- Home
- Government
- Administrative Divisions
- Emergency Services
- Disaster Services
- COVID-19 Information for Residents
COVID-19 Information for Residents
If you think you may have COVID-19, please immediately complete this resource and then call 811.
Case numbers are reported by the Province.
For information on current case load in Hinton, please click here for the regional status map and here for Alberta Statistics tool.
Last Update: May 13, 2021 4:20 PM
The Town of Hinton is acting in the interest of public safety, proactively responding to an evolving worldwide pandemic involving COVID-19. Community health and safety is our priority. We are taking immediate steps to help reduce the risk to our residents, visitors and employees.
Alberta has entered a critical stage of the pandemic - the arrival of highly transmissible variants have put pressure on our health care system. Public health measures are required to protect the health system and reduce the rising spread of COVID-19 provincewide.
Additional restrictions come into effect for regions with high case rates, starting May 5. Provincewide measures continue to apply to all other areas.
These restrictions will be enforced with $2,000 fines.
Town Facilities Opening Status
Some Town of Hinton facilities including the Government center, remain closed to the public, adhering to the Provincial recommendations. These closures will make these buildings only accessible by the public on an appointment basis. For the most up to date information, subscribe to weekly COVID-19 Update newsletter from the Town of Hinton via "News & Announcements" Newsflash in NotifyMe.
Hinton Emergency Operations Centre
The Hinton Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) remains active, receiving guidance from both the Province and Local Agencies on statuses and needs.
The Hinton EOC strongly encourages Hinton residents to comply with the contact tracing, should an individual receive a positive test. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Hinshaw said that there has been an increase in Albertans who aren't participating in the contact tracing process. This poses significant risks for other people in the community and increases chances for community spread of the virus.
For other online resources, see below:
Province of Alberta COVID Webpage
Province of Alberta - Emergency Management Act
Government of Canada COVID Webpage
World Health Organization COVID Website
Expanded restrictions for high case regions
AS OF MAY 5, THESE RESTRICTIONS DO APPLY TO HINTON. CHECK CURRENT CASE NUMBERS HERE
Starting May 5, additional restrictions come into effect for regions with at least 50 cases per 100,000 people, and at least 30 active cases.
These restrictions will be in place for at least 3 weeks and will be extended if necessary. Provincewide restrictions remain in effect for all other communities.
Gathering Restrictions
- Indoor and Outdoor Gatherings
- Out of Town Travelers and Visitors
- Places of Worship
- Weddings
- Funerals
Mandatory - Reviewed May 5
Provincewide restriction
- All indoor gatherings are prohibited - public and private.
- close contacts are limited to household members only
- people who live alone can have up to 2 close contacts:
- these must be the same two contacts throughout the duration of the restriction
- if the close contacts do not live alone, visits cannot be held at their home
- single parents who only live with their children under 18 can have up to 2 close contacts
- Restrictions do not apply
- Co-parenting arrangements
- Home maintenance and repairs
- Mutual support group meetings
- Service visits from caregivers, health or childcare providers:
- childcare can include providing post-partum support for new mothers
- parents are allowed to remain in the home while another person is there to provide childcare services
Mandatory - Effective May 5
Outdoor gatherings have attendance limits depending on active cases in your area.
High case area restriction
- 5 people maximum (2 household cohorts maximum is encouraged)
Lower case area restriction
- 10 people maximum
Additional safety measures for all areas
- Mandatory physical distancing must be maintained at all times between members of different households.
- Outdoor gatherings must not have an indoor component (movement in/out of homes is not permitted).
Returning to Alberta
- If you do not have a household in Alberta, you must not stay in other people’s homes while these restrictions are in place.
- If you belong to the household, you are permitted to return to the home (e.g., child returning home from post-secondary).
Visitors to Alberta
- Out-of-town visitors cannot stay in other people's homes while these restrictions are in place, regardless of where they are coming from.
- While we appreciate this may affect travel plans to visit family, the increase in cases is very serious. These measures are required to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Mandatory - Effective May 5
Faith service attendance limits depend on active cases in your area.
