In accordance with the enhanced province-wide restrictions recently announced by the Government of Alberta, the City has closed its indoor recreational facilities. MORE »
Other Important COVID-19 News
City Posts March 1 COVID-19 Situation Report
City Co-Sponsors Small Business COVID Recovery Grant
City Facilities Impacted by Provincial restrictions
New COVID-19 Measures in Place as of November 13
City Suspends Plastic Bag Ban Bylaw until May 2021
Downloadable Mask Poster for Businesses
The Big Picture: Regional and Provincial COVID-19 Stats
Important City-specific COVID-19 Developments
COVID-19: Stay Current on Most Recent Developments
Mandatory, province-wide restrictions are in effect to protect the health system and slow the spread of COVID-19.
Stronger Public Health Measures
Public health measures will be eased in steps based on hospitalization benchmarks. Each step sets a more predictable path for easing restrictions, while protecting the healthcare system. Once hospitalizations are within range of the benchmark, decisions to move to the next step will be considered.
The lowest-risk activities in each sector will be considered for change first. Moving between steps will happen at least 3 weeks apart to assess the impact on cases.
Steps based on hospitalization benchmarks:
STEP 1 <600 hospitalizations
Restrictions eased February 8:
- Restaurants
- Indoor fitness
- Indoor and outdoor children's sport and performance (school-related)
STEP 2 <450 hospitalizations
Restrictions eased March 1:
- Further easing of indoor fitness activities
- Libraries
STEP 3 <300 hospitalizations
Potential easing in these areas:
- Adult team sports
- Banquet halls, community halls, conference centres and hotels
- Casinos, racing centres and bingo halls
- Further easing of performance activities
- Further easing of youth sport and recreation activities
- Indoor social gatherings, with restrictions
- Indoor seated events (movie theatres and auditoria)
- Museums, art galleries, zoos, interpretive centres
- Places of worship
- Retail
STEP 4 <150 hospitalizations
Potential easing in these areas:
- Amusement parks
- Concerts (indoor)
- Festivals (indoor and outdoor)
- Funeral receptions
- Indoor entertainment centres and play centres
- Performance activities (singing, dancing and wind instruments)
- Sporting events (indoor and outdoor)
- Trade shows, conferences and exhibiting events
- Wedding ceremonies and receptions
- Workplaces (lift working from home)
- Day and overnight camps
Health officials are monitoring the situation and will adjust measures if required.
Read more about the provincial mandatory measures in effect
Subscribe to regional COVID-19 status notifications
Get the Facts About COVID-19 Vaccines
When will the COVID-19 vaccine be available to the general public?
Fall 2021 (Phase 3) is the current estimate. Alberta Health Services (AHS) is the only authorized means of vaccine delivery in Alberta. Any offers to provide vaccination to the public for a fee are not legitimate and should be reported to your local law enforcement agency’s anti-fraud/scam unit via the police non-emergency telephone line.
Can I join a waitlist to be prioritized?
No. Alberta does not have a waitlist. The Alberta government recognizes that many people are anxious to be immunized for COVID-19, including those who are considered higher-risk or have other underlying health conditions. More information will be shared as it becomes available. Please do not call Health Link about eligibility.
Continue to follow all public health guidelines to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.
What is the rollout plan for the COVID-19 vaccine?
Alberta Health, with input from AHS, has identified the key populations to be included in the province's phased immunization program. Exact amounts and timelines are subject to change. The approach will be amended as needed depending on vaccine supply.
Phases of the rollout
Everyone who wants a vaccine, will get a vaccine. But you may have to wait until people most at risk get vaccinated first. Review the phases to find out when it's your turn. Exact timelines for Alberta's phased vaccination program depends on supply.
Sign up to be notified of changes to the COVID-19 vaccination rollout
Early Phase 1: December 2020
Focus on acute care sites with the highest COVID-19 capacity concerns:
- Healthcare workers in intensive care units
- Respiratory therapists
- Staff in long-term care (LTC) and designated supportive living (DSL) facilities
Phase 1A: January 2021
- Respiratory therapists
- Healthcare workers in intensive care units
- Staff in LTC and DSL facilities
- Home care workers
- Healthcare workers in emergency departments
- All residents of LTC and DSL facilities, regardless of age
- Healthcare workers in COVID-19 units, medical and surgical units and operating rooms
- Paramedics and emergency medical responders
Phase 1B: February 2021
Timeline subject to change depending on vaccine supply.
- Seniors 75 years of age and over, no matter where they live
- First Nations, Métis and persons 65 years of age and over living in a First Nations community or Métis Settlement
Phase 2: April to September 2021
Eligibility will move from Group A towards Group D. Timelines are subject to change depending on vaccine supply. Detailed information on how eligible Albertans will receive the vaccine will be released prior to each group.
Group A (Phase 2):
- Albertans aged 65 to 74, no matter where they live
- First Nations and Métis people aged 50 to 64, on and off reserve or Métis Settlements
- Staff of licensed supportive living not included in Phase 1
Group B (Phase 2):
- Albertans aged 18 to 64 with high-risk underlying health conditions
- Specific conditions will be provided prior to Phase 2 rollout
Group C (Phase 2):
- Residents and staff of eligible congregate living settings: correctional facilities, homeless shelters, group homes including disability, mental health and other types of licensed supportive living
- Healthcare workers providing direct and acute patient care who have a high potential for spread to high-risk individuals
- Caregivers of Albertans who are most at risk of severe outcomes
Group D (Phase 2):
- Albertans aged 50 to 64, no matter where they live
- First Nations and Métis people aged 35 to 49 on and off reserve or Métis Settlements
Work to identify sequencing for all other groups is underway. If additional vaccines are approved and become available, people between the ages of 18 and 64 who work in specific workplaces or industries may be included in Phase 2.
