Most COVID restrictions now lifted in Alberta

Mar 1, 2022 | 5:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Alberta Government has taken a significant step regarding COVID-19 restrictions in the province.

Step 2 of the provincial plan commences on Tuesday, March 1, and includes the following changes:

The 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
The provincial mask mandate will be lifted in most settings. However, masking will still be required in high-risk settings, including on public transit, at Alberta Health Services-operated and contracted facilities, and all continuing care settings
Restrictions on interactive activities, liquor service, and operating hours will be lifted
Mandatory work-from-home requirements will be removed

Premier Jason Kenney says the arrival of Step 2 follows the recent decline of COVID numbers.

“Over the last three weeks, cases and hospitalizations have continued to drop as we have started lifting restrictions. This promising trend puts Alberta in a position to safely remove the majority of remaining public health measures. This is a good day for Albertans as we get another step closer to getting back to normal.”

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On March 1 Alberta will move forward in dropping almost all remaining public health restrictions.

With declining pressure on hospitals, high levels of vaccination, new treatments, & our plan to increase health care capacity, now is the time to move forward. pic.twitter.com/Qios5lcC3O

— Jason Kenney 🇺🇦 (@jkenney) February 27, 2022

Under Step 2, there will still be masking requirements in high-risk settings such as AHS facilities, continuing care centres, and public transit.

As well, isolation remains mandatory for anyone with COVID symptoms or a positive test result.

Step 3, which will happen based on hospitalizations continuing to fall, will eventually remove the remaining restrictions:

COVID-19-specific measures in continuing care and acute care settings and on public transit will be removed
Mandatory isolation becomes a recommendation only

Full details on COVID restrictions in Alberta here.

by David Opinko