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Alberta

New COVID-19 restrictions to stop the spike

Published

4 years ago

15 minute read

 

New mandatory health restrictions will help stop the spike of COVID-19 and protect the health system.

These include new restrictions on outdoor social gatherings, schools, retail, restaurants, places of worship, personal and wellness services, outdoor sports and fitness, funerals, and post-secondary institutions.

The new restrictions come into force effective May 5, unless indicated otherwise, and will remain in place for at least three weeks.

These new measures apply to all Albertans, businesses, organizations and service providers in municipalities or areas with more than 50 cases per 100,000 people and with 30 or more active cases.

Expanded public health measures

The following mandatory public health measures will apply to all communities with more than 50 cases per 100,000 people and with 30 or more active cases:

  • Outdoor social gatherings – Effective May 5
    • All outside social gatherings must be limited to no more than five people.
    • This is a decrease from the previous 10-person limit.
    • Mandatory physical distancing must be maintained at all times between members of different households.
    • All indoor social gatherings are still prohibited.
  • Indoor fitness – Effective May 5
    • All indoor fitness must close, including for one-on-one training.
  • Funerals – Effective May 5
    • No more than 10 people can attend funeral services, including participants and guests.
    • This is a decrease from the current limit of 20 people, and brings funerals in line with wedding services.
    • Wedding and funeral receptions are still not permitted.
  • Retail – Effective May 5
    • Retail services must limit customer capacity to 10 per cent of fire code occupancy (not including staff) or a minimum of five customers.
    • The 10 per cent capacity limit at shopping malls will exclude common area square footage.
    • Curbside pick up, delivery and online services are encouraged.
  • Post-secondary institutions – Effective May 5
    • All post-secondary learning must shift to online learning only.
  • Places of worship – Effective May 5
    • Faith services are limited to in-person attendance of 15 people. This is a decrease from the previous 15 per cent capacity limit.
    • Physical distancing between households must be maintained at all times.
    • Virtual or online services are strongly recommended.
    • Drive-in services where people do not leave their vehicles and adhere to guidance are allowed.
  • Hotels/motels – Effective May 5
    • Hotels and motels can remain open but pools and recreation facilities must close.
  • Working from home – Effective May 5
    • Working from home remains mandatory unless the employer requires the employee’s physical presence to operate effectively.
    • Where at work for operational effectiveness, employees must mask for all indoor settings, except in work stations or where two-metre physical distancing or adequate physical barriers are in place.
  • Work place transmission – Effective May 5
    • Any workplace, except work camps and essential and critical services, with transmission of three or more cases will be required by health officials to close for 10 days.
    • Any workplace that does not comply will be subject to enforcement.
  • Schools (K-12) – Effective May 7
    • All kindergarten to Grade 12 students will temporarily shift to at-home learning, starting on May 7. Students will return to in-class learning on May 25. Exceptions will continue to be available for students with disabilities so they can continue to attend in-person classes as necessary.
  • Restaurants, bars, pubs, lounges and cafes – Effective at 11:59 pm on May 9
    • In-person dining on patios is prohibited. Only take out or delivery services are allowed.
  • Personal and wellness services  – Effective at 11:59 pm on May 9
    • Hair salons, barbers, nail salons, estheticians, tattoos and piercing, must close.
    • Previously, these were allowed by appointment only.
  • Health, social and professional services – Effective at 11:59 pm on May 9
    • Regulated health services, such as physicians, dentists and chiropractors, can remain open by appointment only.
    • Non-regulated health services, such as massage therapists and kinesiologists, can remain open by appointment only.
    • Professional services, such as lawyers and photographers, can remain open by appointment only.
    • Social services, such as shelters and not-for-profit community kitchens, can remain open.
  • Sports, performance and recreation  – Effective at 11:59 pm on May 9
    • All outdoor sports and recreation are now prohibited except with members of your household or, if living alone, two close contacts. This is a decrease from the current limit of 10 people.
    • This includes:
      • all group physical activities, such as team sports, fitness classes, training sessions
      • all one-on-one lessons and training activities
      • all practices, training and games
    • All indoor sport and recreation is prohibited, including youth sports.
    • All indoor performance activity is prohibited, including youth performances.
    • Professional sport organizations that have received an exemption can continue, provided protocols are strictly followed.

