COVID-19 Information and Resources
Last updated: November 24, 2020 @ 7:00 PM
Fuelling Our Business Community Through COVID-19
We understand how devastating this pandemic is on your business and we also recognize there is a lot of information out there to navigate and so we're here to help. Our team is monitoring and gathering information from credible sources so you can find what you need, all in one place.
A state of Public Health Emergency was declared on November 24th with NEW enhanced public health measures issued: https://www.alberta.ca/enhanced-public-health-measures.aspx
We encourage you to connect with any of our team members, if you have any questions or concerns.
We Want to Hear From You
If you would like support or have any feedback for us please do not hesitate to contact us at communications@medicinehatchamber.com.
Monitor the Situation and Stay Up to Date
Need to stay up to date with the latest news and updates? Subscribe to our e-newsletter here and view past editions for more information. You can also use the links and resources below:
- Government of Alberta - Covid-19: Information for Albertans, Current Situation and What's New
- COVID-19 Statistics in Alberta
- COVID-19 Status Map
- Government of Alberta News feeds
- Government of Alberta livestreams and video highlights
- Government of Canada: Actions on COVID-19
- Government of Canada - COVID-19: Updates and information
- Government of Canada - COVID-19: Outbreak Update in Canada
- Government of Canada - Public Health Agency Data and Modelling
- Statistics Canada: Canadian Perspectives Survey Series 1
- Bank of Canada Rate News
- CPAC Headline Politics
- Prime Minister of Canada Videos
- Subscription for Public Health Updates
- International Chamber of Commerce:
- Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Country Policy Tracker
- World Health Organization Coronavirus Disease Outbreak Information
Quick Links
Here are the some key resources you can use as you navigate this challenging time:
- City of Medicine Hat - Covid-19 Municipal Supports and Community Resources
- Child Care Lookup
- Canadian Chamber of Commerce: Canadian Business Resilience Network and Roadmap to Recovery
- Canadian Urban Institute and Municipal World: CityWatch
- Government of Canada - Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Covid 19 Fraud
- Government of Canada - Canadian Centre for Cyber Security
- Government of Canada - Federal Economic Response Plan
- Canadian Chamber of Commerce FAQ Resource
- Government of Canada: Canada Emergency Response Benefit Q & A
- Government of Canada: Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy FAQ
- International Chamber of Commerce Quick Restart Guide for Employers
- Awareness resources: Printable Resources and Downloads and Help Prevent the Spread Information Posters
Business Resources
PPE Requests for Business
In the event that specific PPE is not available locally or through suppliers, there is a national Rapid Response Platform that automatically matches supply with demand, simplifying supplier discovery during the procurement process. View the platform here.
ATB Nexus and the Alberta Chamber of Commerce also have platform for PPE products and services.
Further guidance can be found here:
- Alberta Health Services PPE Guidelines
- Guidance on non-medical face mask use for the general public
More information on masks through the Government of Alberta.
Government of Alberta Workplace guidance: Alberta BizConnect
- Alberta Prepares: Pandemic Influenza Business Checklist
- BDC: 7 steps to sustain your business through the disruption
- Cyber Security Guidance
- Government of Canada: Guidance on Essential Services and Functions
- International Chamber of Commerce: Coronavirus Guidelines for Business
- People Outside Safely Together (POST) Promise program
- Working from Home During a Pandemic
- Working Virtually - Checklist & Tips
- World Health Organization: Getting your workplace ready for Covid-19
Changes to the Employment Standards Code will allow employees who are required to self-isolate or are caring for a loved one with COVID-19 to take 14 days of paid job-protected leave to cover the self-isolation period being recommended by Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health. There will be no requirement to have a medical note for such leave or to have worked for an employer for 90 days to qualify for such leave.
A separate phone line has been set up through Service Canada for queries related to EI sickness benefits relating to COVID-19. The phone number is 1-833-381-2725. The federal government has waived the one (1) week waiting period for Canadians requiring EI sickness benefits for COVID-19, including those who are in a 14-day isolation period. Canadians can apply right away. For employers who do not offer sick leave, or for employees who have exhausted sick leave entitlements, there are other supports available as listed below.
