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COVID-19 Information for Residents
If you think you may have COVID-19, 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: January 15, 2021 9:00 AM - THIS WEBSITE IS SCHEDULED FOR UPDATE MONDAY MORNING IN LINE WITH PROVINCIAL CHANGES
The Town of Hinton is acting in the interest of public safety, proactively responding to an evolving worldwide scenario 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.
On December 08, 2020, The Government of Alberta held a press conference announcing a number of new mandatory restrictions for Albertans in response to COVID-19.
For the full listing of new provincial restrictions, visit the Provincial Website here. View the Town of Hinton CivicSend here, or viewing the slideshow below.
Due to Alberta’s high case numbers, aggressive action is still required to protect our health system from being overwhelmed.
The current situation is still critical. Health officials actively continue to evaluate the situation and will adjust measures if required.
Town Facility Opening Statuses
Effective Sunday December 13, all Town of Hinton facilities are closed to the public. Learn more here.
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.
Facility Closures
For further reference on Community Services’ statuses and updates, please view the most recent edition of ComServ.
On Tuesday, December 8, 2020, the Province of Alberta announced new restrictions in place in Alberta until at least January 12, 2021, in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic (please familiarize yourself with all restrictions, as viewable on the Provincial Website, Town of Hinton COVID Website, or CivicSend).
In response to these announced restrictions, Town of Hinton CAO Emily Olsen and Senior Leadership have made decision that all Town Buildings will be closed to the public on Sunday, December 13, 2020.
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, to the right.
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
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