Public health measures will be lifted province-wide as the fifth wave of COVID-19 subsides and the pressure on the healthcare system eases.
The plan has a three-step approach that will begin with lower-risk activities while maintaining protections for the healthcare system, including continuing care facilities.
Alberta has moved into step one, which includes the removal of the Restrictions Exemption Program and the removal of capacity limits on venues under 500 capacity.
Mandatory masking for children and youth in schools along with complete removal of masks for kids aged 12 and under will start Feb. 13 at 11:59 p.m.
Premier of Alberta Jason Kenny says the last two years have taken a significant toll on Albertans’ overall health, social and economic well-being.
“Now that we are through the worst of the fifth wave and have achieved high vaccination rates, it is time to shift to a balanced approach where we are able to live with COVID-19 and return to normal.”
Kenny says the vast majority of Albertans are now fully vaccinated.
“It’s a major factor that now allows us to ease restrictions, but we will do so only as conditions show that our health system’s capacity is recovering. Albertans can help make that possible by getting every vaccine dose they are eligible for.”
Subsequent steps will see changes to working from home, masking requirements, large venue capacity limits, and indoor social gathering limits, with a final step removing isolation requirements and COVID-specific measures in continuing care settings. The lifting of restrictions will progress once pressures on the healthcare system have sufficiently eased.
Step one
Effective Feb. 8 at 11:59 p.m.:
- Restrictions Exemption Program (REP) ends, along with most associated restrictions.
- Entertainment venues will continue to have some specific rules in place:
- Restrictions on sale of food and beverages and consumption while seated in audience settings will be removed.
- Restrictions on closing times, alcohol service, table capacity in restaurants and interactive activities will remain in force.
- For all businesses, venues and facilities – whether they were previously eligible for the REP or not – capacity limits are removed, except for:
- Facilities with capacity of 500 to 1,000, which will be limited to 500.
- Facilities with capacity of 1,000-plus, which will be limited to 50 per cent.
Effective at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 13:
- Masks will no longer be required for all children and youth in schools.
- Masks will no longer be required in any setting for children aged 12 and under.
Step two
Effective March 1:
- Any remaining provincial school requirements (including cohorting) will be removed.
- Screening prior to youth activities will no longer be required.
- Capacity limits will be lifted for all venues.
- Limits on social gatherings will be removed.
- Provincial mask mandate will be removed.
- Mandatory work from home removed.
Step three
To be determined based on hospitalization rates continuing to trend downwards
- COVID-specific measures in continuing care will be removed.
- Mandatory isolation becomes a recommendation only.
Additional details on all restrictions and measures in place will be released prior to each step at alberta.ca/CovidMeasures.