Calgary, February 15, 2022 – As the Alberta government begins to lift COVID restrictions across the province, new data from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) shows most Alberta small business owners support the removal of public health measures such as PCR border tests, proof of vaccination, vaccine mandates for employees, and masking rules.
“While there is majority support for removing COVID restrictions among small business owners, it should be noted that the view is not universal. Some business owners feel that vaccine passports make customers feel safer,” said Dan Kelly, CFIB president.
When asked which business restrictions should be eliminated, Alberta small business owners said:
- Travel restrictions such as PCR tests for crossing the border (78 per cent)
- All pandemic restrictions (76 per cent)
- Capacity restrictions on all sectors (79 per cent)
- Vaccine mandates for employees (73 per cent)
- Mandatory masking requirements (72 per cent)
With restrictions being removed, the Alberta government also needs to introduce a solid plan for businesses to stay open. Any reintroduction of restrictions on business activities due to another COVID wave needs to be based on clearly communicated, scientific evidence with targets and dates shared for their removal.
“Only 30 per cent of Alberta small businesses are making normal sales,” said Annie Dormuth, Alberta provincial affairs director. “Lifting restrictions does not mean that customers will flood back to their local businesses. Until public health officials and governments can reassure consumers that it is safe to return to office work, shopping, dining, events and travel, the COVID economic hangover will continue.”
For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:
Annie Dormuth, CFIB
Provincial affairs director
403-700-1945
annie.dormuth@cfib.ca
Methodology
Your Voice – February 2022: An online survey completed by 3,412 CFIB members between February 9-14, 2022. For comparison purposes, a probability sample with the same number of respondents would have a margin of error of ±1.7 per cent, 19 times out of 20. Results obtained so far are preliminary.
About CFIB
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 95,000 members (9,300 in Alberta) across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.
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