High case area restrictions
- 15 in-person attendees maximum
- Lower case area restrictions
- 15% of fire code occupancy for in-person attendance
- Additional safety measures for all areas
Virtual, online or drive-in services were people do not have to leave their vehicles are recommended.
Mandatory physical distancing between households must be maintained.
Mask use is mandatory:
- faith leaders and other speakers can remove their masks while speaking if there is a distance of 2 metres and must be put on again once finished speaking
- performers must wear masks at all times
Group performance activities, such as choir singing and playing music, are permitted if they are normal worship practices and not for the purpose of entertainment.
- In-person faith group meetings and other religious gatherings are:
- not permitted in private homes while these measures are in effect
- permitted when conducted at a place of worship as long as physical distancing and public health measures are followed
Mandatory - Revised May 5
Provincewide restriction
- Wedding receptions - prohibited
- Wedding ceremonies - 10 people maximum including the officiant, bride/groom, witnesses and any photographers/videographers
Additional safety measures for all areas
- Mandatory physical distancing between households remain in effect
- Mask use is mandatory
- The maximum limit applies to:
- any facility, including places of worship
- ceremonies held indoors or outdoors, seated or non-seated
Mandatory - Effective May 5
Funeral attendance limits depend on active cases in your area.
High case area restrictions
- Funeral receptions - prohibited
- Funeral services - 10 people maximum, including participants and guests
Lower case area restrictions
- Funeral receptions - prohibited
Funeral services - 20 people maximum not including facility staff, funeral clergy or organizers not considered guests
Additional safety measures for all areas
- Mandatory physical distancing between households remain in effect
- Mask use is mandatory
Maximum limits apply to:
- any facility, including places of worship and funeral homes
- services held indoors or outdoors, seated or non-seated
Schools and Recreation Activities
- Schools, Post Secondary, and Childcare
- Indoor Fitness Recreation and Performance
- Outdoor Fitness Recreation and Performance
Mandatory - Effective May 5
Provincewide restriction
- Kindergarten to Grade 12 schools will transition to online learning, effective May 7 and will return to in-class learning on May 25.
- Post-secondary schools will transition to online learning, effective May 5.
- Childcare facilities can remain open.
Mandatory - Effective May 5
Provincewide restrictions
- Indoor fitness - all facilities must close, including for one-on-one training
- Indoor sport and recreation activities are not permitted, including:
- team sports
- group practices or training
- games, competitions or league play of any kind
- Indoor performance activities are not permitted, including:
- dancing, singing, acting or playing a musical instrument
- rehearsals or theatrical performances
Mandatory - Effective May 9 at 11:59 pm
Permitted outdoor activities depend on active cases in your area.
High case area restrictions
- All outdoor fitness, recreation and performance activities are prohibited, except with members of your own household or your 2 close contacts if you live alone.
- group physical activities - fitness classes, training sessions and team sports
- group performance activities (singing, dancing, acting, playing musical instruments)
- group practices and games
- one-on-one training sessions
- Outdoor recreation facilities can remain open unless specifically closed by public health order.
Lower case area restrictions
- Prohibited outdoor activities:
- all team sport games and competitions where 2-metre distancing cannot be maintained at all times (basketball, soccer, football, slo-pitch, etc.)
- Permitted outdoor activities, with participant limits and mandatory 2 metre distancing at all times:
- individual fitness, recreation and performance activities (running, cycling, dirt biking, golfing, etc.)
- group activities for 10 or fewer people:
- team sport training
- physical activities (walking, running, etc.)
- fitness training and outdoor classes
- one-on-one fitness training with a trainer or coach
- performance activities (singing, dancing, acting or playing musical instruments)
- youth skill development activities (Scouts, Girl Guides, 4H, etc)
- Spectators are permitted to attend outdoor:
- physical activities or performances - 10 specators max, 2 metres of distancing
- drive-in performances - no spectator limit, vehicles stay 2 metres apart, attendees must remain in vehicle except to use the washroom
- Outdoor recreation facilities:
- outdoor pools, tennis courts, pickleball courts, croquet pitches, running tracks, bicycle tracks and velodromes can remain open to the public unless specifically closed by public health order
- more than 10 people may use an outdoor facility at the same time as long as physical distancing is maintained between households
Professional sport organizations
- Professional sport organizations that have received an exemption can continue, as long as protocols are strictly followed.
