LAKELAND - It may be a day normally known for bouquets of roses, romantic dinners, and other love-filled gestures, but yesterday also marked the first day that students in K-12 schools across Alberta could return to class without a mask.
Last week, the Government of Alberta announced it would be lifting a number of public health measures that have been in place to help control the spread of COVID-19. Gone immediately on Feb. 8 was the Restrictions Exemption Program (REP), "along with most associated restrictions."
On Feb. 8, when the province made the announcement, it was also noted that entertainment venues would continue to have some rules in place but "Restrictions on sale of food and beverages and consumption while seated in audience settings will be removed."
Restrictions on closing times, alcohol service, and table capacity in restaurants remain in place for the rest of the month.
Capacity limits have also mostly been removed, except for facilities were the capacity is between 500 and 1,000. In that case, the limit will be 500. Facilities over 1,000 will be limited to 50 per cent.
Effective Monday, masks were no longer required for students in schools, and they are also not required for children 12 years old and under in any setting. Masking for adults remains in place in many settings.
Across the Lakeland, the changes announced by the province were noted immediately. Local municipalities grappled for months with how to handle the province's Restrictions Exemption Program, and by the end of the week, the program was almost a distant memory.
Following the announcement, the Bonnyville and District Centennial Centre (C2) was once again open to both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
C2 staff members are no longer scanning QR codes that indicate proof of vaccination. However, people using the facility are required to stop at the front desk to fill in a COVID-19 Alberta Health Daily Checklist.
Youth aged 17 and under, as well as spectators entering the facility to watch events, such as hockey, are not required to fill out the COVID screening questionnaire as per provincial guidelines, explains Les Parsons, the C2’s general manager.
“We will still be requiring that anyone entering the facility still wear a mask," said Parsons, adding that masking rules inside the C2 will remain in place until the province phases out the mandate.
REP had been implemented at the C2 effective Dec. 27, following a decision made by the centre’s board of directors. The REP program required patrons of the building to either show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within the last 72 hours.
In St. Paul, similar steps were taken. As of last week's announcement, all REP restrictions have been lifted at town-run facilities.
"Throughout the pandemic, the municipality has followed all heath restrictions and made available facilities whenever possible. We chose a combination of restrictions within our facilities based on usage," said Mayor Maureen Miller.
Attendees at arenas were once again enjoying food and beverages over the weekend, people can "look forward to a successful completion of the hockey and curling season," says the mayor.
The Town of St. Paul will continue to adjust as orders are expected to change over the coming weeks.
During the Feb. 9 St. Paul Education board meeting, Superintendent Glen Brodziak noted that while masking would not longer be required for students, staff are still required to wear them for the rest of February.
He also noted that the administrative procedure that has been put together regarding testing and vaccinations for staff members was "on hold until further notice." The AP was originally going to come into effect on March 1 and would have required staff to either disclose their vaccination status or do a COVID test twice a week.
March 1
On March 1, the Government of Alberta anticipates it will enter Step 2 of "safely returning to normal." On that date, any remaining provincial school requirements will be removed and screening prior to youth activities will no longer be required.
Capacity limits will be lifted for all venues, along with limits on social gatherings being removed.
The provincial mask mandate is also expected to be lifted on March 1. The mandatory work from home order will also be removed.
The last step of the plan will be determined based on hospitalization rates continuing to trend downwards. Those last measures include COVID-specific measures in continuing care. Mandatory isolation is also expected to become a recommendation, instead of a requirement.
Not everyone is in favour
And while many Albertans rejoiced at the news of fewer public health measures, some groups are not in favour.
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees released a statement, with president Guy Smith saying, “We’ve already seen that lifting all restrictions and pretending the pandemic is over doesn’t work." He added, “We saw that when the ‘best summer ever’ turned into a collapsing healthcare system.”
AUPE represents more than 55,000 health-care workers in Alberta, has signed on to a list of demands, alongside other unions, for a safe reopening. The demands include thing such as improved ventilation in buildings such as schools and workplaces, re-institution of contact tracing, 10 employer-paid sick days, and "the classification of 'long-COVID' as a disability."
Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) president Jason Schilling also responded to the Feb. 8 announcement, saying "A return to a more normal school setting is something that everyone is hoping for. However, we do not want a hasty decision, only to take us a step backwards in a few weeks. We urge the government to take a more cautious approach regarding the safety protocols in schools."
Schilling further noted, “We have consistently heard from the government that schools reflect the COVID that is present in the community. Why remove the mask mandate so quickly when community spread has not decreased significantly? What will be so different next week from this week?”
*With files from Jazmin Tremblay
