As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, the City of Chestermere is implementing new measures to stop the spread of the virus.

Effective immediately, the City is closing major park features including:

• The Chestermere Family Bike Park
• The Skatepark
• Beaches at Anniversary Park, Cove Park, Sunset Beach and the Dog Park Rock Beach
• All playgrounds, skate parks, bicycle parks, basketball courts, and tennis courts are closed
• The Pavilion in John Peake Park

The City has also issued a closure for Lakeside Greens Golf course until further notice.

“We recognize that people want to get outside and enjoy fresh air but we also need to limit high traffic places where people may touch objects or be tempted to linger without social distancing,” says Mayor Marshall Chalmers. “Therefore, these features are closed until further notice.”

The second new announcement from the City today includes implementing the province-wide regulation that dine-in restaurant service is now prohibited and adding stricter local measures for restaurants providing take-out and delivery options.

“Restaurants may offer delivery or takeout, provided that they have practices and procedures in place to ensure social distancing between customers; have trained its staff members to engage in, and its staff carry out, appropriate sanitary procedures and wherever possible, social distancing; and immediately notify our Emergency Management Team of a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 of a staff member and the particulars of the staff member and any persons who may have had exposure to the staff member within the last 14 days,” says Bernie Morton, the City’s Director of Emergency Management.

These local measures are in addition to the provincial announcements today that included:

• All non-essential businesses must now close and all close contact businesses across the Province must close – a measure implemented in Chestermere last week.
• All restaurant dining rooms are now closed.  This has been implemented with Chestermere restaurants over the past week.
• There are new supports in place for renters. No one may be evicted before May 1 and landlords must work with renters to determine a payment plan together.
• Provincial and crown land is closed to vehicular traffic wanting to access the land for recreational purposes.

All of the City’s local restrictions and updates can be found at www.chestermere.ca/covid19.

Provincial information, support services and restrictions can be found at www.alberta.ca/covid19.