Restaurants, barber shops and hair salons in Calgary and Brooks now have the official go-ahead to reopen their doors on Monday.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says declining COVID-19 case trends in those two cities, which had experienced the highest levels of infections, make the reopening safe.
Those shops were allowed to open last week in the rest of Alberta, but the government wanted to see progress in Calgary and Brooks before giving them the green light there.
Retailers and daycares were allowed to open provincewide last week.
This is the first phase of Alberta’s strategy to reopen its economy after flattening the curve on the pandemic.
Alberta has 926 active cases, with 59 people in hospital, and its per capita testing rates among the highest in the world.
Kenney says if the numbers continue to stay flat or decline, the next phase of reopening movie theatres, spas and other personal care services will proceed as planned on June 19.
Stage one – cities of Calgary and Brooks
Opened May 14:
- Retail businesses, such as clothing, furniture and bookstores.
- All vendors at farmers markets are able to operate.
- Museums and art galleries.
- Daycares and out-of-school care with limits on occupancy.
- Resumption of some scheduled, non-urgent surgeries.
- Regulated health professions are permitted to offer services as long as they continue to follow approved guidelines set by their professional colleges.
Opening May 25:
- Hairstyling and barbershops.
- Cafés, restaurants, pubs and bars will be permitted to reopen for table service only at 50 per cent capacity.
Opening June 1:
- Day camps, including summer school, will be permitted with limits on occupancy.
- Post-secondary institutions will continue to deliver courses; however, there will be more flexibility to include in-person delivery once the existing health order prohibiting in-person classes is lifted.
- Places of worship and funeral services can be expanded if they follow specific guidance already online.
— With Files From The Canadian Press