March 1 Health Measures Update
Dear Faculty Colleagues,
Alberta Health has updated their Health Measures to reflect the latest announcement on the Path Forward as we moved into Step 2 on Monday. The following provides more details as to how these changes impact the Post-Secondary Sector.
Effective as of March 1, the following restrictions have been lifted with precautions in place:
- Libraries, including those on your campuses, are now allowed to be open to the public, students and staff, at a 15% fire code capacity, which does not include staff that work in the library.
- Anyone can come in to use the computers, browse the library assets, select, borrow and return library materials, or to access support programs onsite.
- Individual studying and coursework is permitted in libraries.
- Group activities in the library, other than support programs, (e.g., group instruction, studying, etc.) remain prohibited.
- All individuals must maintain 2 metres distance from one another at all times, and mask
- Books and resources that are returned must be quarantined for 72 hours before being returned to the shelves.
- For institutions that provide indoor fitness activities or space for student and public recreation, you can now allow some types of indoor, individual and group fitness activities, with restrictions:
- High-intensity indoor physical activity is allowed, but only in a one-on-one training or coaching format. The coach/trainer/instructor must mask and stay 3 metres from the individual they are training, and from all other individuals. The trainee does not have to mask while engaging in high-intensity physical activity.
- Individuals and groups can do low-intensity physical activity indoors, with or without a trainer. A low intensity activity is one where the intensity of the activity does not result in significantly increased respiration rates in a person. Individuals must stay 3 metres apart from each other and must mask at all times, including during the low-intensity activity.
- Low-intensity activities include barre, pilates, stretching, tai-chi, low intensity yoga (e.g. hatha, yin), light weightlifting, and indoor rock climbing. Low intensity fitness can also include the use of stationary bikes, treadmills, elliptical machines and similar equipment for the purposes of walking, low revolutions-per-minute activity, or stretching
- People who cannot mask due to an exception must not be allowed to participate in indoor low-intensity activities.
- Low intensity physical activities are not allowed in pools or hot tubs due to the impossibility of masking in these environments.
- All activities must be scheduled or by appointment – no drop-ins allowed.
- Any individual or household can rent a recreational or entertainment business or entity (as listed in Sections 1 and 3 of Appendix A of CMOH Order 04-2021) for their exclusive use.
- Please note that fitness activity as a part of a student’s educational programming is still allowed. The latest lift of restrictions allows for more public access to fitness spaces, and only applies if your institution offers access to its fitness and recreation facilities to the general student body and/or public. As a reminder, since February 8th, the following has been allowed for the PSE sector:
- Indoor gyms, pools, indoor arenas, theatres, concert halls, and all other performance/fitness centres located BOTH on and off campus may open for the following groups and for the purposes of:
- Students and instructors can access these facilities to participate in indoor group physical or performance activity if it is part of their post-secondary program of study and so long as participation in the activity is limited to the students undertaking that program of study at your institution.
- Indoor gyms, pools, indoor arenas, theatres, concert halls, and all other performance/fitness centres located BOTH on and off campus may open for the following groups and for the purposes of:
Just as with the first phase, Step 2 in our Path Forward is being closely monitored. The best source of information for current updates to public health measures is the following Alberta Government websites:
- Public Health Measures: https://www.alberta.ca/enhanced-public-health-measures.aspx and;
- Guidance documents for all sectors: https://www.alberta.ca/guidance-documents.aspx