- Changes to Employment Standards for COVID-19
- Employment Standards Rules
- Employment Standards Toolkit
- Employment Standards Code
- Employment Standards for layoffs, recall and terminations
- Record of Employment information
- Hazard Assessment and Control: a handbook for Alberta employers and workers
- OHS Obligations and Consent Forms for Relaunch
- OHS Publications for COVID-19
- OHS: Respiratory viruses and the workplace
- OHS: Guidance for workers during a pandemic
- Employers of Temporary Foreign Workers have additional requirements, so please refer to the Guidance for Employers and if employers have any other questions regarding any immigration issues, IRCC has created a new centralized mailbox for all COVID-19 related queries, which will be checked daily and responses can be expected within 3 days. The e-mail address is: IRCC.COVID19SPOQuestions-FSQuestionsCOVID19.IRCC@cic.gc.c
- Worker Deconditioning following an absence from the workplace
- WCB Resources including COVID-19 at work fact sheet; WCB COVID-19 worker fact sheet, the WCB COVID-19 employer fact sheet and WCB online portal and WCB app
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety: Click here for free resources and Pandemic Tip Sheets including:
Ensure you also have the correct supplies by using Health Canada approved hard-surface disinfectants and hand sanitizers for use against COVID-19 (search products by DIN number).
Government of Alberta COVID-19 Publications by Industry
- Agribusiness Supports and Information
- Alberta Gaming, Liquor, Cannabis
- Alberta Liquor Store Association: COVID-19 safety measures that can be implemented in store.
- Child Care During COVID-19 - Tips for Daycares
- Construction and Land Development Industry:
- Pandemic Planning Guide for the Construction Industry (updated April 23, 2020)
- Complimentary COVID-19 safety certification for construction
- Cement and Concrete Industry: Concrete Canada’s best practice health and safety guidelines for employees in the cement and concrete industry.
- Energy Safety Canada
- Food & Consumer Products of Canada
- Hotel and Lodging
- Alberta Hotel & Lodging Association
- Hotel Association of Canada Safe Stay program
- Restaurants Canada
- Retailers
- Retail Council of Canada Resources for Retailers
- #ShopSmart Campaign and downloadable tools
- Holiday Resources for Retailers
- Q & A for Retailers
- Regulatory requirements for non-medical masks/fashion face coverings
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety COVID-19 Tips for Retail
- Workplace Playbook for Retails on re-opening
- Tourism Operators:
- BDC Business Continuity Plans and templates for Entrepreneurs
- BDC Business Plan Template and Business Planning Tools
- Business Continuity Handbook
- Business Continuity Template
- Canadian Business Resilience Network Reopening Toolkit
- Emergency Response Plan Template
- Plan for Resilience: Workplace Edition for Leaders Employees and Self-Employed
Survey Results
Mandatory Mask Survey: Survey Results
Alberta Business Impact Survey: Survey Results
Alberta Business Impact Survey: Pulse 2 Results
Canadian Chamber Business Condition: Survey Results
OECD 2020 Economic Policy Survey Views from the frontline: Survey Results.
Funding and Assistance
Government funding and workforce supports
Find COVID-19 support and other programs and services with the Government of Canada Business and Industry Search Tool
Deloitte Small Business Relief Search Tool
- Business Scale Up and Productivity Program
- Canada United Small Business Relief Fund [fully subscribed in Alberta]
- City of Medicine Hat
- Business Innovation Grant [fully subscribed]
- Residential Lot Incentive Program
- Canadian Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program
- Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy
- Changes to Employment Standards for COVID-19
- Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
- Canada-Alberta Job Grant to help offset eligible training costs
- Enabling Accessibility Fund
- Faith-based and Cultural Facility Relaunch Grant
- Federal Government Supplementary Unemployment Benefit Program
- Funding for Green Jobs in Natural Resources
- Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility
- Regional Relief and Recovery Fund - AWE
- Regional Relief and Recovery Fund - Entre-Corp
- Site Rehabilitation Program for Oil and Gas Service Companies (Timeline: Applications open May 1)
- Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant
- Trade Commissioner Service: Resources for Canadian businesses
- Western Economic Diversification business supports
- Expanded Work Sharing Program to avoid layoffs
- Wage Subsidies to hire Post-Secondary Students
- Work Sharing Program Overview (March 2020)
- Venture for Canada student internship funding
Deferrals
- Deferral of Corporate Tax
- Deferral of WCB Premiums for the Private Sector
- Income Tax Filing and Payments
- Tourism Levy deferral and remittances
Supports through your Financial Institution
- ATB BoostR Crowdfunding platform; Webinar: Crowdfunding through COVID-19; ATB recovery workbook
- Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA)
- Co-Lending Program
- Mid-Market Finance Program
- Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Loan & Guarantee program
- Export Development Canada
Other Supports
- BusinessLink: Market Research Expertise
- Canada Post Hold Mail and Mail Forwarding Services and Think Small Support Program.
- Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance business assistance and Business Resource Centre
- Cyber Security Canadian Shield Program
- Innovative Solutions Canada Funding for R & D and testing prototypes
- Magnet Export Business Portal
- MNP Insolvency Services
Make sure to set up your My Business Account or Represent a Client and your Direct Deposit to quickly access Government supports.
