Garage & Yard Sales in 2021


Garage and yard sales are now permited with additional health and safety precautions.  Please review the guidelines below before operating or attending a garage or yard sale. 

Residents planning to host or attend a garage or yard sale are encouraged to follow the guidelines below to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19.  Residents can now operate and attend garage and yard sales, with additional health and safety precautions.
 

Yard/Garage Sale Guidelines

These guidelines are in place to support those who organize a yard/garage sale in reducing the risk of trannsmission of COVID-19 among attendees, including the person running the garage sale, volutneers, patrons and the general public.
 
Under current Chief Medical Officer of Health Orders, businesses and entities are required to:

  • Implement practices to minimize the risk of transmisison of infection among attendees
  • Provide procedures for rapid response if an attendee develops symptoms of illness
  • Ensure that attendees maintain high levels of sanitation and personal hygiene
  • Comply, to the extent possible, with the COVID-19 General Relaunch Guidance, and any other applicable Alberta Health guidance found at www.alberta.ca/biz-connect.aspx
Currently, Alberta is in Stage 1 of the relaunch and a maximum of ten (10) individuals are permitted at an outdoor gathering with 2 meters of distance maintained between members of different households.
 

COVID-19 Risk Mitigation - Responsibilities

The person in control of the yard/garage sale is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the Chief Medical Officer of Health Orders are followed at the sale.  Hosts are encouraged to do the following:

  • Place a sign to advise shoppers not to enter the sale if experiencing symptoms or may have been exposed to COVID-19, and to remind tehm of physical distancing expectations and hand hygiene
  • Provide hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol
  • Maintain the cleaning and disinfection of common, high touch surfaces
All Albertans must follow CMOH Order 05-2020, which establishes legal requirements for quarantine and isolation.  Please remain home and cancel any event if any of the following apply:

  • You have symptoms of COVID-19
  • You've travelled internationally in the last 14-days
  • You've been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 14 days
Consider physical controls to support spacing of at least 2 metres between people of different households to minimize the risk of transmission.
 
The host should implement appropriate controls for their setting, such as:

  • Spacing tables far enough apart to allow 2 metres of distance between shoppers as they browse
  • Reducing the number of shoppers at one time
  • Directing traffic flow within the sale using signs, ropes, floor decals or other markers
  • Encourage shoppers to exit the sale as quickly as possible following their purchase or completion of their visit
  • Use clear signage and ropes or barricades to create a single entrance and separate exits
Hosts should do the following:

  • Frequently clean and disinfect high-touch/shared surfaces
  • Use a "wipe-twice method to clean and disinfect.  Wipe surfaces with a cleaning agent to clean off soil and wipe again with a disinfectant.
  • Encourage shoppers to avoid unnecessary handling of items:
    • Develop strategies to minimize the handling of objects between multiple shoppers and ensure frequent cleaning and disinfecting of these objects.
 Shoppers should do the following:

  • Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with a minmum of 60% alcohol before and after handling any items at the sale.
  • Take the following steps with any purchased items:
    • Soft-surface items, or other items that cannot be cleaned and disinfected should be isolated for a period of 24 hours
    • Hard-surfaced items, or items which can be laundered should be cleaned and disinfected.
It is strongly encouraged that hosts provide a means for shoppers to sanitize their hands upon entry to the sale.  They should also consider having sanitizer available for use after payment is made.
Hosts and shoppers should do the following:

  • Self-monitor for symptoms of cough, fever, shortness of breath, runny nose, or sore throat
  • Wear a mask (procedural/surgical or non-medical) when physical distancing cannot be maintained
  • Wash or sanitize hands before setting out items for sale, before the start of the sale, after each time touching an item an attendee has touched, and after any other activity such as breaks or washroom use
  • Minimize the handling of money, ensure gloves are used when handling cash