All other public health measures remain in place, including masking and physical distancing requirements.

These measures apply to any region or community except those with fewer than 50 cases per 100,000 people and fewer than 30 active cases.

This eliminates any distinction in restrictions for hot spot areas.

Municipalities below the regional threshold

Municipalities that have fewer than 50 cases per 100,000 people and/or fewer than 30 active cases will be required to return to Step 0 level restrictions. This includes:

  • Outdoor social gatherings
    • All outside social gatherings must be limited to no more than 10 people
    • Mandatory physical distancing must be maintained at all times between members of different households.
    • All indoor social gatherings are still prohibited.
  • Funerals
    • No more than 20 people can attend funeral services, including participants and guests.
    • This continues the current limit of 20 people, and brings funerals in line with wedding services.
    • Wedding and funeral receptions are still not permitted.
  • Indoor Fitness – Effective May 5
    • All indoor fitness must close, including for 1-on-1 training.
  • All youth and adult indoor sport, performance and recreation activities – Effective May 5
    • All youth and adult indoor sport, performance and recreation activities are prohibited.
    • All indoor recreation facilities must close. Outdoor recreation amenities can be open to public access unless specifically closed by public health order.
    • Outdoor recreation with up to 10 people is allowed.
  • Personal and wellness services can stay open by appointment only.

Strengthening enforcement

To reinforce the importance of following public health orders and the consequences of not doing so, fines will double to $2,000 for Public Health Act violations. To do this, an Order in Council will amend the Procedures Regulation of the Provincial Offences Procedure Act to enable the increased fines to take effect as soon as possible.

Repeat offenders, whether individuals, organizations or businesses, who are repeatedly or continually violating public health orders will be targeted with a new enforcement protocol. The protocol is now in place and will be used to coordinate a multi-agency response to repeat offenders.

If one organization is unable to gain compliance, a coalition of enforcement partners will work with each other to respond as quickly as possible with the most effective measures to gain compliance in that situation. The protocol also outlines steps for ongoing monitoring, which will assist authorities with deciding how to escalate legal and regulatory consequences against offenders that refuse to comply with previous enforcement measures.

Partners in the provincial group include Alberta Health Services, Occupational Health and Safety, Alberta Prosecution Service and local police services. Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis will also participate when cases involve licensees or activities under its jurisdiction.

As is the case with the public health orders themselves, the goal of this enforcement protocol is to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and the resulting threat to public health and strain on the health care system.

Alberta’s government is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting lives and livelihoods with precise measures to bend the curve, sustain small businesses and protect Alberta’s health-care system

“This is a last resort and a necessary step. With cases continuing to rise, we have no choice but to take serious action now or jeopardize putting the health system at risk. If we don’t do this now, if this doesn’t work, then we’ll need a much longer list of restrictions, which no Albertan wants to see. The best way to get out of this is for all Albertans to follow these new measures and get vaccinated when it’s their turn.”

Jason Kenney, Premier

“These measures are tough but have proven to work. Rising cases and hospitalizations mean we must take stricter measures in order to protect capacity in our health system. These mandatory new health measures are some of the strictest we’ve implemented, but they are absolutely critical to the future of our province.”

Tyler Shandro, Minister of Health

“I want to thank teachers, school staff, parents and of course our students for their flexibility and efforts since the start of the pandemic. The disruptions are difficult inside and outside the classroom, and this has been especially true with the recent rise of cases in the province. That said, if all Albertans do their part, this will be a temporary reset for our schools and we all can look forward to coming back to class later this spring to close out the school year.”

Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Education

“Most Albertans have gone above and beyond in making sacrifices to protect themselves and others from COVID-19, and yet there are some who refuse to follow public health orders and flaunt their non-compliance. There’s no excuse for this type of behaviour in the face of a public health crisis. The men and women of law enforcement will now have the authority to issue stiff penalties, up to $2,000, to recalcitrant individuals and organizations. Additionally, Alberta’s government has developed a new enforcement protocol that brings together law enforcement and all relevant government agencies to effectively target the more complex and flagrant cases of non-compliance and repeat offenders.”

