Mask mandate returning in Alberta Saturday, other new measures announced

Sep 3, 2021 | 12:14 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – It’s time to dust off your face masks – you will need them once again.

The Government of Alberta announced a series of “temporary measures” Friday to curb the rising tide of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions.

These include:

The use of face masks will be mandatory for all indoor public spaces and workplaces starting Saturday, September 4 at 8:00 am
- Masks will not be necessary for employees if they are at their work station and adequate physical distancing and/or barriers are in place
- Schools are not required to implement masking but individual school boards can set their own rules
As of September 4 at 8 a.m., restaurants, cafés, bars, pubs, nightclubs, and other licensed establishments will be required to end alcohol service at 10 p.m
Albertans are encouraged to limit in-person contacts. To support this, the province “strongly recommends” that unvaccinated Albertans limit their indoor social gatherings to close contacts of only two cohort families up to a maximum of 10 people
It is also recommended that employers pause their plans to have staff return to work and instead continue with work-from-home measures. If employees are working on location, employees must mask for all indoor settings, except in work stations or where two-metre physical distancing or adequate physical barriers are in place

“Masks will help slow the spread of the virus and the impact on the health system, and this is a step we can take with minimal disruption of businesses and peoples’ normal activities,” says Health Minister Tyler Shandro.

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The provincial government also announced a one-time incentive of $100 for Albertans aged 18 and up who get their first or second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine between September 3 and October 14. Those who have already been immunized are not eligible.

As well, updated COVID-19 projections have been released.

The province estimates that, by the end of September, ICU admissions could rise to anywhere from 180 to 290, up from the current amount of 114.

Hospitalizations could increase from the current 487 to 700.

The Government of Alberta’s complete list of COVID-19 restrictions can be found here.

You can see the full COVID-19 press conference below:

by David Opinko