Here's everything that's allowed to reopen in Calgary and Brooks today

Today is a big day for the cities of Calgary and Brooks.

While the rest of the province saw the full effects of Stage 1 of Alberta’s relaunch strategy on May 14, the two cities have had to be a little more patient when it came to the reopenings.

Both Calgary and Brooks had seen more coronavirus cases over the past few months than the rest of the province, so Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw made the decision to roll Stage 1 out in a few phases.

• See also: 
  • Alberta confirms 42 more coronavirus cases but no new deaths
  • Here’s how Alberta’s 6,860 coronavirus cases break down by region
  • Here’s how Canada’s coronavirus cases break down by province

On May 22, Premier Jason Kenney announced that Calgary and Brooks would be moving forward with the next phase of Stage 1, allowing for hairstyling and barbershops to reopen, as well as cafes, restaurants, pubs, and bars throughout the city.

These businesses will only be permitted to reopen for table service at 50% capacity, however.

It should also be noted that businesses are not being forced to reopen; they are allowed to remain closed for however long they think is necessary.

Calgary and Brooks saw some initial Stage 1 reopenings on May 14 along with the rest of the province, including:

• Retail businesses, such as clothing, furniture, and bookstores.
• All vendors at farmers’ markets are able to operate.
• Museums and art galleries.
• Daycares and out-of-school care with limits on occupancy.
• Resumption of some scheduled, non-urgent surgeries.
• Regulated health professions are permitted to offer services as long as they continue to follow approved guidelines set by their professional colleges.

As of May 25, Calgary and Brooks still are not allowed to reopen day camps, post-secondary institutions, and places of worship, though these are all currently allowed to reopen in the rest of the province, and will be allowed for Calgary and Brooks as of June 1.

Here’s a list of restrictions that will be eased across the province with Stage 2 and Stage 3, and as such, are still not permitted as of May 25:

• K-12 schools
• Libraries
• Some surgeries
• Services offered by some allied health disciplines like acupuncture and massage therapy
• Personal services like artificial tanning, esthetics, cosmetic skin and body treatments, manicures, pedicures, waxing, facial treatments and reflexology
• Larger gatherings
• Movie theatres and theatres
• Arts and culture festivals, concerts and major sporting events
• Nightclubs, gyms, pools, recreation centres and arenas
• Industry conferences
• Non-essential travel.