Alberta
Alberta cracking down on mask exemptions – Note required

Masking exceptions for health conditions
- Starting May 13, the rules around exemptions from wearing a mask due to a medical condition are changing. Individuals will now be required to obtain a medical exception letter verifying their health condition from an authorized health-care provider.
- The medical exception letter must come from a nurse practitioner, physician or psychologist. It may be presented when in a public setting, if requested by enforcement officials or retrospectively in court if a ticket is issued.
- This is modelled after the approaches currently used in Saskatchewan and other provinces.
Update 221: COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta (May 13, 4:15 p.m.)
Cases remain high in all parts of Alberta. Continue following the restrictions in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health-care system.
Latest updates
- Over the last 24 hours, 1,558 new cases were identified.
- There are 722 people in hospital due to COVID-19, including 177 in intensive care.
- There are 24,586 active cases in the province.
- To date, 188,475 Albertans have recovered from COVID-19.
- In the last 24 hours, there were nine additional COVID-related deaths reported: one on April 28, one on May 8, two on May 10, one on May 11, three on May 12, and one on May 13.
- The testing positivity rate was 10.6 per cent.
- There were 15,266 tests (4,375,995 total) completed in the last 24 hours and a total of 2,103,334 people tested overall.
- All zones across the province have cases:
- Calgary Zone: 11,584 active cases and 75,055 recovered
- South Zone: 1,255 active cases and 10,227 recovered
- Edmonton Zone: 5,470 active cases and 67,097 recovered
- North Zone: 3,618 active cases and 20,117 recovered
- Central Zone: 2,647 active cases and 15,961 recovered
- 12 active cases and 18 recovered cases in zones to be confirmed
- Additional information, including case totals, is online.
- Alberta has identified 276 additional cases of variants of concern, bringing the provincial total to 39,989.
- Currently, 907 schools, about 38 per cent, are on alert or have outbreaks, with 6,736 cases in total.
- 439 schools are on alert, with 1,067 total cases.
- Outbreaks are declared in 468 schools, with a total of 5,669 cases.
- In-school transmission has likely occurred in 818 schools. Of these, 273 have had only one new case occur as a result.
- There are currently 115 active and 9,487 recovered cases at long-term care facilities and supportive/home living sites.
- To date, 1,251 of the 2,121 reported deaths (59 per cent) have been in long-term care facilities or supportive/home living sites.
COVID-19 vaccination program
- As of May 12, 2,019,714 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Alberta, with 38 per cent of the population having received at least one dose. There are now 322,247 Albertans fully vaccinated with two doses.
- All Albertans age 12 and older are eligible to book appointments through AHS or a participating pharmacy provincewide.
- Legislation now allows Albertans up to three hours of paid, job-protected leave to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
New vaccination campaign launches
- Back to Normal is a new phase of Alberta’s vaccination campaign, intended to emphasize the crucial importance of Albertans getting vaccinated so life can return to normal.
- This advertisement is the first element of the campaign. Additional advertising showing other aspects of daily life will be released soon.
Masking exceptions for health conditions
- Starting May 13, the rules around exemptions from wearing a mask due to a medical condition are changing. Individuals will now be required to obtain a medical exception letter verifying their health condition from an authorized health-care provider.
- The medical exception letter must come from a nurse practitioner, physician or psychologist. It may be presented when in a public setting, if requested by enforcement officials or retrospectively in court if a ticket is issued.
- This is modelled after the approaches currently used in Saskatchewan and other provinces.
Restrictions in place for high case regions
- Restrictions are in place. Outdoor gatherings are limited to five people, most schools have moved to online learning, retail capacity is reduced and in-person dining and services are not allowed at restaurants, bars and cafés.
- Municipalities that have fewer than 50 cases per 100,000 people and/or fewer than 30 active cases are able to return to Step 0 level restrictions.
Enforcement of public health measures
- Fines for non-compliance with public health measures have doubled to $2,000.
- Unpaid fines are backstopped with stronger fine collection actions and restrictions on registry services. For example, a person may have to pay their outstanding fine before they can renew their driver’s licence.
- Repeat offenders will be targeted with a new multi-agency enforcement framework.
- Tickets can be given at the time of an incident or post-infraction – someone who isn’t charged immediately may receive a ticket after authorities do further investigation.
Rapid testing
- The province has launched a new rapid testing partnership with Alberta Chambers of Commerce.
