Calgary 
Alberta government today announced that the province will move to Step 3 of the Three-Stage Plan to Easing COVID-19 Measures effective June 14 at 11:59 p.m. as PCR test positivity and wastewater surveillance is showing a continued trend of declining COVID-19 transmission.
Effective midnight tomorrow, the provincial government will lift mandatory masking on public transit and mandatory isolation.
Alberta says isolation will remain recommended for those with symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test effective June 15th.
Alberta says health orders in continuing care will be rescinded by June 30th but measures like isolation of symptomatic residents, outbreak protocols and masking in continuing care settings will remain in place through standards and policy.
Jason Copping, Minister of Health, said in a statement, “We need to live with COVID-19 while accepting that it will continue to be present. We’ll continue to work to keep Albertans safe by ensuring access to vaccines, antivirals and rapid tests, through ongoing COVID-19 surveillance, and by enhancing health-care system capacity.”
As per the news release, COVID-19 rapid tests will continue to be available at no cost at various locations.
The province says the measures follow the similar lifting of measures in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Measures in effect from 12 a.m. on June 15:
- Mandatory isolation becomes a recommendation only.
- Mandatory masking on public transit is lifted.
- Masking and any other measures to protect patients in Alberta Health Services (AHS) and contracted health facilities will remain in place through AHS policy as required for infection prevention and control.