Business and service restrictions
Some businesses are required to temporarily close, reduce capacity or limit in-person access. Masks are mandatory in all indoor public places, indoor workplaces, and places of worship.
- Restaurants, Bars, Pubs, Cafes, and Lounges
- Retail
- Entertainment Facilities
- Personal and Wellness Services
- Health Social and Professional
- Hotels, Banquet Halls, Community Halls and Conference Centres
- Work from Home and Workplace Transmission Prevention
Mandatory - Effective May 9 at 11:59 pm
Provincewide restriction
- All in-person dining is prohibited, including on patios.
- Restaurants, pubs, bars, lounges, cafes and food courts can open for takeout, curbside pickup and delivery only.
Mandatory - Effective May 5
Retail service customer capacity limits depend on active cases in your area.
High case area restrictions
- Customer capacity limited to 10% of fire code occupancy, or 5 customers, whichever is greater. Staff are not included in this total. (see calculating occupancy limits).
- Shopping mall capacity limits exclude common area square footage.
Lower case area restrictions
- Customer capacity limited to 15% of fire code occupancy, or 5 customers, whichever is greater. Staff are not included in this total. (see calculating occupancy limits).
- Shopping mall capacity limits exclude common area square footage.
Additional safety measures for all areas
- Curbside pick-up, delivery and online services are encouraged.
- Shop alone or only with the people you live with (see tips for shoppers)
Examples of retail services
- Retail businesses
- Shopping centres and malls
- Grocery stores, markets and pharmacies
- Clothing and sporting goods stores
- Computer and technology stores
- Hardware and automotive
- Liquor and cannabis
- Pet supply stores
- Gift shops
Mandatory - Revised May 5
Provincewide restriction
All entertainment businesses and entities must remain closed, including:
- Casinos, bingo halls, gaming centres
- Racing centres, horse tracks, raceways
- Bowling alleys, pool halls
- Art galleries and museums
- Libraries
- Science and interpretive centres
- Amusement and water parks
- Children’s play centres and indoor playgrounds
- Movie theatres, auditoria and concert halls
- Nightclubs
Mandatory restriction - Revised May 5
The operation of personal and wellness services depends on active cases in your area.
High case area restrictions (effective May 9 at 11:59 pm)
- All personal and wellness services must close.
Low case area restrictions (no change)
- All personal and wellness services can remain open by appointment only
- walk-in services are not permitted
- appointments should be limited to one-on-one services
- businesses must follow all current public health guidance
- home-based businesses must follow the restrictions for the type of service they provide
Examples of personal services
- Esthetics, manicure, pedicure, body waxing, make-up
- Body, nose and ear piercing, and tattoos
- Artificial tanning and spray tanning
- Facial, eyebrow and eyelash treatments
- Cosmetic skin and body treatments
- Laser hair and tattoo removal
- Hairstyling and barbering
Examples of wellness services
- Floatation tanks
- Reflexology
- Colonic irrigation
Mandatory - Revised May 5
Provincewide restrictions
The following services can remain open by appointment only as long as public health orders and sector guidance is followed. Appointments should be limited to one-on-one services.
- Regulated health services, including:
- physicians, dentists
- physical therapists
- optometrists
- chiropractors
- hearing aid practitioners
- acupuncturists
- naturopaths
- Non-regulated health services, including:
- massage therapists (a prescription or referral is no longer required)
- manual osteopaths
- kinesiologists
- athletic therapists
- Professional services, including:
- lawyers
- mediators
- accountants
- photographers
- Social services, including:
- social, protective or emergency services
- shelters for vulnerable persons
- not-for-profit community kitchens, religious kitchens and soup kitchens
- Home-based businesses should follow the restrictions for the type of service they provide.
