After waiting through a tiered approach to Stage 1 of Alberta’s relaunch plan, Calgary and Brooks will be able to move forward with their complete Stage 1 reopenings next week.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province’s chief medical officer of health, commended the people and businesses of Calgary and Brooks for their patience on Friday. The cities had seen not only some of the highest COVID-19 case numbers in Alberta, but were also impacted by two of the province’s biggest outbreaks.
“Taking this extra time allowed us to monitor any spread from opening businesses and other Stage 1 activities in Calgary and Brooks, where baseline rates were higher when we began Stage 1,” Hinshaw said.
“I would like to congratulate the residents of these cities on the downward trend in their numbers, which has not been seen in most places around the world where relaunch has happened.”
Hinshaw said it’s due to those numbers that as of Monday, daycamps and summer schools can open — with restrictions.
Places of worship are also allowed to put on services of more than 15 people, as long as they take the proper precautions to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“Public health orders limit occupancy at places of worship to one-third of the building’s capacity to a maximum of 50 people,” Hinshaw said, adding those numbers were imposed based on lessons learned from other places of worship in Alberta and the rest of the world.
Leaders of these places of worship are responsible for ensuring the health and safety of the staff, volunteers and visitors who go there.
Some businesses and malls opened across Alberta on May 14, but many restaurants, bars and cafes in Calgary and Brooks were left behind, due to the sheer number of cases in those areas.
On May 25, cafes, bars and restaurants were allowed to open in both cities.
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