CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

COVID-19 UPDATE — SEPTEMBER 4, 2021

As we continue to face challenges with COVID-19, we ask for your patience and kindness when visiting our locations.  As per the Government of Alberta public health order, masks are mandatory at all of our locations.  All safety protocols, such as, increased sanitizing, plexi-glass barriers and physical distancing will continue. 

The health and safety of our teams, members, customers and communities are always our number one priority.

COVID-19 Stage 3 Open for Summer

As we look forward to Stage 3 of the Open for Summer plan, we would like to Thank each of you for the role you have played in keeping our communities and team members safe. It is important that we remember that COVID-19 is not over. We also understand that everyone has a different comfort level about this and it is essential that we are all respectful of each other in our decisions.

Effective July 1st, masks will no longer be mandatory at our locations but you are invited to wear one if you are more comfortable doing so.

We will continue with our sanitization protocols, Plexiglass barriers will stay in place and physical distancing will still be practiced at our locations. Hand sanitizer and wipes can be found at the entrances for your use.

Your Central Alberta Co-op team will continue to stay home if feeling ill or showing COVID-19 symptoms.

We want to ensure that we are still doing everything necessary to keep our team members, guests and communities safe.

Keep safe and have a great summer!

COVID-19 Confirmed Case Updates

Our Co-op is providing essential goods during the COVID-19 pandemic, while working to protect the health and safety of our members, our customers, and our team members.

In the event of a case of COVID-19 at one of our facilities, we'll take the following steps to protect our team members and communities and prevent further exposure:

• We will review the team member's work schedule and ask other team members that have had direct contact to self-isolate and contact Alberta Health Services.
  

• We will follow all sanitization protocols set out by Alberta Health Services.

• We have reached out to FCL’s Pandemic Emergency Response Team.

• When COVID-19 was confirmed, we contacted the public health authority and will comply with any directions they provide.

We appreciate the work being done by all our team members in serving the community and we’re working to support them as we make our way through this pandemic together. That’s why when any of our team members are feeling unwell or showing symptoms, they are directed to self-isolate at home and seek testing. We have an established Pandemic Team to provide our stores and team members with immediate support. We will continue to keep our locations safe for our teams and guests with continual cleaning and safety measures.

We understand the impacts of COVID-19, which is why we want to be transparent and disclose broad details about the confirmed cases while ensuring the confidentiality of our team.

Central Alberta Co-op continues to put the health and safety of their team, their guests and their communities at the forefront during COVID-19. 

To ensure we are staying safe, Central Alberta Co-op continues with the following:

• All locations are cleaned and sanitized daily as part of normal business, but all locations are increasing the frequency of cleaning, especially on high-touch surfaces

• Through our Pandemic Team, we are working with our Team Members to ensure they have current information on prevention so they can stay healthy or stay home if they are feeling ill.

• We have an early morning shop for seniors, those with auto-immune diseases, those that are high risk as well as those with mobility limitations.  This hour of shopping is available at our Timberlands and Deer Park Food Stores in Red Deer.  It runs 7am-8am.

• We have discontinued all food sampling programs in food, c-store and liquor locations.

• All self-serve items from Food, C-store & Liquor locations have been temporarily discontinued.

• Due to the high demand for some products, we may place limits on the quantities available to purchase.

• We will ensure that our prices an essential items remain stable throughout this challenging time.

• Signage and visual cues are in place to remind guests of proper social distancing.

• Plexi Glass barriers are being utilized at all of our food, c-store/gas bar, liquor, farm & home centres.  Gloves and hand sanitizers are provided to all team members and guests.

MASKS

As per provincial mandate, it is mandatory for all Central Alberta Co-op Team Members and guests to wear a face covering in our locations.

March 19, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global challenge that’s having a real impact on our community. At Central Alberta Co-op, we understand the vital role we play in the community and aim to serve you with the items you need, when you need them. We are also saddened by the news of all those who have been affected and we want to be diligent about doing our part to prevent more impacts.

“Our response to this pandemic not only considers the health and well-being of our Co-op members and customers, but also our Team Members,” said Marno Hultin, Board President

Our food stores and pharmacies are critically important at this time, and we’re doing everything we can to ensure they stay open and accessible, while also protecting against the spread of COVID-19.

We are closely monitoring the impact of the coronavirus and our actions are guided by the World Health Organization, Public Health Agency of Canada and Alberta Health Services. To maintain a safe environment and serve our members and customers, we’ve implemented the following actions:

Thank you to our team!

We remain committed to taking care of our team and work to provide them with the information needed to keep themselves and their families safe.

“Our organization wouldn’t be what it is without the team members we have on the front-line replenishing shelves, helping customers and providing that friendly face our customers have come to know,” Hultin said. “On behalf of the Board and management, I cannot express my gratitude to them enough. Thank you. Thank you for your dedication, your positivity and your service through the thick of it all.”

We will keep you updated on any news or information as it arises.

Thank you to everyone for the kind words to our team members and for being considerate to each other in our locations. It is a true testament to the awesome teams, members, customers and communities we surround ourselves with.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We are asking all our guests to take precautions to ensure the safety of all our team members as well as all our guests.

• Please remember to practice social distancing. Always maintain 1 or 2 metres between you and others.

• If you are ill, have travelled internationally in the past 14 days, or have been in contact with someone who has contracted COVID-19, please do not visit our locations.

• Please do not shop in groups if at all possible.

• We ask that you keep your reusable bags at home and encourage you to use our plastic grocery bags. We are temporarily waiving the charge of these bags and they can be returned for recycling on your next visit. For those using reusable bags, they will be required to bag their own purchases.

• In an effort to reduce cash-handling, for the health of our team members, we are strongly encouraging the use of credit or debit payment rather than cash.

• Please be patient and kind to our team members. They are going above and beyond to ensure that the shelves are stocked and are taking extra breaks during the days to keep their hands and high-touch surfaces sanitized.

We have established a Pandemic Team that meets daily to review the status of COVID-19, the precautions being taken at our locations to keep our guests and team members healthy & safe and how we can continue to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Should we be faced with one of our teams members or guests contracting the virus, we have a Confirmed Case Toolkit in place. This toolkit includes step by step procedures to ensure that we are limiting the exposure to other team members and guests.