You can view further details through the Government of Canada Economic Response Plan
Check out our list of other business resources on our website
Find COVID-19 supports with the Government of Canada online financial help search tool here.
- ABTrace Together App: download for free from the App Store and Google Play
- ATB and Alberta Credit Union support
- Canada Recovery Benefit
- Canada Recovery Caregiver Benefit
- Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit
- Changes to Employment Standards for COVID-19
- Child Care during COVID-19
- Child Tax Benefit
- City of Medicine Hat COVID-19 Assistance Package
- Cyber Security Canadian Shield Program
- CRA Request for Taxpayer Relief Form
- Education Property Tax Freeze for Households
- Emergency Financial Assistance
- Employment Insurance Sickness benefits
- Flexibility for Taxpayers
- Free Credit Counselling, Budgeting Help & Debt Consolidation Options
- Income Support Program
- Income Tax Filing and Payments
- Mobile Health Support: Mobile TELUS Health App
- RRIF Changes
- Security for Alberta Renters
- Virtual Tax Clinics
Virtual Business Tools
- Boardable virtual meeting platform
- Canada Business App
- Constant Contact: Small Business Support Kit
- Digital Boost for Business
- Ebay Offer
- Facebook Business Suite
- Google My Business - Tips to get started
- Google - Startups Accelerator Canada
- Get Started with Google Search
- Miro - Workplace Collaboration Tool
- Ownr - Register and Incorporate your business online
- Shopify: Free 90 day trial and business resources
- Star-Plus: Delivery, E-Commerce and POS Solution
Pandemic Education and Training Resources
Alberta Bits & Pieces Webinar. Watch Now.
Alberta Phase 2 Relaunch Town Hall Recordings. Listen Now.
Canadian Business Resilience Network Video Content
13 Ways COVID-19 and Your Business Part 1: Watch Now.
Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program explained. Watch now.
Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) Explained: Watch Now.
Conflict Escalation & What to Do About It. Watch Now.
Crowdfunding through COVID-19. Watch Now.
Cybersecurity And The Ever-Evolving Work Environment, With Field Effect. Watch Now.
Facebook: Build Your Online Presence. Watch now
Facebook: Getting Creative with your Mobile Phone, With Facebook. Watch now.
How to cope with the impacts of COVID-19 on your business. Watch Now.
How to Navigate Government Programs with KPMG. Watch Now.
How to Safely Reopen after COVID-19. Watch Now.
The Importance of Human Resources & Being Strategic When Your Business is Being Temporarily Impacted. Watch Now.
Keeping Your Company and Employees Secure When Working Remotely. Watch Now.
Leading During a Crisis and Switching to Remote Work. Watch Now.
Maintaining Sales in the face of COVID-19. Watch Now.
Mental Health for HR Professionals. Watch Now.
Relaunching Your Business. Watch now.
Shopify E-Commerce Tools. Watch Now.
Social Media in Crisis. Watch Now.
Strategies for How Businesses Can Persevere And Recover From COVID-19. Watch Now.
Understanding, Accessing and Optimizing the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. Watch Now.
Understanding Travel Insurance In The World Of COVID-19. Watch now.
What To Feel When Stressors Collide, With Canada Life. Watch Now.
Working From Home During COVID-19. Watch Now.
Webinar Series
Alberta Women Entrepreneurs events. View upcoming events.
AMHSA, CSSE, Howatt HR, AUMA Mental Health Webinar Series. Click here.
APEX Alberta Webinars: Watch the recorded series
BDC Webinar Series. Click here.
BusinessLink: View upcoming events.
Buyandsell.gc.ca: Learn how to find bid opportunities. Register now.
CPA Small Business Webinar Series. Click here.
CPHR Alberta: HR Pandemic Essentials. Click here.
Conference Board of Canada Webinar Series: Mental Health and COVID-19. Click here.
Constant Contact Webinar Series: View the line up of sessions and register.
D2L Webinar Series: Digital Transformation for Associations. Watch Now.
Employment Law Alliance On-Demand Series. Click here.
Free Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)® IDS™ sessions. Register here.
International Economic Development Council Webinar series. Watch now.
Retail Council of Canada. Register here.
School of Public Policy. Register here.
StartUp Canada Women Entrepreneur Webinar Series: Click here.
Travel Alberta Webinar Series. Watch Now.
Prevention
Restricted and Non Restricted Services
Alberta has implemented public health orders restricting mass gatherings to protect Albertans’ health and limit the spread of COVID-19.
Prevent the Spread
All Albertans are encouraged to take personal steps to help prevent the spread.
