With the alarming jump in active cases of COVID-19 this July, it’s important that we all take measures to reduce the risk of getting sick or spreading the disease.
With businesses reopening, more social interactions are occurring and the number of COVID-19 cases is increasing in Calgary. There were 330 active cases across the province in early June but, as of July 27, they had grown to 1,430 of which 730 (more than 50%) of those were in the Calgary Region. Active cases are growing as people engage in more activities and, in some cases, as some ignore health and safety protocols outlined by Alberta Health Services (AHS).
Notwithstanding everyone’s fatigue with the restrictions caused by the pandemic, the Phase 2 reopening doesn’t mean we can be cavalier with COVID. The City of Calgary has taken measures to reign in the growing surge of cases by implementing a new bylaw mandating that everyone wear Face Masks while in public buildings or transit. https://www.calgary.ca/csps/abs/bylaws-by-topic/face-covering-bylaw.html. Effective August 1, people will be expected to wear a face covering in any part of an enclosed space to which the public can readily access including our venues with the Hotel Arts Group.
Wearing face masks and practicing physical distancing can reduce the risk of COVID transmission tremendously. COVID-19 droplet transmission is much more likely when individuals are in close contact and when they are not wearing masks. COVID-19 can be transmitted by touching objects or surfaces the virus has landed on then touching your eyes, nose or mouth. While transmission is less likely in an outdoor setting, where air flow is greater and there is more space for individuals to keep physically distanced, transmission can occur if public health guidance is not followed.
Face Mask wearing coupled with the physical distancing will reduce the risk of transmission significantly. We can also limit exposure tremendously by staying within our cohorts which are small groups of the same people who can interact regularly without staying 2 metres apart.
Under Stage 2, cohort types and sizes include:
- core cohorts (families and households) – up to 15 people
- child care programs – up to 30 children and staff
- sports teams – up to 50 players and coaching staff
- performing groups – up to 50 cast members or performers
AHS recommends that a person in a cohort should have little to no close contact with people outside of the cohort and should only belong to one core cohort. Keeping the same people together, rather than mixing and mingling, helps reduce the chance of getting sick, and makes it easier to track exposure if someone does get sick.
What does that mean for people visiting our venues with the Hotel Arts Group?
Cohorts can easily be accommodated in our guestrooms, restaurants and on our patios. For restaurants and our patios, we seat parties in groups up to 6 people maximum and we do not permit cross-mingling between tables.
AHS recommends that only members of the same household or cohort are seated together at a table when dining in a restaurant or licensed patio. Stay in your cohort. Do not expand beyond it, but, if you must, wear a mask, maintain a 6-foot physical distance, follow the hand washing protocols and avoid touching your face. If you’re using our pool, be even more vigiliant about your physical distancing. Take precautions not to put yourself or others at risk.
If we all do our part, we can help prevent a second lockdown from occurring due to a surge in cases. Wave 1 was devastating enough…let’s avoid triggering Wave 2 as it would completely undermine our province’s recovery efforts and likely trigger the closure of countless businesses that are already on the brink.
From our end, we’ll be vigilant as we wear masks and smile through our eyes with appreciation that we have the opportunity to serve you safely and with the warm hospitality you’ve come to expect from the Hotel Arts Group.
