At a Glance
New Public Health Restrictions
To combat the fourth wave of COVID-19, the province announced several new public health measures to try and limit the spread and to ease the strain on hospitals. A full list of measures can be found on the government’s website. As of September 16th, only vaccinated individuals are permitted to engage in indoor private gatherings (limited to one other household to a maximum of 10 people). There is also a mandatory work from home order unless an employer deems physical presence an operational requirement. There were also a number of grade school related measures, including mandatory masking for staff, teachers, and children in grades 4 and up.
On September 20th, only outdoor dining will be permitted to a maximum of six people (one household or two close contacts of someone living alone). Indoor weddings and funerals will be limited to 50 attendees or 50 per cent of fire code capacity (whichever is less) – the limit is increased to 200 for outdoor services and ceremonies.
No indoor receptions will be permitted. All retail and entertainment facilities will be limited to one-third fire code capacity and require masking. Adult group fitness is no longer permitted; however, individual, and one-on-one training is allowed with a minimum of three-metres distance.
Restrictions Exemption Program
While the provincial government has said for months that would not implement what many have referred to as a ‘vaccine passport’, Alberta will be moving forward with a hybrid system called the Restrictions Exemption Program. Starting September 20th, those who are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative test no more than 72-hours old (must be a paid test, not from Alberta Health Services or Alberta Precision Laboratories) in certain situations.
If a business participates in the Restrictions Exemption Program, they will be able to operate as they normally would so long as they are only serving those with proof of vaccination or a negative test. The program will not apply for businesses or entities that need to be accessed for daily living. Businesses that can employ the program include restaurants, bars, group fitness, and other circumstances. Those who decide not to use the program are subject to related public health restrictions.
Alberta Cabinet Shuffle
On the day that followed the federal election, Premier Jason Kenney conducted a small, yet significant, cabinet shuffle. Now-former Minister of Health Tyler Shandro tendered his resignation from the portfolio to the premier, which was accepted by Premier Kenney. As a result, Minister Jason Copping has taken over the portfolio in the middle of the fourth wave. He was previously the Minister for Labour and Immigration. Minister Shandro will take over Minister Copping’s previous responsibilities.
Speaking to the media, Premier Jason Kenney explained a bit of what happened behind the scenes. “He and I (Tyler Shandro) both came to the conclusion that it would be best to get a fresh pair of eyes and a fresh start at the health ministry”. He went on to explain further that “it’s been a grueling two-plus years for Tyler. I was there myself and saw he and his family being chased and assaulted by anti-vaccine protesters and all of that I know has taken a real toll on Minister Shandro.”
UCP Leadership Review Moved to Spring
Originally, it was planned that the United Conservative’s leadership review of Premier Jason Kenney would take place at the UCP AGM scheduled for fall 2022. According to the UCP Director of Communications, Dave Prisco, Premier Kenney has requested the AGM be moved to spring 2022, along with the leadership review.
The move was made due to party frustrations with pandemic response which have become quite public since the fourth wave has brought to an end the cancellation of public health restrictions. At the time of writing, there has been no confirmation of date or venue for the spring AGM.
Alberta Innovates Provides Funding to Start Up Business Accelerators
Our province’s research and innovation agency has announced that it will provide funding to four accelerators in an effort to address our scaleup gap. The successful candidates were selected from a group of 64 applicants from a request for proposals back in March for a total of $35 million in funding from all three levels of government. The accelerators selected are:
Alberta Accelerator by 500
Plug and Play Alberta
Community Safety and Wellness powered by Alchemist
Alberta Pre-Accelerator
Alberta Innovates CEO Laura Kilcrease was excited about the prospect of what this funding will mean for our province. “This level of accelerator scaleup and growth has never before been undertaken in Alberta with this quality and scope of global programming. It’s a momentous opportunity for entrepreneurs. In addition to helping Alberta-based tech companies scale and grow faster, we are highlighting Alberta’s capability to the world, attracting international firms and investment, and creating a global mindset in our provincial ecosystem.”
