It’s been two very long years, but over the weekend, the Premier made a major announcement that will see the return of a post-pandemic way of living, shopping, and socializing. Whether you’ve been waiting to toss your masks to the wind or feel the need to clutch them a little closer in these trying times, buckle up Alberta because COVID restrictions are to be lifted on Tuesday, March 1st.
“We just cannot continue to live our lives indefinitely with restrictions on our rights and freedoms and on our normal lives,” Jason Kenney said Saturday during a press conference.
“We are social creatures. We are designed to interact with each other … let us embrace that normalcy as we are able to lift these restrictions safely.”
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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
Not sure what to expect? Here is everything that you can expect across the province as of tomorrow.
RESTAURANTS & RETAIL SPACES
Perhaps the biggest measure to be lifted will be Alberta’s provincial mask mandate which has been in place since the very beginning.
As of March 1st, restaurants and retail spaces will no longer be required to ask their patrons to wear masks – though this may differ from city to city depending on mask bylaws (Edmonton’s will remain in effect until 100 cases per 100,000 residents for 28 straight days.)
In addition to this, all remaining limits on capacity or liquor services will also be lifted.
SCHOOLS & YOUTH PROGRAMS
According to the government, youth screening activities for entertainment and sports activities will also be removed, as well as any remaining measures in schools for every age group.
GATHERINGS & VENUES
As of March 1st, all indoor and outdoor social gathering limits, as well as capacities on large venues, will be lifted.
Also, while masks will no longer be required in most settings – high-risk areas such as public transit and AHS operated and contracted facilities as well as all continuing care centres will still require a face covering.
WORK
Lastly, mandatory work-from-home requirements will be lifted, so get ready to see those co-workers’ friends!
Please note, however, that, as mentioned before, there will be some exceptions depending on your city or the business that you are entering.
Restaurants and bars still have the right to protect their employees if they choose, so it’s safer to bring your mask everywhere you go just in case.
Before going out, check your city website to see how your municipality will be enforcing their bylaws and please – be kind, be patient and stay safe. If there’s anything we learned in the past, it’s that things can change on a dime!
For more information on the Alberta COVID restrictions or to stay updated please visit the Government website here.