Phase 3: Fall 2021
- Anticipated start of rollout to the general public
Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine program and Phases
Follow up: second dose
Second doses of the vaccine are necessary to ensure you're protected for as long as possible. In Alberta, second doses will be administered within 42 days after the first dose to allow as many people to receive the vaccine as quickly as possible. This aligns with the approach recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization and the World Health Organization statements on vaccines for COVID-19.
Once you've had both doses of the vaccine, you are less likely to become sick with COVID-19. But we don't yet know if the vaccine prevents people from spreading the virus. Continue following public health measures to keep unvaccinated people around you safe.
Get vaccinated. It's easy and safe.
COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and save lives. The vaccine helps prevent you from getting infected and protects you from getting severely sick if you do get the virus. Albertans are being vaccinated as fast as supply allows.
This is happening in phases so people most at risk get it first. More groups will be eligible as we get more doses.
Until most Albertans are protected by the vaccine, we must continue following all public health guidelines: keep 2 metres apart, wash your hands, wear a mask in public, and stay home when sick. Sign up when it's your turn. Show up to your appointment. Follow up with your second dose.
Learn more about COVID-19 vaccine safety
Learn about vaccines for COVID-19: authorized vaccines
What Does Physical (Social) Distancing Mean?
What does physical distancing mean?
Together, we can slow the spread of COVID-19 by making a conscious effort to keep a physical (social) distance between each other. Physical distancing is proven to be one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of illness during an outbreak. This means making changes in your everyday routines in order to minimize close contact with others, including:
- Avoiding crowded places and gatherings
- Avoiding common greetings, such as handshakes
- Limiting contact with people at higher risk (older adults and those in poor health)
- Keeping a distance of at least 2 arms lengths (approximately 2 metres) from others, as much as possible
- Follow Alberta’s restrictions on mass gatherings
Other steps you can take:
- Wear a mask in public when distancing is not possible
- Download and use the ABTraceTogether mobile contact tracing app while out in public
- Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol)
- Use gloves properly if you choose to wear them (they are not necessary)
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow
- Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands
- Watch for COVID-19 symptoms
- Take the COVID-19 self-assessment to arrange testing if you have any symptoms
Non-medical Masks and Face Coverings
COVID-19: Mandatory mask requirements
Effective December 8, 2020, masks are mandatory across Alberta in all:
- Indoor public places
- Places of worship
- Indoor workplaces, except when working alone in an office or a safely distanced cubicle or a barrier is in place
- Farm operations (exempt)
This workplace requirement:
- Applies to all employees, customers, visitors, delivery personnel and contractors
- Includes all workplace locations where masks won’t pose a safety risk
- Does not change current student mask requirements in schools
Read about the Mandatory, province-wide restrictions in effect
Why use a mask
Wearing a homemade or non-medical mask in public is another tool to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. It hasn’t been proven that masks protect the person wearing it, but it can help protect people from being exposed to your germs. Masks should complement, not replace, other prevention measures. Continue physical distancing and good hand hygiene, and stay home when sick.
Face shields
Face shields do not replace masks or face coverings. A face shield is used to protect the eyes of the person wearing it.
Using a face shield without a mask won’t protect you from potentially inhaling infectious respiratory droplets exhaled by others, nor will it protect others from your infectious respiratory droplets, as they can escape around the face shield.
If you’re unable to wear a mask or face covering, you may want to wear a face shield. Choose one that extends around the sides of the face and below the chin. You’ll still need to maintain physical distancing of 2 metres, and practice good hand hygiene, especially if you touch the face shield.
Neck gaiters (neck warmers)
Neck gaiters (also known as neck warmers) are not recommended because they aren’t well secured to the head or ears, are likely to move or slip out of place, and are difficult to remove without contaminating yourself.
If a neck gaiter must be used as a face covering, it should be folded to provide at least 3 layers of fabric and should include a filter or filter fabric added between layers. Lift it away from your face, especially when taking it off, and wash your hands or use alcohol based hand sanitizer anytime you need to adjust it, especially when putting it on and taking it off.
Masks with exhalation valves
Masks with exhalation valves or vents are not recommended. These masks do not protect others from COVID-19 or limit the spread of the virus. This is because they allow infectious respiratory droplets to spread outside the mask.
Medical masks
Medical masks include N95 masks and surgical or procedure masks. N95 masks protect from exposure to biological aerosols that may contain viruses or bacteria. They are generally only required during specific, high-risk medical procedures. Surgical or procedure masks provide a barrier to splashes, droplets, saliva or spit. They are not designed to fit tightly against the face.
These masks should be kept for healthcare workers and others providing direct care to COVID-19 patients. They may also be recommended for use in some workplaces, like salons, where there is prolonged close contact with people.
Gloves
It is not necessary to wear gloves in public. If you choose to wear gloves, remember to wash your hands before you put them on and immediately after taking them off. Change the gloves if you touch your face, cover a cough or sneeze with your hands, or if they become dirty or torn. Always discard the gloves in a lined garbage bin after taking them off.
To avoid spreading germs or COVID-19, do not touch your face or mask with your gloves, do not touch any personal items (cell phone, bag, credit card) that you might touch again with bare hands, and do not try to wash gloves or use hand sanitizer with gloves on.
COVID-19 Financial Relief for Albertans
Service Canada provides Canadians with a single point of access to a wide range of government services and benefits. They are committed to improving services for Canadians by working with partners to provide access to the full range of government services and benefits that Canadians want and need through the Internet, by telephone, in person or by mail.
Online Self-assessment
Important Phone Numbers
- Emergency dial 911
- Health Link dial 811
- Mental Health Support 1-877-303-2642
- Addiction Support 1-866-332-2322
- Family Violence Support 310-1818
- Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868