By Chris Brown

New provincial restrictions expected this afternoon

Dec 8, 2020 | 2:48 PM

New restrictions expected to be announced today by the Alberta government include a provincial mask mandate and a ban on dine-in services at restaurants and bars as the province deals with a soaring number of COVID-19 cases.

Casinos and gyms are also expected to be ordered to close, as will personal services such as salons.

According to reports from CBC and the Calgary Herald, retail businesses are expected to remain open but with limits even more stringent than the current level of 25 per cent of fire code capacity.

Indoor and outdoor gatherings will be banned, except for with members of your own household. People who live alone can still have two close contacts from outside their house.

More details will be revealed at a 4 p.m. news conference with Premier Jason Kenney, Health Minister Tyler Shandro, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation Doug Schweitzer and Dr. Deena Hinshaw.

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On Monday, Hinshaw indicated further restrictions were coming.

“It’s currently looking like the measures that were put in place two weeks ago are unlikely to be sufficient to bend the curve downwards, which is of course what we have to do if we’re going to protect our acute care system,” she said.