Canada’s biggest provinces bring in public health restrictions amid COVID-19 rise

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Various degrees of public health restrictions are now kicking in for some of Canada’s biggest provinces, as COVID-19 hospitalizations climb.

As of Wednesday, all retail stores in Alberta are limited to 15 per cent capacity, while restaurants have to stop offering in-person dining by Friday afternoon.

As is the case in B.C., Alberta will allow eateries to keep serving customers on outdoor patios, with pick-up and delivery services also unaffected.

Gatherings of up to 10 people outdoors will still be allowed.

Premier Jason Kenney says the province’s health system is on track to hit maximum capacity by next month. The province has averaged about 1,000 new COVID-19 cases a day during the Easter long weekend, and the death total has now surpassed 2,000.

On Tuesday, the province recorded 931 new cases of COVID-19, 676 of which are variants of concern.

In Quebec, harder-hit parts of the province are about to see their gyms close, and religious services are limited to 25 people.

The province’s workplace health and safety board also announced that beginning on Thursday it will require that medical masks be worn at all times indoors in workplaces.

Nearly 1,300 new cases were reported in Quebec Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Ontario is reportedly set to impose a new province-wide stay-at-home order, which will force all non-essential retail stores to close.

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