Fort McMurray's mayor said the city and surrounding communities are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 because tens of thousands of workers travel from across Canada to work in the oilsands.

On Friday, a worker staying at a northern Alberta oilsands staff lodge was taken to hospital with novel-coronavirus-like symptoms.

Oilsands giant Suncor Energy has won the latest round in its push to randomly test thousands of workers for drugs and alcohol in northern Alberta.

Many Alberta work camps more closely resemble hotels or resorts, complete with Wi-Fi, fitness centres, ice rinks and meals prepared by Red Seal chefs. But a slowdown in oilpatch activity means fewer tradespeople on site, putting a squeeze on businesses that house and feed workers in remote locations.