Hinshaw enacts new coronavirus prevention measures for Edmonton

Alberta’s top doctor introduced three new public health restrictions for the Edmonton Zone Thursday as the city sees a spike in coronavirus infections.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw said the new measures are “voluntary” for now but will become mandatory (and carry associated fines for disobedience) if the city sees a rise in hospitalizations or higher use of ICU beds.

Private gatherings limited to 15

Hinshaw told Edmontonians they should cap private gatherings, including weddings and funerals, at 15 guests. Previously, the limit was 50 people.

This new measure only applies to private gatherings, not to public venues such as theatres where staff are supposed to be on-site enforcing physical distancing rules.

Masks to be worn in all indoor work settings 

All employees working indoors should be wearing masks, Hinshaw said. Following several workplace outbreaks, she saw employees were under the mistaken assumption they were in the same cohort as their colleagues since they share the same office.

However, workplaces need to acknowledge that employees can be a source of infection for one another. Whenever there’s a risk of workers coming within two metres of each other, they should be wearing masks, Hinshaw said.

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You should only belong to three cohorts 

Edmonton residents should only belong to three “cohorts,” which are groups of people who all agree they’re part of the cohort who don’t need to practice all coronavirus restrictions all the time. Cohorts are used in schools as well as for sports leagues to allow individuals to come in closer contact with one another.

Going forward, each Edmontonian’s cohorts should be as follows:

1. Household cohort
2. School cohort
3. A discretionary cohort (e.g., a single group of friends or a sports cohort)

Hinshaw clarified that colleagues at most workplaces don’t count as a cohort and that workers should still be following coronavirus precautions such as physical distancing and mask-wearing.

These voluntary restrictions will become mandatory if hospitalizations in Edmonton increase by 5% or more in two weeks, or if more than half of the city’s ICU beds become occupied.

“We’re making this voluntary to give Edmontonians the opportunity to turn this tide before we [pass these thresholds], triggering mandatory restrictions,” she said.

Edmonton had 267 new cases on Thursday, and Hinshaw said she’s “very concerned” about the sharp increase the city is seeing.