Blair McBride
© Provided by Edmonton Journal Action Potential Fitness co-owners Zita Duve-Lockhart (left) and Toni Harris have run their gymnasium business through the changing COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the provincial government in Edmonton, on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. The gym has a mandatory vaccination program to keep their clients safe. Photo by Ian Kucerak
Edmonton business owners are accusing the provincial government of passing the buck on vaccine passports, with some concerned about potential blowback from those opposed to the measure.
On Wednesday, the government gave non-essential businesses a choice : adopt the restrictions exemption program (REP), under which people must show proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 tests to gain entry as of Monday, and operate as usual; or follow restrictions.
For gyms, that would mean a ban on indoor group classes and activities.
Zita Dube-Lockhart, owner of Action Potential Fitness, supports COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine passports, but said she’s put off by the way the government presented them.
“(The REP) is a false choice,” Dube-Lockhart said. “It’s either (do) vaccine passports or go out of operation. We not only have to administer them but we have to make the decision whether or not we’ll ask members to give private information that is probably outside of what we should be asking. There’s an abdication of government responsibility here.”
Indoor dining is off the table for restaurants and bars that choose not to require proof of vaccination. They will also have to follow limits on patio service, and curfews on liquor sales and consumption.
For Arcadia Brewing owner Darren Gowan, the omission of the words “vaccine passport” in the government’s announcement was frustrating.
“It’s like, ‘I can’t believe it’s not butter’ except it’s, ‘I can’t believe it’s not a passport!’ ” he said. “It’s a passport! The government are cowards. They’ve put everything on the shoulders of business owners and frontline workers. They seem to be delaying on the QR codes. They say it’s coming out but they’re not giving a timeline.”
Premier Jason Kenney said in a Facebook Live session on Thursday night that Oct. 1 is the target date for digital QR codes to become available.
Alberta Health spokesman Tom McMillan said the restriction exemption program has two goals: to encourage vaccine uptake and to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
“We’re already seeing very strong results, with more than 28,000 doses administered yesterday. That’s the most since July 23,” he said. “Previous measures have had almost all their impact through voluntary compliance, and we believe the same will be true of the exemption program.”
Because the decision to enforce proof of vaccination is left up to businesses, not ordered by the government as in other provinces, some business owners, like Brian Launier of Analog Brewing, fear repercussions.
“I’ve seen other businesses start up their own vaccine passports and they got a lot of hate for it. They got phone calls, death threats, people calling them communists and Google review bombs. It was terrible. I’m afraid to do anything because people will attack us for the decisions we make,” he said.
Even so, he has decided to adopt the program.
Dube-Lockhart is confident her clients will comply with the passports because since the pandemic began her facility rigorously followed health measures and saw membership increase by about 60 per cent.
Gowan already told his customers two weeks ago he would introduce vaccine passports on Monday so they could get prepared. He said it was his own decision and he didn’t know the government would eventually roll out the program.
“I felt our clientele would be on board with it. I’ve already had people ready to show me their proofs. I don’t think there’s going to be much pushback on it,” Gowan said.
Still, the restaurateur expects there will be hitches in the coming weeks, such as customers forgetting to bring proof, neglecting to download it to their phones or having issues accessing the MyHealth Records website, which has seen hours-long wait times this week .
Meanwhile, Edmonton Chamber of Commerce CEO Jeffrey Sundquist urged the provincial government to quickly provide more clarity on the REP.
“There are many questions about how the new program will be applied. The program needs to be relatively simple for businesses to implement at their various workplaces in order to protect their staff and customers. Local businesses need a vaccine passport with a QR code to be developed as quickly as possible,” he said in a statement Thursday.
bmcbride@postmedia.com
Edmonton business owners are accusing the provincial government of passing the buck on vaccine passports, with some concerned about potential blowback from those opposed to the measure.
On Wednesday, the government gave non-essential businesses a choice : adopt the restrictions exemption program (REP), under which people must show proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 tests to gain entry as of Monday, and operate as usual; or follow restrictions.
For gyms, that would mean a ban on indoor group classes and activities.
Zita Dube-Lockhart, owner of Action Potential Fitness, supports COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine passports, but said she’s put off by the way the government presented them.
“(The REP) is a false choice,” Dube-Lockhart said. “It’s either (do) vaccine passports or go out of operation. We not only have to administer them but we have to make the decision whether or not we’ll ask members to give private information that is probably outside of what we should be asking. There’s an abdication of government responsibility here.”
