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Alberta is in the midst of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, having recorded more than 1,000 new infections daily in the last 10 days, including a record 1,731 cases reported Saturday.
The Alberta government released a series of new measures Tuesday meant to combat rising case counts, including at businesses.
According to Alberta Health, retail businesses within malls, as well as the malls themselves, are allowed to remain open with capacity limited to 25 per cent of their fire code occupancy.
It’s the responsibility of mall owners to ensure a process is in place to meet that capacity limit, the province said.
In a statement Saturday, Cadillac Fairview, the company which owns and operates Chinook Centre, said it has worked to combat crowding in the wake of government restrictions.
“The health and safety of our community of guests, clients and employees is our primary concern, and we continue to follow guidance from all levels of government and public health officials,” the company said.
“Regarding the Province of Alberta’s new restrictions for shopping centres, we have been actively monitoring capacity levels throughout the holiday shopping season.”
A Calgary police representative reached Saturday said officers attended the mall Friday and escorted a group of patrons out of the building.
No charges were laid, as police said the focus was on public safety and education, but they added that if the same individuals were to crowd the mall again, fines would be given. Officers maintained a presence at the mall Saturday.
