Banff introduces stricter COVID-19 measures
Posted December 1, 2020 10:07 am.
Last Updated December 1, 2020 11:22 am.
BANFF (660 NEWS) – More COVID-19 restrictions are coming to Banff.
The tourist town is dealing with one of the highest rates of coronavirus infections in the entire province, even higher than Calgary’s far northeast.
Town Council held a special meeting Monday where they debated a number of options.
“We have a crisis in the Banff, Lake Louise region right now,” said Mayor Karen Sorenson. “We have 191 active cases in our region, which is the second-highest number of cases per capita in Alberta. We are taking this very seriously and we are very concerned.”
The town voted to restrict occupancy in restaurants and bars to 50 per cent and that all liquor or cannabis stores are to close by 10:00 p.m.
Sorenson added that council also agreed to expand the mandatory mask bylaw.
“We were the first community in Canada to put a mandatory mask bylaw in place outdoors in our downtown core. We expanded that into a further area in what we consider the downtown and also, the entire length of Banff Avenue.”
The area masks must be worn in the Town of Banff has been extended. It includes all of Banff Avenue and the downtown core. The new bylaw with this area comes into effect Thursday, December 3 at noon https://t.co/u0iOLtwdsY #Banff pic.twitter.com/GBG7POwNr4
— Banff Town (@Banff_Town) December 1, 2020
That extended mask bylaw is for all indoor and outdoor spaces in the area and comes into effect on Thursday at noon.
The town has been in a state of local emergency since the province reinstated its public health emergency late last month.
