Weekly update January 22-28, 2021

Provincial Health Measures Will Ease on Feb. 8

Additional health measures will be eased for restaurants, indoor fitness and some children’s activities, effective Feb. 8.

Step 1 of Alberta’s four-step framework to ease restrictions is based on a COVID-19 hospitalization benchmark of 600, including intensive care patients. This benchmark was reached on Jan. 28. The full, four-step framework for easing restrictions can be viewed here.

Indoor and outdoor children’s sport and performance

• Children’s sport and performance activities are permitted if they are related to school activities, such as physical education classes.
• This will allow K-12 schools and post-secondary institutions to use off-site facilities to support curriculum-related educational activities.

Indoor fitness

• Only one-on-one training is permitted for indoor fitness activities (e.g. fitness in dance studios, training figure skating on ice, one-on-one lessons).
• One-on-one sessions cannot interact with others and there must be a minimum of three metres distance between sessions in the same facility.
• Sessions have to be scheduled or by appointment.
• No drop-in for individuals or groups is allowed.
• No sports games, competitions, team practice, league play or group exercise of any kind.
• Trainers must be professional, certified and/or paid trainers who are providing active instruction and correction. Passive supervision of a physical activity is not considered training.
• Trainers should remain masked during the session; clients are not required to wear a mask while exercising.
• More than one trainer and client ‘pair’ are allowed into the facility, studio, rink, court, pool, ice surface, etc., as long as:
  • Each trainer and client stays three metres away from all other trainers and clients at all times, including in entryways and exits.
  • Each trainer only interacts with their assigned client, and each client only interacts with their assigned trainer.
  • No interaction between clients or between trainers is allowed.
  • No ‘cycling through’ multiple trainers, as in circuit training.

Restaurants, cafes and pubs

• Restaurants, cafes and pubs must collect the contact information of one person from the dining party.
• Up to a maximum of six people per table; individuals must be from same household or the two close contacts for people living alone.
• Liquor service ends at 10 p.m.
• In-person dining must close by 11 p.m.
• No entertainment allowed (e.g., no VLTs, pool tables, live music, etc.)

Read more

New plan will guide easing of health measures

Easing of provincewide health measures will occur in steps based on COVID-19 hospitalization benchmarks. These steps and benchmarks will provide a transparent approach to easing restrictions for businesses and individuals while protecting the health-care system.

Each step has an associated benchmark of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, including intensive care patients. Changes to restrictions will be considered once a benchmark is reached.

The hospitalization benchmarks are:

• Step 1 – 600 and declining
•  Step 2 – 450 and declining
• Step 3 – 300 and declining
• Step 4 – 150 and declining

With hospitalizations dipping below 600, Alberta will move to Step 1 on Feb. 8. If after three weeks the hospitalization numbers are in the range of the next benchmark, decisions will be considered for moving to Step 2. The same three-week re-evaluation period will be used for all subsequent steps.

Indoor masking and distancing requirements will remain in place throughout the entire stepped approach, and some degree of restrictions will still apply to all activities within each step. The grouping and sequencing of steps is based on relative risk for COVID-19 transmission. Actions with the lowest relative risk will be those first considered for easing.

Early steps: In effect Jan. 18

• Outdoor social gatherings allowed up to 10 people.
• Personal and wellness services opened for appointments only.
• Funeral service attendance was raised to 20 people.
• In-person classes resumed for K-12 students (Jan. 11).

Step 1: Hospitalization benchmark – 600

• Potential easing of some restrictions related to:
  • Indoor and outdoor children’s sport and performance (school-related only)
  • Indoor personal fitness, one-on-one and by appointment only
  • Restaurants, cafes, and pubs

Step 2: Hospitalization benchmark – 450

• Potential easing of some restrictions related to:
  • Retail
  • Community halls, hotels, banquet halls and conference centres
  • Further easing of some restrictions eased in Step 1

Step 3: Hospitalization benchmark – 300

• Potential easing of some restrictions related to:
  • Places of worship
  • Adult team sports
  • Museums, art galleries, zoos and interpretive centres
  • Indoor seated events, including movie theatres and auditoriums
  • Casinos, racing centres and bingo halls
  • Libraries
  • Further easing of some restrictions eased in Steps 1 and 2

Step 4: Hospitalization benchmark – 150

• Potential easing of some restrictions related to:
  • Indoor entertainment centres and play centres
  • Tradeshows, conferences and exhibiting events
  • Performance activities (e.g., singing, dancing, wind instruments)
  • Outdoor sporting events (e.g., rodeo)
  • Wedding ceremonies and receptions
  • Funeral receptions
  • Workplaces – lifting work-from-home measures
  • Amusement parks
  • Indoor concerts and sporting events
  • Festivals, including arts and cultural festivals (indoor and outdoor)
  • Day camps and overnight camps
  • Further easing of some restrictions eased in Steps 1-3

More information

Youth Internship Incentive Program Funding

The Youth Internship Incentive Program is designed to increase the number of employers supporting work integrated learning internships in trades and technologies. By providing a financial incentive for employers, this program will expand an employer’s ability to achieve their goals as well as to enhance opportunities for youth that align with Alberta’s skilled worker needs. For more information, visit https://www.careersnextgen.ca/yiip/ or contact Kristi Liboiron, Field Director at KLiboiron@nextgen.org.

Drive-Thru Job Fairs

The next Drive-Thru Job Fair will be held on Wed March 10. This COVID-friendly event offers employers a cost-free opportunity to recruit employees. Apply to participate now! For more information, click: https://medicinehatymca.ca/DriveThruBusiness

WCB Training-on-the-job (TOJ) program

The TOJ program is designed to help people who are no longer able to go back to their regular job and employer. The worker develops skills and gains work experience while you receive financial and other support from WCB during your new employee’s training period. This program is designed to help employers bring a new employee into a position. Find out more.

Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program Launches

The federal government announced the launch of the Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program, or HASCAP. Through HASCAP, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) will work with participating Canadian financial institutions to offer government-guaranteed, low-interest loans of up to $1 million. Hard-hit businesses, like a chain of hotels or restaurants with multiple locations under one related entity, could be eligible for up to $6.25 million. Eligible businesses can start applying as early as February 1 at principal financial institutions and more widely by February 15. Interested businesses should contact their primary lender to get more information and to apply.

More information is available at www.bdc.ca/hascap.

Federal Government invests in Sectoral Initiatives Program

Distributed through a call for proposals, which will remain open for six weeks, this investment will fund sector-specific projects to help Canadian workers gain skills and access resources. It will also help businesses and networks scale up strategies to drive job growth and create standards for education and certification purposes. Find out more.

Stabilizing Alberta’s performing arts, sports, rodeo sectors

Alberta’s government is investing $17 million to ensure the stabilization of performing arts, sports and rodeo organizations.
Alberta’s live experience organizations have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. They have lost a full season of programming and revenue but still, have ongoing overhead costs. The Stabilize Program will provide one-time grant funding to support live experience presenting and performing arts, sport and rodeo organizations. The funding will help these organizations continue to operate and reopen when it is safe to do so. More information.

Extension of employer application period for Canada Summer Jobs 2021

The Government of Canada announced that the employer application period for the 2021 Canada Summer Jobs program is being extended until February 3, 2021, to allow more employers to apply for funding to hire young people. Not-for-profit organizations and private and public sector employers who have not already applied for funding are encouraged to do so today. More information.