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City of Lacombe announces new public health measures

The city is adopting recommendations that were announced by the provincial government yesterday
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(Black Press file photos)

The City of Lacombe has announced how the new provincial COVID-19 restrictions will impact the municipality.

Currently, Lacombe has 17 active cases of COVID-19 and remains at an enhanced watch status.

The following restrictions will be implemented immediately:

• No indoor social gatherings in any setting

• Outdoor gatherings have a maximum of 10 people

• Weddings and funerals services must be limited to 10 guests, and no wedding receptions are permitted

• No festivals or events are permitted

• Working from home should be implemented whenever possible

• Places of worship must limit their regular attendance to one-third capacity with mandatory masking

Beginning on Nov. 30, grade 7 to 12 students will be sent home for at-home learning and kindergarten to grade 6 students will remain in school until Dec. 18.

Restricted access to some businesses will start on Nov. 27. This will mean depending on the type of business it may be closed for in-person service, open with restricted capacity or open by appointment only.

Businesses that are closed for in-person service include:

• Banquet halls, conference centres, trade shows, auditorium and concert venues, non-approved/licensed markets, community centres

• Children’s play places or indoor playgrounds

• All levels of sport (professional, semi-professional, junior, collegiate/universities and amateur). Exemptions may be considered.

Most retail businesses and some entertainment and event services may remain open with 25 per cent limited capacity.

This includes:

• Retail, including liquor and cannabis

• Grocery stores

• Pharmacies

• Clothing stores

• Computer and technology stores

• Hardware

• Automotive

• Farmers markets approved by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry

• Unlicensed outdoor seasonal markets

• Movie theatres

• Museums and galleries

• Libraries

• Casinos, offering slots only. Table games must be closed at this time.

• Indoor entertainment centres including amusement parks, water parks, bingo halls and racing centres.

• Indoor fitness, recreation, sports and physical activity centres, including dance and yoga studios, martial arts, gymnastics and private or public swimming pools.

• Facilities can be open for individual studio time, training or exercise only.

• There can be no group fitness, group classes, group training, team practices or games.

• Instructors can use facilities to broadcast virtual fitness classes from, but there can be no group class.

Businesses that are open by appointment only are not permitted to offer walk-in services and appointments must be limited to one-on-one services.

This includes:

• Personal services such as hair salons and barbershops, esthetics, manicure, pedicure, body waxing and make-up, piercing and tattoo services,

• Wellness services including acupuncture, massage and reflexology

• Professional services such as lawyers, mediators, accountants and photographers

• Private one-on-one lessons (no private group lessons permitted)

• Hotels, motels, hunting and fishing lodges

Restaurants, bars, pubs and lounges will remain open with restrictions as long as they follow the public health guidelines in place.

This includes:

• Maximum of 6 people from the same immediate household at a table and no movement between tables.

o People who live alone can meet with up to 2 non-household contacts as long as they’re the same two throughout the duration of these restrictions

• Only seated eating and drinking is permitted. No other services or entertainment will be allowed, including billiards, games or darts.

• Liquor can be sold until 10 pm and food-serving establishments must close to in person-dining at 11 pm. Liquor sales apply to casinos, but casinos are not required to close at 11 pm.

In the City of Lacombe, some municipally operated facilities will be directly impacted by these changes.

The Lacombe Memorial Centre will be closed for all booking and holiday gatherings while these provincial guidelines are in place. However, access will be permitted for the Mary C. Moore Public Library, Lacombe FCSS and Anna Maria’s Café through the east corridor.

The Gary Moe AutoGroup Sportplex will be closed to all users and user groups until restrictions are lifted.

The Kinsmen Aquatic Centre will remain open but limited to 60 patrons at once. Lane swimming and individual classes remain available but must be pre-booked.

City hall will remain open for the month of December but residents are encouraged to conduct city business online or by phone. Instructions on how to pay municipal taxes and other city tasks can be found online.

The Public Works Facility and the Lacombe Fire Department are both open to appointments only and closed to all walk-ins.

The final city council meeting for the year will occur on Dec. 7 and can be viewed through the city’s live stream, which is available on YouTube.

As of the time of writing the City of Lacombe has not announced a mandatory mask bylaw.

All COVID-19 related updated can be found on the city’s website.