Provincial Restrictions 

These closures will make all buildings only accessible by the public on an appointment basis. In the interest of continuity of service to our community, we are including key information for important facilities in Hinton, in one CivicSend. View it here.

CHANGES SCHEDULED

New Changes will come into Effect on Monday, January 18, 2021. This includes: view Provincial Website for more information here

• Outdoor social gatherings are allowed up to 10 people. Indoor gatherings remain prohibited.
• Personal and wellness services are allowed to open by appointment only.
• Funeral ceremony attendance has been increased to 20 people, with mandatory masking and 2 metre physical distancing. Funeral receptions are not allowed.
• All other mandatory restrictions will remain in place until further notice, including:
  • All indoor social gatherings are prohibited. This will be enforced with $1,000 fines.
  • Masks are mandatory in all indoor public spaces and workplaces.
  • Working from home is mandatory when physical presence is not required.
  • Current child care and K-12 learning measures remain in effect.
  • Effective Dec. 13, some businesses are required to temporarily close, reduce capacity or limit their in-person access.

The above summary does not include all parameters, restrictions, exemptions, and particulars. For further information, access the Provincial Website here or the Town of Hinton COVID-19 website Hinton.ca/COVID.

current restrictions

Indoor and Outdoor Social Gatherings

All indoor and outdoor social gatherings – public and private – are prohibited

• Close contacts are limited to household members only
• People who live alone can have up to 2 close contacts:
• 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 are permitted to have up to 2 close contacts

This does not apply to:

• co-parenting arrangements
• service visits from caregivers, health or childcare providers
• home maintenance and repairs
• mutual support group meetings

Holiday Exemption for People Living Alone

Individuals who live alone may gather with one household for a single event between Dec. 23 and Dec 28.

During this time, a household can only host a single event and it can only include up to 2 people who live alone and their minor children.

This is an exemption to CMOH Order 42-2020, which allows an individual living alone to have up to 2 close contacts in other households.

Follow safety measures when gathering, especially with people over 65 and with people at higher risk of severe outcomes:

• maintain 2 metres of distance
• provide access to hand sanitizer
• wear a mask when unable to maintain 2 metres of distance
• Out-of-Town Travel and Visitors
• Returning home

If the individual belongs to the household (e.g., a such as a child returning home from post-secondary), then they would be permitted to return to the home.

If participating in the Border Testing Pilot Program, all program directives must be followed before rejoining the household.

If you do not have a household in Alberta, you must not stay in other people’s homes while these restrictions are in place. 

Visitors

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 your travel plans as you may wish to visit or stay with family, the increase in COVID cases is being taken very seriously and these enhanced public health measures are required to stop the spread of COVID-19. 

Weddings and Funerals

Maximum of 10 people for wedding ceremonies or funeral services and may be held in a public or private place

• This includes the officiant, bride/groom and witnesses
• This does not include staff or organizers who are not considered an invited guest
• This applies to any facility, including places of worship and funeral homes.
• This includes services held indoors or outdoors, seated or non-seated.
• Receptions are not permitted

This measure will help limit exposure, reduce outbreaks and protect vulnerable attendees.

Places of Worship

Faith services are limited to 15% of fire code occupancy for in-person attendance:

• Physical distancing between households must be maintained
• Mask use is mandatory

Alternatively:

• Virtual or online services are recommended
• Drive-in services where people do not leave their vehicles and adhere to guidance are allowed

Additional safety measures:

• 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

Faith leaders and other speakers can remove their masks while speaking if there is a distance of 2 metres. The mask must be put on again once finished speaking.

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. Performers must wear masks at all times.

Masks, workplaces, schools and child care

Effective Dec. 8, masks are mandatory in all indoor public spaces and workplaces.

Effective Dec. 13, working from home is mandatory when physical presence is not required.

Current child care and K-12 learning measures remain in effect.

Mandatory Mask Requirements 

Masks are mandatory in all:

• indoor public places
• places of worship
• indoor workplaces and facilities outside the home, except:
• when working alone in an office or a safely distanced cubicle or a barrier is in place
• rental accommodations used solely for the purposes of a private residence
• farm operations (exempt)

This workplace requirement:

• applies to all employees, customers, visitors, delivery personnel and contractors
• includes any location where employees are present in-person
• includes all workplace locations where masks won’t pose a safety risk
• does not change current student mask requirements in schools

Working from home is mandatory unless the employer requires a physical presence for operational effectiveness.

Grades 7-12 students

Classes resumed in-person classes Jan. 11.

School buildings remain open during shifts to at-home learning

Diploma exams are optional for rest of the school year. Students and families can choose to write an exam or receive an exemption for the January, April, June and August 2021 exams.

Grades K-6 students, including Early Childhood Services

Continue in-person learning until their scheduled winter break (generally Dec. 18*)

Move to at-home learning after the winter break until Jan. 8

Resumed in-person classes Jan. 11

*Schools have different winter break schedules, check with your school for details.

