Alberta plots course to reopen economy

First tentative phases set to start Friday

• Alberta will begin to reopen Friday, and for the first time in weeks, people will be allowed access into provincial parks. As of Monday, golf courses will swing open in Wild Rose country.

The province announced Thursday afternoon three stages of progressive changes to the COVID-19 restrictions that have limited Albertans’ activities and movements since the pandemic began.

Other restrictions changes, the government noted, will be “lifted in stages when safe.” These early measures aren’t even, technically speaking, part of “Stage 1.”

That could come as early as two weeks from now.

“We can finally begin to shift our focus from the pain and anxiety of the past few weeks,” said Kenney. “We’re still months from what will feel like the normal lives we all took for granted a few weeks back.”

Alberta is the latest province to announce its intentions to slowly reopen the economy in coming weeks and months, following Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, P. E. I., New Brunswick and Saskatchewan, which have all adopted various phase-in approaches. B.C., Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and the territories have not yet announced reopen plans.

As of Friday, provincial parks will begin to reopen. The government intends to open campsites by June 1 — with no bathroom or garbage services — but they will be open exclusively to Albertans, not out-of-province travellers.

In remarks, Premier Jason Kenney said that scheduled, non- urgent surgeries could begin as soon as May 4, and that other health- care services — such as physiotherapy and dietitian services — could also resume May 4 “as long as they are following approved guidelines set by their professional colleges.”

In early April, in a televised address to Albertans, Kenney had already laid out some of the steps that would be taken for reopening the province, such as a dramatically scaled up testing regime for COVID- 19, increased screening at borders and the promotion of mask-wearing. Those measures were all reiterated as “requirements to move to the next stage.”

Stage 1, which could begin as early as May 14, would see retail business reopen, including farmers’ markets, daycares and hairdressers. There would be limits on occupancy. As well, restaurants and cafés — strictly kept to 50 per cent of capacity — will also be allowed to reopen as long as they don’t have bar service and allow minors.

In this phase, gatherings of more than 15 people will still be denied. That means no movie theatres, festivals and sporting events. Visits to patients in health facilities, will still be denied.

Schools from kindergarten to Grade 12 will not reopen, and the province will continue to advise employees to not work from the office.

Stage 2, with no defined date, and is contingent upon the success of phase 1 without further spread of COVID-19, could see schools from kindergarten to Grade 12 resume, and more scheduled surgeries allowed. This phase would also include services such as waxing and pedicures, and potentially, the lifting of gathering-size limits.

Visits to health facilities would remain restricted. Gyms, nightclubs and recreation facilities would also remain closed. Non- essential travel will remain “not recommended” but the requirement to work from home will be lifted.

Stage 3 — again, contingent upon the success of the other two stages, would “fully” reopen all business and services, with some undefined “limited restrictions.” This would allow — with restrictions — concerts and festivals, nightclubs, gyms and recreational facilities. It would also see the end of restrictions on non-essential travel.

Alberta as of Thursday had diagnosed 5,165 COVID-19 cases — 1,953 of them had recovered — and 87 deaths.