Alberta Premier Jason Kenney was in Red Deer Mar. 1, to mark the official lifting of the majority of the province's public health measures surrounding COVID-19. (rdnewsNOW/Sheldon Spackman)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

Step Two Of Reopening

Alberta drops almost all public health restrictions

Mar 1, 2022 | 3:30 PM

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney was joined by Minister of Health Jason Copping in Red Deer on Tuesday, to mark the official lifting of most of the province’s public health measures, as Alberta moves to step two of reopening.

Government officials note that Albertans are now able to enjoy social gatherings without limits again and visit businesses without capacity restrictions. Children and youth are free to resume regular school life and enjoy activities without mandatory prior screening.

The provincial mandatory mask mandate has also ended, except in AHS facilities, continuing care and on public transit in order to protect vulnerable Albertans.

“I am proud of our province and its people on reaching this milestone. The majority of Albertans came together to keep everyone safe, and this is the result we were working towards,” said Jason Kenney, Premier of Alberta. “The pressure on our health-care system and the people it serves is lessening and we can now move forward. As we safely get our lives back to normal, we can move forward toward Alberta’s great economic recovery.”

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Minister of Health, Jason Copping in Red Deer Mar. 1, joining Premier Kenney in officially bringing in Step 2 of the province’s reopening plan from COVID-19 public health measures. (rdnewsNOW/Sheldon Spackman)

“Thanks to the vaccination uptake in the province and the commitment of millions of Albertans these past two years, we are closing in on normal life,” added Jason Copping, Minister of Health. “As we shift to an endemic response, I am confident that we can take the lessons we have learned through this pandemic to build an even more robust health-care system for our province’s future.”

However, Mandatory isolation for COVID-19 core symptoms or a positive test result remains in place. Isolation periods are five days at home and five days of continued masking for fully vaccinated individuals, or 10 days for partially and unvaccinated individuals.

Step two

Now in effect:

• Remaining provincial school requirements (including cohorting) are removed.
• Screening prior to youth activities is no longer required.
• Capacity limits are lifted for all venues.
• Limits on social gatherings are removed.
• The provincial mask mandate is lifted in most settings. However, masking will still be required in the following high-risk settings: on public transit, at Alberta Health Services-operated and contracted facilities and all continuing care settings.
  • Municipal bylaws may continue to be in effect.
  • Albertans may wish to consider individual risk factors and choose to wear masks in other public indoor settings.
• Restrictions on interactive activities, liquor service and operating hours are lifted.
• Mandatory work-from-home requirement is removed.

Step three

To be determined based on hospitalization rates continuing to trend downwards.

• COVID-19-specific measures in continuing care and AHS facilities and on public transit will be removed.
• Mandatory isolation becomes a recommendation only.

Additional details on all restrictions and measures in place are available at alberta.ca.