Exemption is available for students with disabilities or in outreach programs.

Licensed daycare, out-of-school and preschool program can continue operating as long as providers follow all public health orders and guidance for child care programs. 

Business and service restrictions

Effective Dec. 13, some businesses are required to temporarily close, reduce capacity or limit their in-person access. 

Retail

Mandatory restriction – Provincewide – Effective Dec. 13

Retail services must reduce customer capacity to 15% of fire code occupancy (not including staff) or a minimum of 5 customers:

• Curbside pick up, delivery and online services are encouraged
• Shop alone if possible or only with the people you live with

Shopping mall:

• capacity limits of 15% include common areas and individual stores
• for information on how to assess capacity limits, see calculating occupany limits
• food courts open for grab and go only

Retail services include but are not limited to:

• Retail businesses operating within a shopping centre or mall
• Shopping centres and malls
• Pet supply stores
• Grocery stores
• Pharmacies
• Clothing stores
• Computer and technology stores
• Hardware
• Automotive
• Sporting goods
• Liquor and cannabis
• Gift shops
• Markets

Restaurants, bars, pubs, lounges and cafes

Mandatory restriction – Provincewide – Effective Dec. 13

All restaurants, pubs, bars, lounges and cafes are closed to in-person service.

Take out, curbside pickup and delivery services are allowed.

Entertainment and Recreation Facilities

All entertainment businesses and entities must close, including:

• Casinos, bingo halls, gaming centres
• Racing centres, horse tracks, raceways
• Bowling alleys, pool halls
• Legions and private clubs (nightclubs must remain closed)
• Art galleries, libraries and museums
• Science and interpretive centres
• Amusement and water parks
• Children’s play centres and indoor playgrounds
• Movie theatres, auditoria and concert halls
• Banquet halls, conference centres and trade shows

All indoor recreation facilities must close, including:

• Gyms and studios
• Fitness and recreation centres
• Spas, pools, indoor rinks and arenas
• Day and overnight camps
• Community halls and centres
• Outdoor recreation is permitted, but facilities with indoor spaces except for washrooms will be closed.

Personal and Wellness Services

All personal and wellness services must close.

Personal services include:

• 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

Wellness services include:

• floatation tanks
• reflexology
• colonic irrigation

Health, Social and Professional Services

Regulated health 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.

• physicians, dentists
• physical therapists
• optometrists
• chiropractors
• hearing aid practitioners
• acupuncturists
• naturopaths

Professional services can remain open by appointment only:

• lawyers
• mediators
• accountants
• photographers

Social services can remain open for in-person 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.

Hotels Motels Hunting and Fishing Lodges

Hotels, motels, hunting and fishing lodges may remain open but must follow restrictions:

• No spa, pool or gym access
• No in-person dining (room service only)

Performance Activities

Performance activities include dancing, singing, theatre and playing wind instruments.

Outdoor settings

• Rehearsals and practices are permitted up to a maximum of 10 participants. Physical distancing and other relevant guidelines must be followed.
• Performances with audiences are not permitted.

Indoor settings

• No group performances in indoor settings are permitted.
• Rehearsals, practices and lessons involving 2 or more are not permitted unless it is 1-to-1 with a coach or instructor.

Lessons

• 1-to-1 in-person lessons are permitted.
• Virtual lessons are strongly encouraged where possible.
• Lessons can’t occur in facilities that are closed under the current measures

School settings

• Phys Ed., band and drama classes are permitted to continue
• Assemblies, performances, concerts, and inter-school games, activities and competitions are not permitted.

Places of worship

Indoor group performance activities conducted in a place of worship, such as choir singing and playing music, are permitted provided these are normal activities conducted as part of worship practices and not for the purpose of entertainment.

Sports and Physical Activities

Group physical activities, including team sports, fitness classes and training sessions, are prohibited or restricted across Alberta.

• Outdoor group physical activity must be limited to 10 people or fewer.
  • It is strongly recommended that the activity is kept to members of the same household.
  • Members of different households must maintain 2 metre distancing at all times.
  • See guidance for outdoor winter recreation.
• Outdoor group activities where 2 metre distancing cannot be maintained are prohibited.
  • Shinny, tag and pick-up hockey are prohibited.
• Outdoor recreation amenities can be open to public access unless specifically closed by public health order.
  • This includes outdoor skating rinks, sledding hills and Nordic ski areas.
  • More than 10 people may use an outdoor recreation amenity at the same time (for example, public access to a local rink) as long as physical distancing is maintained between households.
• Outdoor team sports must also be limited to 10 people or fewer and 2 metre distancing must be maintained at all times.
  • Indoor group physical activities are prohibited unless:
  • the group only involves members of the same household.
  • the activity involves students at a school or post-secondary institution as part of an education program
  • the activity involves students at a post-secondary institution
• One-to-one indoor training, such as training with a fitness trainer or coach, is permitted.