Outdoor concerts with vocalists and wind instruments, outdoor whirlpools and hot tubs, and indoor trade shows and exhibits will be allowed again in Alberta as of Friday, even as the province reported more than 100 new cases of COVID-19 for the first time since early May.
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said at a press conference Thursday the province had been looking at similar activities that are already permitted, like outdoor pools and other types of concerts, as well as farmers markets, and determined lifting these restrictions would be safe to do so.
“I think these three things that we’re opening right now, I don’t anticipate will significantly increase risk,” she said.
“It really is about social settings and encouraging people to consistently be following those two-metre distances, masking when that’s not possible, staying home when sick, washing hands regularly, and if this happens in all of these settings, then we can collectively bring our numbers down again.”
Outdoor hot tubs and whirlpools are regulated, just like public outdoor pools, she said, which have been open for some time without transmission of COVID-19 happening in those settings.
Other types of concerts have already been allowed as well, she said. Concerts with wind instruments and singers will have restrictions on distancing and barriers between musicians to prevent the spread of the virus.
“But again, because it’s outdoors, I don’t believe that whether someone is gathering to hear a musician play a non-wind instrument, or gathering to hear someone sing, that doesn’t change that risk. So again, those two things are fairly minor,” she said.
Meanwhile, some visitor restrictions at Alberta’s long-term care centres will be lifted starting next week.
Beginning next Thursday, residents will be allowed to have two supporters visit indoors as long and as often as they wish, and up to four visitors for outdoor visits. Each facility will be drafting its own visitor policy, which can be less restrictive if all residents agree.
Previously, only one support person was allowed when a resident’s care needs could not be met by staff.
Hinshaw said people living in long-term care have been hit hard by the disease — and account for 119 of Alberta’s 165 deaths — but some residents are also seeing their health decline because of isolation.
“There are no risk-free options with COVID-19. This virus is still here, and residents in these facilities remain uniquely vulnerable. At the same time, we must also consider the overall health and well being of those residents and the risks of isolation brought on by strict universally applied visitor restrictions,” she said Thursday.
“We believe (opening the visitor policy) will help people remain socially and emotionally connected, while still protecting those who are most at risk of severe outcomes.”
There were 120 new cases of COVID-19 discovered on Wednesday, and two people have died. Thursday’s announcement follows a recent trend of higher cases being reported, including 82 on Tuesday. Three new regions were added to the COVID-10 watchlist.
Fifty-three cases are now linked to the outbreak at Edmonton’s Misericordia Community Hospital, with one new case reported since Wednesday. There were 14 new cases reported in the outbreak at Good Samaritan Southgate Care, for a total of 32 cases.
To date, the province has had a total 9,114 cases, including 165 deaths.