- Businesses and service providers are no longer required to have a health-care provider oversee their rapid testing program.
- Rapid tests are available for employers.
Continuing care
- Restrictions for visitors to continuing care facilities have been eased.
- These changes will vary by site based on the design of the building, wishes of residents and other factors.
- Each site must develop their own visiting approach that falls within the guidelines set out and reflects the risk tolerance of the residents who live at that site.
COVID Care Teams outreach
- If you or others in your home have been directed to self-isolate/quarantine by Alberta Health Services and are unable to do so safely at home, please contact 211 to discuss options, including accessing an assigned hotel to safely isolate (free of charge). Financial assistance may also be available in the amount of $625, upon completion of the self-isolation period.
Albertans downloading tracer app
- All Albertans are encouraged to download the secure ABTraceTogether app, which is integrated with provincial contact tracing. The federal app is not a contact tracing app.
- Secure contact tracing is an effective tool to stop the spread by notifying people who were exposed to a confirmed case so they can isolate and be tested.
- As of May 13, 314,511 Albertans were using the ABTraceTogether app, 69 per cent on iOS and 31 per cent on Android.
- Secure contact tracing is a cornerstone of Alberta’s Relaunch Strategy.
MyHealth Records quick access
- Parents and guardians can access the COVID-19 test results for children under the age of 18 through MyHealth Records (MHR) as soon as they are ready.
- More than 600,000 Albertans have MHR accounts.
Addiction and mental health supports
- Confidential supports are available. The Mental Health Help Line at 1-877-303-2642 and the Addiction Help Line at 1-866-332-2322 operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Resources are also available online.
- The Kids Help Phone is available 24-7 and offers professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people by texting CONNECT to 686868.
- Online resources provide advice on handling stressful situations and ways to talk with children.
Family violence prevention
- A 24-hour Family Violence Information Line at 310-1818 provides anonymous help in more than 170 languages.
- Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence is available at 1-866-403-8000, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- People fleeing family violence can call local police or the nearest RCMP detachment to apply for an Emergency Protection Order, or follow the steps in the Emergency Protection Orders Telephone Applications (COVID-19).
- Information sheets and other resources on family violence prevention are at alberta.ca/COVID19.
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.
Quick facts
- Legally, all Albertans must physically distance and isolate when sick or with symptoms.
- Good hygiene is your best protection: wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching your face, cough or sneeze into an elbow or sleeve, and dispose of tissues appropriately.
- Please share acts of kindness during this difficult time at #AlbertaCares.
- Alberta Connects Contact Centre (310-4455) is open Monday to Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Alberta
Alberta health care blockbuster: Province eliminating AHS Health Zones in favour of local decision-making!

Hospital Based Leadership: Eliminating the bureaucratic vortex in hospitals
Since Alberta’s government announced plans to refocus the health care system in November 2023, a consistent message has emerged from patients, front-line health care workers and concerned Albertans alike about the flaws of the prior system. Alberta Health Services’ current zone-based leadership structure is overly complex and bureaucratic. It lacks the flexibility and responsiveness needed to effectively support facilities and staff – particularly when it comes to hiring, securing supplies and adopting necessary technologies.
That’s why Alberta’s government is changing to a hospital-based leadership structure. On-site leadership teams will be responsible for hiring staff, managing resources and solving problems to effectively serve their patients and communities. Hospitals will now have the flexibility to respond, freedom to adapt and authority to act, so they can meet the needs of their facilities, patients and workforce in real time.
“What works in Calgary or Edmonton isn’t always what works in Camrose or Peace River. That’s why we’re cutting through bureaucracy and putting real decision-making power back in the hands of local hospital leaders, so they can act fast, hire who they need and deliver better care for their communities.”
“Hospital-based leadership ensures decisions on hiring, supplies and services are made efficiently by those closest to care – strengthening acute care, supporting staff and helping patients get the timely, high-quality care they need and deserve.”
“By rethinking how decisions are made, we’re working to improve health care through a more balanced and practical approach. By removing delays and empowering our on-site leaders, we’re giving facilities the tools to respond to real-time needs and ultimately provide better care to Albertans.”
AHS’ health zones will be eliminated, and acute care sites will be integrated into the seven regional corridors. These sites will operate under a new leadership model that emphasizes site-level performance management. Clear expectations will be set by Acute Care Alberta, and site operations will be managed by AHS through a hospital-based management framework. All acute care sites will be required to report to Acute Care Alberta based on these defined performance standards.