Indoor dining is off the table for restaurants and bars that choose not to require proof of vaccination. They will also have to follow limits on patio service, and curfews on liquor sales and consumption.
For Arcadia Brewing owner Darren Gowan, the omission of the words “vaccine passport” in the government’s announcement was frustrating.
“It’s like, ‘I can’t believe it’s not butter’ except it’s, ‘I can’t believe it’s not a passport!’ ” he said. “It’s a passport! The government are cowards. They’ve put everything on the shoulders of business owners and frontline workers. They seem to be delaying on the QR codes. They say it’s coming out but they’re not giving a timeline.”
Premier Jason Kenney said in a Facebook Live session on Thursday night that Oct. 1 is the target date for digital QR codes to become available.
Alberta Health spokesman Tom McMillan said the restriction exemption program has two goals: to encourage vaccine uptake and to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
“We’re already seeing very strong results, with more than 28,000 doses administered yesterday. That’s the most since July 23,” he said. “Previous measures have had almost all their impact through voluntary compliance, and we believe the same will be true of the exemption program.”
Because the decision to enforce proof of vaccination is left up to businesses, not ordered by the government as in other provinces, some business owners, like Brian Launier of Analog Brewing, fear repercussions.
“I’ve seen other businesses start up their own vaccine passports and they got a lot of hate for it. They got phone calls, death threats, people calling them communists and Google review bombs. It was terrible. I’m afraid to do anything because people will attack us for the decisions we make,” he said.
Even so, he has decided to adopt the program.
Dube-Lockhart is confident her clients will comply with the passports because since the pandemic began her facility rigorously followed health measures and saw membership increase by about 60 per cent.
Gowan already told his customers two weeks ago he would introduce vaccine passports on Monday so they could get prepared. He said it was his own decision and he didn’t know the government would eventually roll out the program.
“I felt our clientele would be on board with it. I’ve already had people ready to show me their proofs. I don’t think there’s going to be much pushback on it,” Gowan said.
Still, the restaurateur expects there will be hitches in the coming weeks, such as customers forgetting to bring proof, neglecting to download it to their phones or having issues accessing the MyHealth Records website, which has seen hours-long wait times this week .
Meanwhile, Edmonton Chamber of Commerce CEO Jeffrey Sundquist urged the provincial government to quickly provide more clarity on the REP.
“There are many questions about how the new program will be applied. The program needs to be relatively simple for businesses to implement at their various workplaces in order to protect their staff and customers. Local businesses need a vaccine passport with a QR code to be developed as quickly as possible,” he said in a statement Thursday.
bmcbride@postmedia.com
'Here we go again:' Albertans react to latest slate of COVID-19 health rules
CALGARY — As an emergency alert blared across the province notifying Albertans of another round of public health restrictions, some felt a range of emotions: anger, confusion, exhaustion.
CALGARY — As an emergency alert blared across the province notifying Albertans of another round of public health restrictions, some felt a range of emotions: anger, confusion, exhaustion.
© Provided by The Canadian Press
Edmonton mother Amanah Khursheed remembers looking at her husband.
"Here we go again," she said as her phone lit up Wednesday evening.
The notification told her that Alberta has declared a state of public health emergency to protect the health-care system.
New restrictions — including gathering limits and a proof of vaccination program for non-essential businesses — began Thursday, as Alberta's health system nears collapse during a fourth wave of the pandemic.
"Every few months we go into lockdown and we're hearing false promises from our leaders," Khursheed said in an interview.
"The whole pandemic ... I don't think, from the beginning, was managed right."
Medical experts had warned the United Conservative government about potential for the Delta variant to spread exponentially, when Premier Jason Kenney celebrated his "Open For Summer" plan.
Since the reopening on July 1, COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased more than fivefold, with intensive care admissions reaching record highs.
Khursheed said a close friend contracted COVID-19 and was put on a ventilator.
"It's nerve-racking every single day when you're sending your children to school, and then you're hearing a close friend was in (intensive care)."
Calgarian Jake Hughes, a 28-year-old business development representative, said he's "exhausted and demoralized" after 19 months of poor provincial leadership.
He has thought about leaving Alberta for another province.
"It's kind of sad that we're — I wouldn't say the laughingstock, but look how bad Alberta is doing compared to the rest of the country," said Hughes. "It feels like everyone prioritizes business and money over people's lives."
