Alberta has taken the final step in its plan to ease COVID-19 public health measures.
Effective 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Albertans are no longer required to wear masks on public transit, and the province has also ended mandatory isolation requirements for those who are positive for COVID-19.
However, the province still recommends isolation for those with COVID-19 symptoms or a positive test.
The changes to public health measures come as 24 additional deaths were reported to Alberta Health between June 7 and June 13. Since the pandemic began, 4,591 Albertans have died of COVID-19.
Data released Wednesday shows hospitalizations remain on the decline. There are now 719 people in hospital with COVID-19 in Alberta, a drop from 816 people last week. The number of people in intensive care with COVID-19 has also dropped from 24 last week to 19.
In a news release Monday, Alberta Health said PCR test positivity and wastewater surveillance show a continuing trend of declining COVID-19 transmission.
Work is underway to prepare for the fall and winter respiratory virus season, according to the province. This includes maintaining surveillance and testing programs, as well we preparing to expand acute care surge capacity.
“We need to live with COVID-19 while accepting that it will continue to be present,” Health Minister Jason Copping said Monday.
“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.”
“Learning to live with COVID-19 does not mean forgetting about it,” Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said Monday.
“As we bring COVID-19 management in line with other respiratory diseases, it will continue to be vital that we receive our primary vaccine series and any additional booster doses we are eligible for, and continue good habits like washing our hands regularly and avoiding being around others if we feel sick.”
Dr. Stephanie Smith, an Alberta infectious disease specialist, said Wednesday it makes sense to treat COVID-19 similar to other respiratory viruses, but she hopes people continue to take precautions when sick.
“What people need to understand is that, of course, COVID has not completely disappeared and there are still people in the community that are at high risk for severe disease,” Smith said. “If you have a bit of a sniffle and you’re not sure if it’s COVID or another virus, then we can still protect those around us by wearing a mask when we go out in public and that’s what I hope will become more commonplace.
“Just because the mask mandates have been lifted and the isolation requirements have been lifted, doesn’t mean that we should be going out in the community when we’re sick and not (be) protecting others.”
Masking and other measures to protect patients in Alberta Health Services and contracted health facilities will remain in place through AHS policy, the province said.
— with files from Kim Smith, Global News.