“Standing up Acute Care Alberta has allowed AHS to shift its focus to hospital-based services. This change will enable the local leadership teams at those hospitals to make site-based decisions in real and tangible ways that are best for their patients, families and staff. Acute Care Alberta will provide oversight and monitor site-level performance, and I’m confident overall hospital performance will improve when hospital leadership and staff have more authority to do what they know is best.”
“AHS is focused on reducing wait times and improving care for patients. By shifting to hospital-based leadership, we’re empowering hospital leaders to make real-time decisions based on what’s happening on the ground and respond to patient needs as they arise. It also means leaders can address issues we know have been frustrating, like hiring staff where they’re needed most and advancing hospital operations. This change enables front-line teams to act on ideas they see every day to improve care.”
The Ministry of Hospital and Surgical Health Services, Acute Care Alberta and Alberta Health Services will work collaboratively to design and establish the new leadership and management model with an interim model to be established by November 2025, followed by full implementation by summer 2026.
Quick facts
- Countries like the Netherlands and Norway, and parts of Australia have already made the shift to hospital-based leadership.
- The interim hospital-based leadership model will be implemented at one site before being implemented provincewide.
- Hospital-based leadership, once implemented, will apply only to AHS acute care facilities. Other acute care organizations will not be affected at the time of implementation.
Related information
Alberta
Alberta is investing up to $50 million into new technologies to help reduce oil sands mine water

Technology transforming tailings ponds
Alberta’s oil sands produce some of the most responsible energy in the world and have drastically reduced the amount of fresh water used per barrel. Yet, for decades, operators have been forced to store most of the water they use on site, leading to billions of litres now contained largely in tailings ponds.
Alberta is investing $50 million from the industry-funded TIER system to help develop new and improved technologies that make cleaning up oil sands mine water safer and more effective. Led by Emissions Reduction Alberta, the new Tailings Technology Challenge will help speed up work to safely reclaim the water in oil sands tailing ponds and eventually return the land for use by future generations.
“Alberta’s government is taking action by funding technologies that make treating oil sands water faster, effective and affordable. We look forward to seeing the innovative solutions that come out of this funding challenge, and once again demonstrate Alberta’s global reputation for sustainable energy development and environmental stewardship.”
“Tailings and mine water management remain among the most significant challenges facing Alberta’s energy sector. Through this challenge, we’re demonstrating our commitment to funding solutions that make water treatment and tailings remediation more affordable, scalable and effective.”
As in other mines, the oil sands processing creates leftover water called tailings that need to be properly managed. Recently, Alberta’s Oil Sands Mine Water Steering Committee brought together industry, academics and Indigenous leaders to identify the best path forward to safely address mine water and reclaim land.
This new funding competition will support both new and improved technologies to help oil sands companies minimize freshwater use, promote responsible ways to manage mine water and reclaim mine sites. Using technology for better on-site treatment will help improve safety, reduce future clean up costs and environmental risks, and speed up the process of safely addressing mine water and restoring sites so they are ready for future use.
“Innovation has always played an instrumental role in the oil sands and continues to be an area of focus. Oil sands companies are collaborating and investing to advance environmental technologies, including many focused on mine water and tailings management. We’re excited to see this initiative, as announced today, seeking to explore technology development in an area that’s important to all Albertans.”
Quick facts
- All mines produce tailings. In the oil sands, tailings describe a mixture of water, sand, clay and residual bitumen that are the byproduct of the oil extraction process.
- From 2013 to 2023, oil sands mine operations reduced the amount of fresh water used per barrel by 28 per cent. Recycled water use increased by 51 per cent over that same period.
- The Tailings Technology Challenge is open to oil sands operators and technology providers until Sept. 24.
- The Tailings Technology Challenge will invest in scale-up, pilot, demonstration and first-of-kind commercial technologies and solutions to reduce and manage fluid tailings and the treatment of oil sands mine water.
- Eligible technologies include both engineered and natural solutions that treat tailings to improve water quality and mine process water.
- Successful applicants can receive up to $15 million per project, with a minimum funding request of $1 million.
- Oil sands operators are responsible for site management and reclamation, while ongoing research continues to inform and refine best practices to support effective policy and regulatory outcomes.
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