Alberta could start Step 2 of the province’s plan to ease restrictions as early as Monday, March 1. That means some businesses could find out that they’re allowed to reopen that very day.
“We know that lead times vary by sector and business,” Dr. Deena Hinshaw said Tuesday.
“Given that each step in the path forward contains some unique elements, the same notice may not be required for businesses in Step 2, 3 or 4.”
Sectors involved in Step 1, which included restaurants, were given a week’s notice that they’d be allowed to reopen Feb. 8.
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health said provincial officials need the extra time to look at case numbers and where spread is happening before making a decision on Step 2.
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“We did need the additional time to be able to look at the full three weeks of data following the first step to be able to understand what’s happening with our numbers, where is spread happening and if we need to take longer or a more cautious approach going forward,” Hinshaw said.
1:07 COVID-19: Hinshaw clarifies answer regarding Step 2 reopening date
COVID-19: Hinshaw clarifies answer regarding Step 2 reopening date
“Recognizing that it is frustrating for businesses, while the decision will be made at the earliest on March 1st, I’m not able to say with certainty exactly when that would be implemented,” she said.
“It could be as early as that same day or it could be that a decision is made with some lag time for businesses to prepare for opening.”
Hinshaw says the R-value, along with the positivity rate in Alberta will help determine whether or not the reopening can go ahead. Hospitalizations must also be below 450 people. As of Tuesday, 326 people were in hospital.
While the potential reopening is welcome news to some businesses, many feel the lack of notice could lead to a big scramble.
Alberta businesses have been asking the province for a week’s notice before a decision is made on reopening. It’s crucial for Orangetheory Fitness, so it can prepare all 26 studios in the province.
1:51 COVID-19: Gym owners ask Alberta government for more easing of restrictions
COVID-19: Gym owners ask Alberta government for more easing of restrictions – Feb 4, 2021
Orangetheory president Blake MacDonald said the potential lack of heads up could cause lofty expectations for customers wondering why the gym needs more days to get ready.
“High-intensity group fitness studios require time to rehire staff, to get them trained, to put COVID safety protocols in place and so, it’s not easy for us to just turn the lights on and allow patrons to come in,” MacDonald said.
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“I think the more notice, the better.”
MacDonald also said the province’s possible last-minute decision could also cost the franchise thousands of dollars per studio in federal funding.
“Lockdown support is 25 per cent of our rent subsidy today, which can be, for an Orangetheory studio, between $3,000 and $5,000.”
“The day that they actually reopen or announce reopening, we lose our lockdown support for our rent subsidies,” MacDonald said.
A spokesperson for the federal minister of finance told Global News the government’s top priority remains supporting Canadians and businesses. She also explained the only federal support affected by a reopening is the lockdown support. Eligible businesses would still receive rent support.
“That is why we have introduced targeted support to help hard-hit businesses and other organizations experiencing a drop in revenue,” said press secretary Kat Cuplinskas.
“These include the up to 75 per cent wage subsidy; the rent subsidy and lockdown support, which when combined could cover up to 90 per cent of a tenant’s rent; the expanded Canada Emergency Business Account loan; and the new Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program.
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“The federal government will continue to be there for Albertans and all Canadians, as we have been since the start of the pandemic.”
0:59 Coronavirus: Federal government announces new rent subsidy support for small businesses
Coronavirus: Federal government announces new rent subsidy support for small businesses – Nov 23, 2020
Alberta Health said it can’t provide an official decision or more detail on Step 2, except for a potential list of areas that could see eased restrictions.
The Step 2 plan lists retail, banquet halls, community halls, conference centres, hotels and further easing of indoor fitness and children’s sport.
Despite gyms not specifically being listed, MacDonald is confident Orangetheory Fitness is part of the next stage of reopening.
“We’ve been working with an industry liaison group with the Ministry of Health and Economic Development,” he said.
“They’ve been fairly transparent about the fact that we were going to be put into the Stage 2 of reopening.”
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4:53 #SaveFitnessAB campaign aims for more financial support, planning amid COVID crisis
#SaveFitnessAB campaign aims for more financial support, planning amid COVID crisis – Feb 8, 2021
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.
Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.
The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.
“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.
Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.
A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
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