The Pulse: Sept. 17, 2021

Alberta's declaration of a new public health emergency caused confusion for businesses as they struggled to understand the impact of the optional vaccine passport system on operations starting Sept. 20.

"In an already polarized situation in our culture right now, why is the government not taking the lead on this and (instead) putting it into businesses' hands?" Ernie Tsu, president of the Alberta Hospitality Association told City News.

The regulations announced Sept. 15 allow restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, and nightclubs to operate "as usual" if they require customers to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. Otherwise, they must close indoor dining rooms, limit outdoor seating to tables of six, and shut down liquor sales at 10pm.

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce said the announcement "prompted more questions than answers for our business community" and that "answers and clarity are needed urgently" about how the so-called Restrictions Exemption Program will work.

One organization caught flat-footed by the new health orders was the the Edmonton Elks. The team had previously announced that fans would need to provide proof of vaccination starting with its Oct. 15 home game. A day after the new health emergency was declared, the CFL team was still trying to find out what new capacity limits for public gatherings would mean for its Sept. 18 game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The team announced late in the day that vaccination or a negative test would be required for fans. Edmonton Sun sports writer Terry Jones predicted attendance could be the lowest since the team moved to Commonwealth Stadium in the 1970s.

• Mayor Don Iveson expressed his frustration at the provincial government's response to Alberta's fourth pandemic wave. He said adopting vaccine passports earlier would have driven up vaccinations and helped avoid unnecessary deaths.
• Only 72% of city employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The City of Edmonton has yet to make a decision on whether it will implement the proof-of-vaccination system to access city facilities and amenities. An announcement is expected soon.
• The University of Alberta, Concordia, MacEwan University, NAIT and Norquest were forced to cancel classes on Thursday and Friday, following the announcement of new health measures. The post-secondaries are unable to meet social distancing requirements as they await the implementation of the Restrictions Exemption Program on Monday.
• Downtown Business Association executive director Puneeta McBryan is calling out a "huge gap" in the Restrictions Exemption Program announced on Wednesday, stating that proof of vaccination doesn't extend to employees, only customers.
• Edmonton Elks quarterback Trevor Harris was placed on the six-game injured list with a neck injury and won't be playing Saturday against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
• Julie Rohr, an Edmonton woman who shared her cancer journey through social media, died on Thursday after a six-year battle with leiomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer that grows in smooth muscles.
• The University of Alberta Hospital has nearly doubled its intensive care capacity, creating surge beds to cope with the influx of COVID-19 patients. Alberta Health Services has instructed hospitals to identify any spaces that can be used as an ICU bed and cancelled all non-urgent surgeries. Meanwhile, Ontario has agreed to accept patients from Alberta if the situation worsens.
• Despite the new public health restrictions announced on Wednesday, federal polling stations in Alberta will not be subject to capacity limits, nor will they require proof of vaccination said Elections Canada. The federal election takes place on Monday, Sept. 20.

Taproot asked candidates to complete a 30-question survey based on what we heard when we asked what key issues people wanted the candidates to be talking about as they compete for votes in the 2021 municipal election.

Here are the answers we've received from the candidates in pihêsiwin:

• Tim Cartmell
• Guiscela Perez Arellano

Want to see which candidates line up best with your own stances? Take the survey and find out.

For more coverage of the 2021 municipal election in Edmonton, visit edmonton.taproot.vote. And for more on the origins of this project, visit our People's Agenda page.

The Loyal Company of the River Valley (LCRV) Podcast, dedicated to covering the FC Edmonton soccer club, released its 300th episode last week.

The LCRV Podcast covers the developments of FC Edmonton and the Canadian Premier League, which the team plays in. Hosts Nathan Terlesky and Adam Huber provide commentary "under the influence of scotch, rum, beer, and cigars." The pair of superfans have also started a group for supporters of the team and campaigned to get FC Edmonton into the new Canadian Premier League in 2019.

The most recent milestone episode covers a town hall hosted by FC Edmonton and reviews the club's answers to questions submitted by LCRV. The rest of the episode looks at three games played last week and how the team is preparing for the season's second half. Anyone interested in listening to the town hall in its entirety can request the files from Terlesky and Huber.

You can tune into the LCRV podcast through the show's website, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Listen to podcast picks from Taproot on Listen Notes or Spotify.