Mandatory – Revised May 5
Provincewide restrictions, except where indicated
Hotels, motels, hunting and fishing lodges
- In-person dining is not permitted (room service only)
- Spas and indoor fitness facilities must close
- Pools and hot pools must close to the public, but may be rented out or used for the exclusive use of a person and their household
Banquet halls, community halls and conference centres
- Permitted activities:
- wedding ceremonies up to 10 people
- funeral services:
- 10 people maximum in high case areas
- 20 people maximum in low case areas
- Prohibited activities:
- wedding or funeral receptions
- trade shows
Mandatory restriction - Provincewide - Effective May 5
Working from home
- Working from home is mandatory unless the employer requires the employee's physical presence to operate effectively.
Masking
- Employees must wear a mask in all indoor workplaces, except:
- in work stations or where 2-metre distancing or adequate physical barriers are in place
- a workplace hazard assessment determines there is a safety risk
Workplace transmission
- Any workplace with transmission of 3 or more cases will be required to close for 10 days. Work camps, essential and critical services are exempt.
- Any workplace that does not comply will be subject to enforcement.
Alberta's Public Health Measures
The provincial government and local governments are acting to protect the health system and stop the spike of COVID-19.
Previously, the Alberta provincial government created a plan called "A Path Forward" as showen below.
as captured from Alberta Government COVID Webpage on March 1, 2021
Facility Closures
For further reference on Community Services’ statuses and updates, please view the most recent edition of ComServ.
In the interest of continuity of service to our community, we are including key information for important facilities in Hinton here.
General
Key Phone Number: 211
Corporate Services
Key Phone Number: 780-865-6016
Key Email: bsirois@hinton.ca
Development Services
Key Phone Number: 780-865-6010
Key Email: development@hinton.ca
Family and Community Support Services
Key Phone Number: 780-865-6036
Key Email: ccasemore@hinton.ca
Dr. Duncan Murray Recreation Centre
Key Phone Number Staffed: 780-865-4412
Key Phone Number Automated: 780-865-6066
Key Email: recreation@hinton.ca
Infrastructure Services, Parks
24/7 Service Line: 780-865-2634
Emergency Services/Protective Services Buildings
EMERGENCY: ALWAYS CALL 911
Emergency Services (Fire, PO)
Key Phone Number Info (fire): (780) 865-6089
Key Phone Number Complaint (PO): 780 865-6009
Protective Services (RCMP)
Key Phone Number Info: 780-865-2455
With buildings closed and no social gatherings, some residents' normal information networks may be less accessible than usual. It's more important than ever to stay up to date and informed on what's going on in the community. Visit NotifyMe and subscribe to receive updates from the Town, like our scheduled COVID update, automatically, at Hinton.ca/NotifyMe.
Prevention
To help protect you and your family against all respiratory illnesses, including flu and COVID-19, you should:
- Wash your hands often and well
- Avoid touching your face, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Clean and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched
- Stay at home and away from others if you are feeling ill
- Contact your primary health provider or Health Link 811 if you have questions or concerns about your health
- When sick, cover your cough and sneezes and then wash your hands
Wearing Medical Masks
Masks can be very important in certain situations. When sick, wearing a mask helps prevent us from passing illnesses on to other people. This is why we ask people who have a cough or respiratory symptoms to wear a mask and wash their hands when visiting an emergency department or clinic.
- If you are sick, wearing a mask helps prevent passing the illness on to other people.
- If you are healthy, medical masks are not recommended as they don’t provide full protection and can create a false sense of security.
- See appropriate infection prevention and control precautions for health-care settings
24/7 Mental Health Referrals and Support Available
The Town of Hinton FCSS wishes to remind all residents that they can call 211 at any time to speak with a live person who can assist in finding a wide array of social supports and referrals, or if a person is feeling stressed or anxious. This free resource is available 24/7 by call or text, with web chat also available by clicking here.
