Strathcona County puts resident and staff safety first

On Wednesday, September 15, the Government of Alberta declared a State of Public Health Emergency along with additional restrictions and an exemption program that impact Strathcona County residents, businesses, programs, services and facilities.

Some restrictions are in effect immediately on Thursday, September 16, while additional restrictions come into effect on Monday, September 20.

The County’s goal is to protect public health and safety while maximizing services and supports to our residents in compliance with the public health restrictions, using all tools available. The County continues to review how the restrictions will affect our community and residents and will gain additional clarity from the public health order when it is released. We expect to share additional information within the next few days; however, this is what is known at this time.

Restrictions effective Thursday, September 16 include:

• Mandatory physical distancing is required in addition to mandatory masking in all indoor public places and workspaces.
• Albertans are required to work from home unless their physical presence is operationally necessary.
• Indoor private gatherings for vaccine eligible, fully vaccinated individuals are limited to two households up to a maximum of 10 people, with no restrictions on children under 12.
• Vaccine-eligible individuals who are unvaccinated are not permitted to attend any indoor private social gathering.
• Places of worship attendance is limited to one-third of fire code capacity. Face masks and physical distancing are required.
• Details about additional restrictions affecting schools, outdoor public and private events, children’s extracurricular activities are available on the provincial COVID-19 webpage.
   

Immediate impacts on Recreation, Parks and Culture services include:

• All participants must continue to wear a mask, except while engaged in physical activities.
• Maintain two metres distance except while engaged in physical activities. This includes common areas in indoor facilities such as lobbies, changerooms and spectator seating.
• Children’s indoor sports/performance/recreation/special interests are permitted with requirements for masking and two-metre physical distancing, where possible, and participant symptom screening.
• Youth 18 and under may remove their mask while engaged in physical activities such as team sports.
• Teams should limit their arrival times and time in dressing rooms to 30 minutes pre- and post-booking time. Consider coming pre-dressed if possible.
• Spectator attendance is restricted to 1/3 fire code capacity. Attendees are limited to a single household or two close contacts if living alone and must be masked and maintain two meters physical distancing from others. Facility-specific capacities will be provided to all associations to share with their members.
• For recreational swimming activities, capacity will be reduced to support the physical distancing requirement in the changerooms. Currently, there are no changes to capacity limits for lap swimming.
• For swimming lessons, parents are encouraged to limit their time in the change rooms by pre-dressing little swimmers.
• Youth lounges at Millennium Place and Ardrossan Recreation Complex will be closed due to social activity restrictions.
• Fun Factory remains closed.
• Capacity seating limits for Emerald Hills Pavilion will be limited to 500 and must maintain two metres distance between households or 2 close contacts for those living alone. Masking is recommended.
• Note: adult restrictions are not in effect until September 20, and further details about these activities and programs will be released soon.

Residents are encouraged to limit spectator attendance and check facility capacities before they attend recreation activities, at strathcona.ca/capacity. Details about further restrictions and any County impacts will be released as soon as possible.

We recognize this is a difficult and complex time, and we appreciate your patience, cooperation and understanding as we adapt to provincial measures and maintain the health and safety of our staff, residents and community.

Further information about the public health restrictions and exemptions are online at alberta.ca/covid19.

Posters for businesses and community groups to use are available.

COVID-19 information, updates and the County’s response are online at strathcona.ca/covid19.

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Contact: Strathcona County Communications, 780-410-6595