Movies, bowling, indoor dining back on the menu as Alberta moves to Stage 2 reopening

Some businesses in Alberta are ready to invite customers back after several months of blinds pulled over windows, locked doors and calls sent to voicemail, due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Stage 2 ofAlberta's summer reopening planallowsentertainment venues, closed since last December, to open againThursday.

Movie theatres, casinos, cinemas, museums,galleries and libraries are free to open at 30 per cent of fire code capacity. Restaurants are welcoming customers for indoor dining for the first time since early April, witha maximum of six people per table.

Stuart Passey,general manager of the Cineplex Cinemas in North Edmonton, said staff are more than ready to reopen.

"It's been a long six months, so we're super excited to be welcoming our guests back into the theatre," Passey told CBC's Edmonton AMon Wednesday.

Passey said he's encouraging moviegoers to book ahead online but they do accept walk-in customers.

"If you purchase your tickets, our system will actually block any seats around your party so that everybody is safe and socially distant."

The Metro Cinema at the historic Garneau Theatre is getting ready to reopen for screenings June 18.

Executive director Dan Smith saidthe Metro group wants to see how thereopening goes before officially raising its curtain.

Masks and physical distancing are required throughout Stage 2. When going into a theatre, for example, people must wearmasks until they're seated.

Plexiglass ready

Trevor Stride with Plaza Bowlingon 118th Avenue and 104th Streetsaid the bowling alley has retained plexiglass barriers between lanes that were installed last summer and has every other lane is closed off.

Stride said in the past few weeks, they'vebeen cleaning, doing maintenance on the equipment and reconnecting with suppliers and staff.

They're booking groups with up to six people starting on Thursday.

"We recognize a lot of the names that are coming in," Stride said. "It seems like a lot of people who support us on the regular are coming down tomorrow and throughout the weekend to show us some support and hit the lanes again."

• Edmonton businesses get back to work as Stage 1 of Alberta's relaunch kicks off

River Cree Resort and Casino has implemented similar measures on a large scale.

CEO Vik Mahajan said barriers have been installed between slot machines and at game tables.

"We did this once before so we're ready for it this time,"Mahajansaid.

• 3-stage plan could see Alberta fully reopen by July, premier says

With a total floor capacity of 6,000 people in the complex, Mahajan is expecting acrowd of possibly 1,800 people to return on Thursday.

"There's a lot of pent-up demand casinos have been closed for six months, so I do expect a lot of people."

Stage 2 brings big changes

DuringStage 1, restaurant dining was restricted to patios for up to four household members per table, or three people if diners who live alone were with two of their closest contacts.

In Stage 2, people are allowed to dine indoorsagain with up tosix people per table and no requirementthat they be from the same household.

Gyms and fitness studioscan reopen for solo and drop-in activities and indoor fitness classes with three-metre distancing. Personal and wellnessservices like hair salons and spas can now accept walk-in clients.

Outdoor social gatherings of up to 20 people are now permitted. Up to 20 people can attend a funeral or wedding, outdoors or indoors.

Retail businesses and places of worship can have up to one-third of fire code occupancy.

The government says 65 per cent of eligible Albertans have had their first COVID-19 vaccine shot. Launching Stage 2 was contingent on 60 per cent of Albertans aged 12 and older having a first dose.

Stage 3 is expected to begin in late June or early July, if 70 per cent of eligible Albertanshave had at least one vaccine dose.