Coronavirus (COVID-19) Local News

More Albertans are getting vaccinated against COVID.

“We know we don’t exist in isolation from the broader community and from the province, especially given we’re a tourism destination. Our community and employees are vulnerable to outside influences more than a regular community our size, so after everyone had submitted their vaccine status we knew we had a very high vaccine rate.

The new Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program will provide support through the wage and rent subsidy programs to hotels, tour operators, travel agencies, and restaurants and bars with a subsidy rate of up to 75 per cent.

The Canadian Rockies Public Schools school board unanimously passed the new COVID-19 vaccination policy that will begin Nov. 24 and see teachers, staff and adults entering school facilities show proof of vaccination or a recent negative test.

Here are the COVID-19 protocols at local ski resorts.

Banff’s town council has made some changes to its dollar transfers to the municipality’s water and sewer savings accounts to allow time for the community to recover from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

These programs supporting businesses have proven to help save jobs and sustain local economies during the roller-coaster of closures and restrictions necessary to protect the safety of our community."

“Stakeholders across the tourism industry reported revenue decreases anywhere from 40 per cent to 90 per cent as compared to a typical year,” according to a new report by NicholsApplied Management Inc.

“It is unfortunate to lose any employees, but this was a choice not to comply with an employee policy in place to protect the safety of all staff, their families and the people we serve," said Jason Darrah, communications director for the Town of Banff

“People want to get out, be active and do what they love,” he said. “One of our COVID plans was to move all of our activities outside. We had an expo to get their package at Fenlands (Recreation Centre) and there were speakers, so we had everything outside this year. … We found a way to make it safe and people are ecstatic to get back at the marathon.”