COVID-19 remains a public health threat. Mandatory measures are in effect provincewide.
Public health orders
To protect the health and safety of Albertans, public health orders are legally-enforceable and fines can be issued for violations.
- Minimum mandatory quarantine for 14 days for anyone who returned to or entered Alberta from outside Canada, or are a close contact of someone with COVID-19.
- Minimum mandatory isolation for 10 days for anyone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19, or have core symptoms that are not related to a pre-existing illness or health condition: cough, fever, shortness of breath, runny nose or sore throat.
- Children under 18 are exempt from mandatory isolation for runny nose or sore throat but should stay home until symptoms are gone.
- Operational protocols, including limited visitation, are enforceable for all auxiliary hospitals, nursing homes, designated supportive living and long-term care facilities, seniors lodges and any facility in which residential addiction treatment services are offered.
- Outbreak standards are in place for operators, managers and staff at all congregate health settings, including all auxiliary hospitals, nursing homes, designated supportive living and long-term care facilities, seniors lodges and facilities in which residential addiction treatment services are offered.
Active public health orders
The following public health orders from Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health are currently in effect.
Gatherings, masking and business restrictions
Order 04-2021 – sets out a number of public health measures effective across the province to limit the risk of transmission (March 1, 2021):
- restricts access to private residences
- prohibits indoor and outdoor social gatherings
- makes masks mandatory in indoor public places
- sets out conditions for places of worship to conduct services
- requires businesses to close, reduce capacity or limit their in-person access
- outlines conditions for restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs to resume dine-in operations
- permits indoor individual and group fitness and physical activity with restrictions
- outlines restrictions for group performances and group physical activities
- requires working from home
See stronger public health measures for more information.
Isolation requirements, and measures for airports, including passenger screening
- Order 05-2020 (modified by Order 28-2020 on July 3, 2020 and clarified on August 27, 2020) – requires any person who is a confirmed case of COVID-19 be in isolation for a minimum of 10 days from the start of their symptoms, or until symptoms resolve, and requires any person entering Alberta after having travelled internationally, or is a close contact of a confirmed cased to quarantine for a minimum 14 day period (March 25, 2020)
- Exemption: Quarantined and isolated persons who require COVID-19 testing or critical care for pre-existing medical conditions or emergency care (April 1, 2020)
- Exemption: Quarantined and isolated persons who have minor children that require medical care (April 13, 2020)
- Exemption: Quarantined and isolated persons who have adult dependents that require medical care (May 14, 2020)
- Exemption: Quarantined and isolated family and support persons for obstetrical patients (June 10, 2020)
- Exemption: Farm workers (July 23, 2020)
- Clarification: Certain circumstances where isolation or quarantine are not required (August 27, 2020)
- Exemption: Individuals under 18 years of age (November 2, 2020)
- Exemption: COVID-19 Border Testing Pilot Program (November 4, 2020)
- Select industry sector exemptions
- Order 11-2020 – requires the Calgary Airport Authority and the Edmonton Regional Airports Authority to implement public health measures related to cleaning, disinfecting and physical distancing. It further requires the airport authorities to enable passenger screening of travellers returning from international locations (May 20, 2020)
Public access to businesses, schools and places of worship
- Order 25-2020 – Outlines permission for Albertans to attend certain locations or places and engage in certain activities where the risk of COVID-19 transmission can be mitigated if persons adhere to public health measures and guidelines.
- Organizations, including places of worship, schools, businesses and childcare operators, must comply, to the extent possible, with any applicable Alberta Health guidance.
Visitor restrictions
- Order 29-2020 – outlines conditions that must be met to allow visitors to a long-term care, licensed supportive living facility or any residential facility offering hospice services (July 16, 2020)
- Note: Order 29-2020 rescinds Order 14-2020 effective July 23, 2020.
Health care facility requirements
- Order 03-2021 – introduces COVID-19 variant of concern outbreak protocols for all licensed supportive living, long-term care and hospice settings (February 24, 2021).
- Order 10-2020 – includes restrictions on movement of staff members for health care facilities in Alberta (April 10, 2020)
- Note: Part 2 was replaced by Order 23-2020 (Appendix A and B, operational and outbreak standards) (effective May 25, 2020)
- Note: Part 2 was replaced by Order 32-2020 (Appendix A and B, operational and outbreak standards) (effective September 17, 2020)
Physical distancing
- Order 26-2020 – outlines the mandatory physical distancing requirement of at least two metres from every other person who is not a member of the same household or cohort (June 26, 2020)
Residential addiction treatment service facilities
- Order 27-2020 – outlines updated operational and outbreak standards for residential addiction treatment service facilities (July 3, 2020)
- Note: this order rescinds Appendix A and Appendix B of Order 13-2020.
Mandatory masking in schools
- Order 33-2020 – outlines requirement for non-medical mask use for Grade 4 to 12 students, all staff, and visitors in indoor spaces including on school buses and shared areas such as hallways (effective August 31, 2020)