LAKELAND - COVID-19 restrictions will loosen in Alberta coming next week, as long as hospitalization numbers continue to decrease.
During last Friday's provincial coronavirus update, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney made the announcement that provincial health officials will be easing restrictions on Feb. 8. The reduced measures will see places like gyms and restaurants open up to the public again for the first time since last December.
Even though Kenney admits that the COVID-19 numbers are still high, things like economic stress and mental health are some of the key factors that impacted the province’s decision to allow for certain places to open.
“We recognize the damaging impact that many restrictions have on people’s lives. They cause financial stress that often turns into mental and emotional health problems,” said Kenney. “That’s why Alberta’s government has always regarded restrictions as a last and limited policy choice, and that’s why we have never imposed a lockdown in our province.”
Restaurant owners: 'It’s about time.'
Lac La Biche County restaurant owners are getting ready to have people dine-in again, and LaBone's Kitchen & Bar owner Brian Laboucane says that it’s about time the restrictions loosened. The pandemic has made it difficult for the food service industry to remain afloat, and Laboucane admits if it wasn’t for provincial and federal grant money, his doors would not have been able to open again.
“We’re lucky to live in a country like Canada where there’s support for small businesses like mine,” said Laboucane, who also adapted to enhanced COVID measures brought in last December that shut down all dine-in business by emphasizing his takeout food services.
The long-time restaurant owner and chef said he has missed the customers who would fill his downtown eatery, and opening the doors next week will help to breathe new life back into the place. “We are looking forward to opening up again and seeing our customers.”
V&H - a locally-owned fast-food restaurant - was strictly a drive-thru for 20 years, until July of last year when they moved to their new location and began offering eat-in service as well. Five months later, provincial restrictions closed the eat-in service. Owner Ali Fyith says he understands the caution — but says the restrictions have been damaging to business.
“It’s a tough one, I know they want to keep everybody safe, which is imperative, but people also have to be able to continue their livelihood as well,” he said, adding that the closures took customers and staff out of their daily routines and social interactions and brought on some stresses.
“Having local restaurants close their doors snatches people away from the social gathering aspect," Fyith said, welcoming the news of the openings "Being able to open up again will be nice for everybody."
Laboucane echoes those sentiments as he says having the new restrictions ease lets people connect again, not just for business and economics, but for mental well-being.
“No matter what, we are human, and we’ve got to connect, right?” he said.
Kenney not impressed
The news of the restaurant openings comes after a week where several restaurants in the region openly defied the restrictions and opened their doors to dine-in service. No restaurants in the Lac La Biche region went against the restrictions, but two in Bonnyville did, opening for lunchtime customers just days before Kenney's announcement on Friday.
The owners of each restaurant in Bonnyville cited economic challenges and the need to give customers some normalcy in their lives. While the owners of both restaurants at the time said local health inspectors were aware of their plans to protest the closures, provincial health officials say inspectors did not endorse the actions.
"AHS North Zone Public Health inspectors did not approve any food facilities to offer dine-in services on a ‘one-off’ basis in Bonnyville on Jan. 27," Alberta Health Services spokesperson Kerry Williamson told Lakelandtoda.ca on Friday, going on to say that AHS continues to work with municipalities and business operators to ensure compliance with health orders.
"As non-compliance issues are identified, Environmental Public Health will reach out and work with operators to achieve compliance with the mandatory public health orders. However, continued non-compliance can result in EPH closure orders or tickets issued by the police."
During the Premier's update last Friday, he scolded the business owners across the province who chose to defy the provincial health orders, calling them selfish.
"When they do it, they are thumbing their nose at the ICU nurses who’ve been working around the clock. What they’re doing is saying that their personal wishes outweigh the need to protect our health-care system,” he said, going on to outline the next steps in the province's ongoing COVID plans.
Saying that Alberta is now moving into step one of the ongoing recovery process, he also announced the easing of restrictions on school-related sports activities, and indoor personal fitness places being able to open for one-on-one training.
When the new measures come into place on Feb. 8, restaurants, bars, and pubs will be able to open their doors and have people dine-in, but there is a maximum of six people to a table, and they all have to be from the same cohort. Those who live alone are able to dine with two close contacts.
The province will continue to open up as long as the numbers keep declining, and Kenney believes that as long as Albertans continue to do their part, the province will be working toward easing restrictions and making smart decisions on when to do so.
“It’s important that we show Albertans that there is a path forward. If we continue to collectively do the right things, bending the curve down further and further, reducing pressure on our hospitals, that we can gradually relax public health restrictions.” said the premier. “This must be done carefully, slowly, and in a way that is driven not by opinions, but by data.”
* With files from Rob McKinley