Kaycee Madu, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General

“I know Albertans, even those who have carefully followed the health guidance and worked to keep not only themselves but their fellow Albertans safe, are tired. But if we can muster the strength to make it through these next few weeks, we will allow our vaccination program a chance to protect more Albertans, and in end, we will get COVID-19 under control in Alberta.”

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health

Quick facts: Municipalities below the regional threshold

As of May 4, the following municipalities have fewer than 50 cases per 100,000 people and/or fewer than 30 active cases will be required to return to Step 0 level restrictions:

  • Clear Hills County
  • I.d. No. 12 (Jasper National Park)
  • I.d. No. 13 (Elk Island)
  • I.d. No. 24 (Wood Buffalo)
  • I.d. No. 25 (Willmore Wilderness)
  • I.d. No. 349
  • I.d. No. 4 (Waterton)
  • Municipal District of Acadia No. 34
  • Municipal District of Ranchland No. 66
  • Saddle Hills County
  • Kananaskis Improvement District
  • Birch Hills County
  • City of Lloydminster
  • Special Areas No. 3
  • Woodlands County
  • Municipality of Jasper
  • Starland County
  • Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17
  • County of Two Hills No. 21
  • County of Northern Lights
  • Thorhild County
  • County of Newell
  • County of Forty Mile No. 8
  • County of Paintearth No. 18
  • Municipal District of Spirit River No. 133
  • Special Areas No. 4
  • Municipal District of Provost No. 52
  • Municipal District of Smoky River No. 130
  • Special Areas No. 2
  • Municipal District of Fairview No. 136
  • Vulcan County
  • Municipal District of Pincher Creek No. 9
  • Municipal District of Greenview No. 16
  • Municipality of Crowsnest Pass
  • Lamont County
  • County of Minburn No. 27
  • Town of Drumheller
  • Smoky Lake County
  • Northern Sunrise County
  • Lac Ste. Anne County
  • Flagstaff County
  • Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8

 

Related Topics:

This is a news release from the Government of Alberta.

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Cross-Canada NGL corridor will stretch from B.C. to Ontario

Published on July 12, 2025

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Keyera Corp.’s natural gas liquids facilities in Fort Saskatchewan. Photo courtesy Keyera Corp.

From the Canadian Energy Centre

By Will Gibson

Keyera ‘Canadianizes’ natural gas liquids with $5.15 billion acquisition

Sarnia, Ont., which sits on the southern tip of Lake Huron and peers across the St. Clair River to Michigan, is a crucial energy hub for much of the eastern half of Canada and parts of the United States.

With more than 60 industrial facilities including refineries and chemical plants that produce everything from petroleum, resins, synthetic rubber, plastics, lubricants, paint, cosmetics and food additives in the southwestern Ontario city, Mayor Mike Bradley admits the ongoing dialogue about tariffs with Canada’s southern neighbour hits close to home.

So Bradley welcomed the announcement that Calgary-based Keyera Corp. will acquire the majority of Plains American Pipelines LLP’s Canadian natural gas liquids (NGL) business, creating a cross-Canada NGL corridor that includes a storage hub in Sarnia.

“As a border city, we’ve been on the frontline of the tariff wars, so we support anything that helps enhance Canadian sovereignty and jobs,” says the long-time mayor, who was first elected in 1988.

The assets in Sarnia are a key piece of the $5.15 billion transaction, which will connect natural gas liquids from the growing Montney and Duvernay plays in B.C. and Alberta to markets in central Canada and the eastern U.S. seaboard.

Map courtesy Keyera Corp.

NGLs are hydrocarbons found within natural gas streams including ethane, propane and pentanes. They are important energy sources and used to produce a wide range of everyday items, from plastics and clothing to fuels.

Keyera CEO Dean Setoguchi cast the proposed acquisition as an act of repatriation.

“This transaction brings key NGL infrastructure under Canadian ownership, enhancing domestic energy capabilities and reinforcing Canada’s economic resilience by keeping value and decision-making closer to home,” Setoguchi told analysts in a June 17 call.

“Plains’ portfolio forms a fully integrated cross Canada NGL system connecting Western Canada supply to key demand centres across the Prairie provinces, Ontario and eastern U.S.,” he said.