While he's supportive of the new restrictions, Hughes said he's worried they will affect his job stability and income, considering he works with many small businesses.
"If we just kept the restrictions going forward in the summer, where minimal interactions were allowed, we probably could have gotten through this fourth wave with a lot less of a spike," said Hughes. "Since the beginning of this pandemic, it's been fumble after fumble."
Retiree Desmond Clark of Calgary said the array of measures announced Wednesday were confusing. And Alberta's version of a vaccine passport system, which Kenney calls a "restriction exemption program," is littered with contradictions.
He said it should be simple: you prove you're vaccinated, or you're not allowed entry. Instead, there are varied restrictions depending on an individual’s immunization status.
Clark said he has lost any respect for Kenney's United Conservative government.
"When it comes to leadership, I've always been of the opinion that while I may not agree with something, I can respect the fact that something is being done," he said.
"But when they don't seem to be sure what the heck they want to do, you can't think a whole lot of them."
Edmonton grandmother Sharon Morin said the reintroduction of restrictions came as no surprise but they're disappointing nonetheless.
"We didn't take advantage of the 'Open For Summer.' We stay close to home. We don't go out to restaurants. We still mask up. So it's really frustrating when you're put in this position because of others," said Morin, pointing to unvaccinated Albertans and a lack of provincial leadership.
She said Kenney needs to take accountability for mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis and resign.
"There has been no leadership here at all," she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2021.
— With files from Fakiha Baig in Edmonton
Alanna Smith, The Canadian Press
Edmonton mother Amanah Khursheed remembers looking at her husband.
"Here we go again," she said as her phone lit up Wednesday evening.
The notification told her that Alberta has declared a state of public health emergency to protect the health-care system.
New restrictions — including gathering limits and a proof of vaccination program for non-essential businesses — began Thursday, as Alberta's health system nears collapse during a fourth wave of the pandemic.
"Every few months we go into lockdown and we're hearing false promises from our leaders," Khursheed said in an interview.
"The whole pandemic ... I don't think, from the beginning, was managed right."
Medical experts had warned the United Conservative government about potential for the Delta variant to spread exponentially, when Premier Jason Kenney celebrated his "Open For Summer" plan.
Since the reopening on July 1, COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased more than fivefold, with intensive care admissions reaching record highs.
Khursheed said a close friend contracted COVID-19 and was put on a ventilator.
"It's nerve-racking every single day when you're sending your children to school, and then you're hearing a close friend was in (intensive care)."
Calgarian Jake Hughes, a 28-year-old business development representative, said he's "exhausted and demoralized" after 19 months of poor provincial leadership.
He has thought about leaving Alberta for another province.
"It's kind of sad that we're — I wouldn't say the laughingstock, but look how bad Alberta is doing compared to the rest of the country," said Hughes. "It feels like everyone prioritizes business and money over people's lives."
While he's supportive of the new restrictions, Hughes said he's worried they will affect his job stability and income, considering he works with many small businesses.
"If we just kept the restrictions going forward in the summer, where minimal interactions were allowed, we probably could have gotten through this fourth wave with a lot less of a spike," said Hughes. "Since the beginning of this pandemic, it's been fumble after fumble."
Retiree Desmond Clark of Calgary said the array of measures announced Wednesday were confusing. And Alberta's version of a vaccine passport system, which Kenney calls a "restriction exemption program," is littered with contradictions.
He said it should be simple: you prove you're vaccinated, or you're not allowed entry. Instead, there are varied restrictions depending on an individual’s immunization status.
Clark said he has lost any respect for Kenney's United Conservative government.
"When it comes to leadership, I've always been of the opinion that while I may not agree with something, I can respect the fact that something is being done," he said.
"But when they don't seem to be sure what the heck they want to do, you can't think a whole lot of them."
Edmonton grandmother Sharon Morin said the reintroduction of restrictions came as no surprise but they're disappointing nonetheless.
"We didn't take advantage of the 'Open For Summer.' We stay close to home. We don't go out to restaurants. We still mask up. So it's really frustrating when you're put in this position because of others," said Morin, pointing to unvaccinated Albertans and a lack of provincial leadership.
She said Kenney needs to take accountability for mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis and resign.
"There has been no leadership here at all," she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2021.
— With files from Fakiha Baig in Edmonton
Alanna Smith, The Canadian Press
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