- Practice good hygiene
- Practice physical distancing
- Take the Online Screening
- Guidance on outdoor activities
- Infection Prevention & Control
- Prevent the Spread Posters & AHS Signage & Posters
- Resource on prevention and risks
- Get the ABTraceTogether mobile app
To protect yourself and others:
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Remember to cough and sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue and then throw away the tissue and wash your hands or use a sanitizer.
- Regularly disinfect your hands, surfaces and objects, such as desks and shared areas.
If you have symptoms, like a dry cough, fever, fatigue or difficulty breathing:
- stay home - do not go to an ER or clinic
- take the COVID-19 self-assessment
- call Health Link 811 for instructions and testing
- self-isolate for 14 days if returning from travel outside Canada or were exposed to COVID-19
View additional information on Symptoms and treatment and testing in Alberta.
View the hand sanitizer recall notice for certain hand sanitizers.
Community Resources
- City of Medicine Hat: The City of Medicine Hat call centre is available Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm to provide information to residents and help connect them to community resources. The information line number is 403-529-8106.
- Alberta Connects Contact Centre: The Alberta Connects Contact Centre is available seven days a week from 8 am to 8 pm. Call toll-free from anywhere in the province by dialling 310-4455 for general information about the Government of Alberta and its response to COVID-19, or for help contacting individual program areas. This line cannot provide medical advice.
- Alberta 211: Call, text 2-1-1 or browse ab.211.ca to obtain help navigating community and social services.
- Caregivers Alberta has a toll-free caregiver advisor line at 1-877-453-5088 and online at caregiversalberta.ca for all caregivers to provide psychosocial, along with other peer and community supports.
- Crisis Text Line Alberta is available 24-7 offering information, referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support for Albertans of all ages, by texting CONNECT to 741741.
- Kids Help Phone is available 24-7 and offers professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people by texting CONNECT to 686868.
- Mental Health: The Mental Health Help Line number is 1-877-303-2642 and the Addiction Help Line is 1-866-332-2323. Both lines are open seven days a week from 7 am to 11 pm with calls placed from 11 pm to 7 am routed through 811. Albertans will be connected directly to AHS addiction and mental health staff.
- Family Violence Prevention: A 24-hour Family Violence Information Line is available at 310-1818 to get anonymous help. Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence is available at 1-866-402-8000 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in more than 170 languages. Information sheets and other resources on family violence prevention are available at alberta.ca/COVID19.
- Service Canada Centres are temporarily closing in-person service centres and so people are to apply online. Read more.
- Canada Post Services
- Multilingual Resources
- BBB Tips on COVID-19: Don't panic, be safe and avoid scams
- COVID-19: Education and child care information.
- Learning Resources: LearnAlberta.ca; My Child's Learning: A Parent Resource
- Government of Alberta - Student learning during COVID-19
- Medicine Hat Public Library - Check out the Featured Collections section on the home page of their website.
- RBC Future Launch at Home - youth-focused virtual programming and learning opportunities.
- Awareness resources and documents
- BBB Tips on COVID-19: Don't panic, be safe and avoid scams
- Being Prepared: A resource for individuals, communities, schools and workplaces
- Canadian Mental Health Association supports
- Economic Developers Alberta: Economic Disaster Recovery
- Find Local Support Organizations: HelpSeeker.org
- Individuals and families preparedness checklist
- Institute for Sustainable Development: Tips for Alberta Business and Community Leaders Working to Address Economic Fall-Out
- Non-profit/voluntary sector preparedness checklist
- Risk-informed decision-making for mass gatherings during COVID-19 global outbreak
- World Health Organization: Coping with stress during COVID-19
Government Call to Action:
- Call to action: Canadian manufacturers needed to help combat COVID-19
- Alberta Cares Connector: Volunteer Connector Service
- Alberta Northern Lights Volunteer Recognition Program - Nominate a Volunteer
Local Opportunities:
- CFSEA COVID-19 Response Fund - Organizations can apply here.
Travel Advice
Pandemic COVID-19 travel health notice.
Parks Canada COVID-19 Information
If you need financial help to return to Canada, check COVID-19: Financial help for Canadians outside Canada.
For more information visit the Government of Canada Travel advice page and the Government of Alberta COVID-19 travel restrictions
Social Media to follow:
Submit a Complaint
If you see facilities that are not following the limitations and restrictions of the province, please notify public health inspectors through the online complaint form.
If you experience an unfair business or tenancy transaction, you can find more information and file a complaint here.
Is red tape affecting your ability to reopen your business? Fill out the Government of Alberta form to tell the government how it can better support your business through the relaunch transition.