Critical and Essential Services Continuing
At this time, the Town of Hinton has no impacts to core services based on COVID-19 response; while our buildings may be closed, many staff members continue to work in alternate capacities. This means garbage, water, roads, emergency and protective services are all continuing. Please continue to place waste containers for pick up in line with your scheduled collection date, and call 780-865-2634 for Infrastructure Services and Parks questions or requests. For a detailed listing of Community Service statuses, please view ComServ
Taxes and Utilities Deferred
During a Special Meeting of Council held this (April 7, 2020) afternoon, Hinton Town Council took actions which are intended to provide relief to COVID-19 impacted residents.
These actions offer residents the ability to defer payment and penalties for Property Taxes until August 31, 2020 as well as defer payment and penalties for Town utilities for a period of 120 days ending in August 2020.
Learn more in the CivicSend, available here: https://www.hinton.ca/CivicSend/ViewMessage/message/109199, or visit Hinton.ca/Defer
Further Information
The Town of Hinton Emergency Operations Centre is committed to issuing a communication every operational period. These updates are circulated first via News and Announcements Civicsend (click here to subscribe), shared to our facebook page (like us here), and then updated on our COVID-19 web page (available here).
Find out more on AHS’s COVID-19 website, Government of Alberta, and Town of Hinton Newsflash
Council Meetings
Hinton Town Council meetings will, at this time, continue in the interest of continued operations. However, they are now occurring remotely via zoom meetings and are being livestreamed on Youtube via Hinton.ca/CouncilLive. Check the Town of Hinton Meetings and Events calendar for links and schedule.
Minute with Council Access
Early in the Town Response to COVID-19, Town Council meetings were moved to remote environments, closed to the public, and streamed online to allow for easy access by residents. However, one aspect of our Council meetings that was lost in this necessary response was Minute with Council.
Traditionally, Residents have been welcomed to speak to Council about issues, events, celebrations or concerns during Minute with Council. At the beginning of each Council Meeting, the chair of the meeting opens the floor to the public to speak and share with Council members, administration and meeting observers.
As we determine the "new normal" in this pandemic response, the Town of Hinton has established a procedure to take part in Minute with Council remotely, temporarily, as we prepare for further steps in our reopening plans.
This process is being established to avoid risks of public meeting teleconferencing, such as inappropriate or abusive interjections by anonymous or false identities.
We appreciate your understanding should this cause any inconvenience for you.
Please use this form to receive an invite code to join our proceedings remotely.
Should you encounter difficulty using the form, please call 780-865-6072.
Cemeteries
At this time, new business relating to the Cemetery is encouraged to be handled via your funeral director through to the Town of Hinton, as drop in meetings are not being accepted from the general public at the Government Centre. Should you wish to meet with Cemetery staff, please call 780-865-6016 to schedule a meeting.
Friendly Caller Program
In this pandemic event, social connections are more important than ever. But finding them is also more difficult than ever.
That’s why we’ve worked to reorient our Friendly Visitor Program to Friendly Callers! Our application packages are available now! Find the form for callers here, and form for applicants here. Learn more about the program on the website, available here.
Taxes and Utilities
During a Special Meeting of Council held this (April 7, 2020) afternoon, Hinton Town Council took actions which are intended to provide relief to COVID-19 impacted residents.
These actions offer residents the ability to defer payment and penalties for Property Taxes until August 31, 2020 as well as defer payment and penalties for Town utilities for a period of 120 days ending in August 2020.
Learn more in the CivicSend, available here: https://www.hinton.ca/CivicSend/ViewMessage/message/109199
A support is available from the federal government; learn more about the Canada Emergency Response Benefit here: Link
-
Temporary Patio Program
In support of local restaurants, bars and other food and drink establishments impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, the Town of Hinton is implementing a “pilot patio program”. Read on... -
Request for Application for Residential Bin Sizes
The Town requests that all residential property owners fill out an application form ONLY if you would like to request the smaller sixty-four (64) gallon bin. Read on... -
Wildfire season from March 1
Starting March 1, fire permits are required for any burning, except campfires, in the Forest Protection Area of Alberta. Read on...