The provincial government is implementing further measures in an effort to try to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Premier Jason Kenney announced Friday the maximum size of group gatherings must be reduced from 50 to 15 and the two-metre physical distancing measure must be maintained.

This includes family gatherings like weddings and funerals as well as faith-based celebrations.

Kenney says all dine-in restaurants are now ordered closed with the exception of delivery or curb-side pick-up.

All non-essential retail stores have also been ordered to close and provincial parks and public lands will be closed to public access.

The premier also assured Albertans no one will be evicted on April 1st due to non-payment of rent related to the pandemic, while rents will not be allowed to increase and no late fees will be charged during the health crisis.

Specifically,

  • Effective immediately, tenants cannot be evicted for non-payment of rent and/or utilities before May 1.
  • Effective immediately, rents will not increase while Alberta’s state of public health emergency remains in effect.
  • Effective April 1, late fees cannot be applied to late rent payments for the next three months.
  • Effective April 1, landlords and tenants need to work together to develop payment plans while the state of public health emergency is in effect.

On Friday, the number of COVID-19 cases in Alberta rose by 56, bringing the total to 542. There were no new cases recorded in the South Zone from Thursday to Friday.

Also Friday, the province added new protections for renters.

Effective immediately, tenants cannot be evicted for non-payment of rent or utilities before May 1, and rents won’t increase while Alberta’s state of public health emergency remains in effect.

Effective April 1, late fees cannot be applied to late rent payments for the next three months, and landlords and tenants need to work together to develop payment plans while the state of public health emergency is in effect.

Landlords can still evicts tenants if the reason is unrelated to rent or utility payments like safety concerns or criminal activity.