events, indoor seated meetings, entertainment, sport, and public events can have up to 100 people.
However, some businesses aren’t rushing to get doors open quite yet due to COVID-19 still present in the city.
Alex Sarian is the CEO of Arts Commons in Calgary and said there’s no timeline for shows to resume yet.
“I think the last thing we want, both as an institution and as a sector, is a second wave to be traced back to an artistic gathering. I think that would be devastating.”
That sentiment is echoed by infectious disease expert Dr. Craig Jenne who said despite optimism over the relaunch, the coronavirus is still a threat.
“The catch though is the virus isn’t gone, so it’s still here. And if we’re not careful as we return to more normal activities, we run the risk of creating hot spots and other infection outbreaks where the numbers might go back up again.”
Jenne added when Quebec started its relaunch plan, it recorded more than 100 cases associated with the reopening of primary schools.
He’s hopeful we won’t see the same results in Alberta and says the public health orders and physical distancing measures should still be followed.
“We know that these reopenings are really as safe as people want them to be and if we continue to keep the surveillance up, we’ll be able to nip this in the bud before we get any large scale clusters in the province.”
Phase 2 of the relaunch comes on the same day the City Of Calgary ended its local State of Emergency, which has been in place since March 15.
-With files from the Canadian Press and CityNews