“The system includes strategic hubs like Empress, Fort Saskatchewan and Sarnia – which provide a reliable source of Canadian NGL supply to extensive fractionation, storage, pipeline and logistics infrastructure.”

Martin King, RBN Energy’s managing director of North America Energy Market Analysis, sees Keyera’s ability to “Canadianize” its NGL infrastructure as improving the company’s growth prospects.

“It allows them to tap into the Duvernay and Montney, which are the fastest growing NGL plays in North America and gives them some key assets throughout the country,” said the Calgary-based analyst.

“The crown assets are probably the straddle plants in Empress, which help strip out the butane, ethane and other liquids for condensate. It also positions them well to serve the eastern half of the country.”

And that’s something welcomed in Sarnia.

“Having a Canadian source for natural gas would be our preference so we see Keyera’s acquisition as strengthening our region as an energy hub,” Bradley said.

“We are optimistic this will be good for our region in the long run.”

The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, pending regulatory approvals.

Meanwhile, the governments of Ontario and Alberta are joining forces to strengthen the economies of both regions, and the country, by advancing major infrastructure projects including pipelines, ports and rail.

A joint feasibility study is expected this year on how to move major private sector-led investments forward.

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Alberta

Alberta school boards required to meet new standards for school library materials with regard to sexual content

Published on July 10, 2025

By

Alberta’s government has introduced new standards to ensure school library materials are age-appropriate.

School libraries should be safe and supportive places where students can learn and explore without being exposed to inappropriate sexual content. However, in the absence of a consistent standard for selecting age-appropriate library materials, school boards have taken different approaches, leading to concerns about safeguards in place.

In response to these concerns, and informed by feedback from education partners and the public, Alberta’s government has created standards to provide school boards with clear direction on the selection, availability and access to school library materials, such as books.

“Our actions to ensure that materials in school libraries don’t expose children to sexual content were never about banning books. These new standards are to ensure that school boards have clear guidance to ensure age-appropriate access to school library materials, while reflecting the values and priorities of Albertans.”

Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education and Childcare

The new standards set clear expectations for school library materials with regard to sexual content and require school boards to implement policies to support these standards.

Standards for school library materials

Under the new standards, school libraries are not permitted to include library materials containing explicit sexual content. Non-explicit sexual content may be accessible to students in Grade 10 and above, provided it is age-appropriate.

“Protecting kids from explicit content is common sense. LGBTQ youth, like all children, deserve to see themselves in stories that are age-appropriate, supportive and affirming – not in material that sexualizes or confuses them.”

Blaine Badiuk, education and LGBTQ advocate

School boards must also regularly review their school library collections, publish a full list of available materials and ensure that a staff member supervises students’ access to school library materials. School boards will have to remove any materials with explicit sexual content from their school libraries by October 1.

School board policies and procedures

All school boards must have publicly available policies that align with the new standards for selecting and managing library materials by January 1, 2026. School boards can either create new policies or update existing ones to meet these requirements.

These policies must outline how school library materials are selected and reviewed, how staff supervise students’ access throughout the school day, and how a student, parent, school board employee or other member of the school community can request a review or removal of materials in the school library. School boards are also required to clearly communicate these policies to employees, students and parents before January 2026.

“A robust, grade- and age-appropriate library catalogue is vital for student success. We welcome the ministry’s initiative to establish consistent standards and appreciate the ongoing consultation to help craft a plan that will serve our families and communities well.”

Holly Bilton, trustee, Chinook’s Edge School Division

“Red Deer Public Schools welcomes the new provincial standards for school library materials. Our division is committed to maintaining welcoming, respectful learning spaces where students can grow and thrive. Under the new standards for school libraries, we remain dedicated to providing learning resources that reflect our values and support student success.”

Nicole Buchanan, chair, Red Deer Public Schools

Quick facts

  • The new standards will apply to public, separate, francophone, charter and independent schools.
  • The ministerial order does not apply to municipal libraries located within schools or materials selected for use by teachers as learning and teaching resources.
  • From May 26 to June 6, almost 80,000 people completed an online survey to provide feedback on the creation of consistent standards to ensure the age-appropriateness of materials available to students in school libraries.

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