Alberta announces new restrictions, no in-school learning for students

On Tuesday May 4, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced that the province will be introducing a new set of restrictions to halt the spread of COVID-19.

Will all schools in Alberta be closed?

Yes. Starting Friday, May 7 all grade K-12 students in Alberta will shift to online learning as schools temporarily close their doors to in-class lessons. This change will be in effect until May 25. He said that students and teachers are now be self-isolating.

Workplaces facing 10-day closures

Any workplace experiencing an outbreak will now be subject to a 10-day closure, with the exception of essential workplaces. Outdoor gatherings are now restricted to groups of no more than five people.

The Alberta government is strongly recommending that groups of no more than two family cohorts intermingle socially.

Outdoor sports are now limited to groups consisting of only one household, with the exception of close contacts.

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Highest active case count in North America

Alberta has the highest active case count in all of Canada and the United States, at 534 active cases per 100,000 people. This is double the amount of cases as Ontario, which is host to 251 cases per every 100,000 people.

On Tuesday, Alberta is also reporting its highest ever active case count, with a total of 23,623 active cases. This is the highest since the start of the pandemic. The positivity rate reached a new high of 13.2 on Monday.

New restrictions in Alberta for restaurants, gyms, salons, and churches

Restaurants will now move to take-out only, and all patios must remain closed.

Retail outlets are limited to just 10 percent capacity.

All indoor fitness classes and activities will now be closed.

Hair salons and nail salons must now also close their doors to customers.

Religious institutions and places of worship are limited to a maximum of 15 people in general, and a maximum of 10 people are allowed present for funerals.