Mandatory restrictions – Provincewide – Revised April 9

Effective April 9 at noon, in-person service is not permitted indoors.

Restaurants, pubs, bars, lounges and cafes can open for outdoor patio dining, takeout, curbside pickup and delivery only.

• Patio seating must be limited to a maximum of 6 people per table – individuals must be from the same household or the 2 close contacts for a person living alone.
• Tables and dining parties must be 2 metres apart or separated by an impermeable barrier that will prevent droplet transmission.
• Individuals must stay seated with their dining party unless using the washroom, paying, or entering/exiting the facility. Masks must be worn indoors.
• Contact information must be collected from one person of the dining party.
• Liquor service ends at 10 pm.
• Patio dining must close by 11 pm.
• No entertainment allowed (VLTs, pool tables, live music, etc.).

Mandatory restriction – Provincewide – Revised April 7

Libraries must close.

All entertainment businesses and entities must remain closed, including:

• Casinos, bingo halls, gaming centres
• Racing centres, horse tracks, raceways
• Bowling alleys, pool halls
• Nightclubs
• Art galleries and museums
• Science and interpretive centres
• Amusement and water parks
• Children’s play centres and indoor playgrounds
• Movie theatres, auditoria and concert halls

Facilities used for indoor recreation may open only for individual or household one-on-one fitness training and youth group physical activities. Facilities may include:

• Gyms and studios
• Fitness and recreation centres
• Spas, pools, indoor rinks and arenas
• Community halls and centres

Mandatory restriction – Provincewide – Effective Jan. 18

All personal and wellness services can open by appointment only.

• Walk-in services are not permitted.
• Appointments should be limited to one-on-one services.
• Businesses must follow all current public health guidance.
• Home-based businesses must follow the restrictions for the type of service they provide.

Personal services include:

• esthetics, manicure, pedicure, body waxing, make-up
• body, nose and ear piercing, and tattoos
• artificial tanning and spray tanning
• facial, eyebrow and eyelash treatments
• cosmetic skin and body treatments
• laser hair and tattoo removal
• hairstyling and barbering

Wellness services include:

• floatation tanks
• reflexology
• colonic irrigation

Mandatory - Provincewide - Revised Jan. 18

The following services can open by appointment only as long as public health orders and sector guidance is followed. 

Appointments should be limited to one-on-one services.

Regulated health services can open by appointment only

• physicians, dentists
• physical therapists
• optometrists
• chiropractors
• hearing aid practitioners
• acupuncturists
• naturopaths

Non-regulated health services can open by appointment only (effective Jan. 18, 2021)

• massage therapists (a prescription or referral is no longer required)
• manual osteopaths
• kinesiologists
• athletic therapists

Professional services can remain open by appointment only:

• lawyers
• mediators
• accountants
• photographers

Social services can remain open for in-person services including:

• social, protective or emergency services
• shelters for vulnerable persons
• not-for-profit community kitchens, religious kitchens and soup kitchens

Home-based businesses should follow the restrictions for the type of service they provide.

Mandatory - Provincewide - Effective Mar. 08

Hotels, motels, hunting and fishing lodges may remain open, but must follow conditions for:

• dine-in establishments
• indoor fitness
• personal and wellness services (spa services)

Mandatory restrictions - Provincewide - Effective Mar. 8

Eligible participants include:

• youth under 18 years old
• members of a collegiate or university athletic program, if over 18 years old
• coaches or trainers

Limited group physical activities allowed

Lessons, practices and physical conditioning activities are allowed for indoor and outdoor minor sports/activities and school athletics (for example, school sport activities that are outside of a physical education class or related part of the school curriculum).

Games are not allowed.

Maximum of 10 total individuals, including all coaches, trainers, and participants.

A playing surface (for example, arena, field, court or swimming pool) may be occupied by more than one youth group, as long as 3-metres of physical distancing can be maintained between groups of 10 and the groups do not intermingle.

Physical distancing must be maintained between participants at all times:

• 3-metres physical distance for indoor activities
• 2-metres physical distance for outdoor activities
• coaches or trainers may enter physical distancing space for brief interactions with participants (for example, to correct form or technique)

Participants must be masked at all times, except during the training activity. Coaches and trainers must remain masked at all times.

Access to change rooms must be limited, including accelerated arrival and departure, emergencies (for example, first aid) and washroom use.

Off-site facilities

K-12 schools and post-secondary institutions are allowed to use off-site facilities to support curriculum-related educational activities.

Mandatory restriction – Provincewide – Revised March 8

Performance activities include dancing, singing, acting, playing a musical instrument, and any rehearsal or theatrical performance. Youth development activities such as Scouts, Girl Guides and 4H are allowed.

Adult performers and performance groups

Individual performers or performance groups (10 participants maximum) can access indoor and outdoor facilities for rehearsals, lessons, filming or broadcasting virtual performances.

Masks are mandatory at all times, except while playing a wind instrument

3-metre physical distancing must be maintained at all times

In-person audiences and spectators are not allowed

Larger indoor film and other performances may be allowed subject to an approved plan that follows strict new guidance, including regular lab-based PCR testing, and no audience

Children and youth performance activities (18 years and under)

10 participants maximum, including instructors, for lessons, rehearsals and virtual performances

Masks are mandatory at all times, except while playing a wind instrument.

3-metre distancing between all participants

In-person audiences and spectators are not allowed

Places of worship

Indoor group performance activities conducted in a place of worship, such as choir singing and instrumental music, are permitted provided these are normal activities conducted as part of worship practices and not for the purpose of entertainment.

Mandatory restrictions – Provincewide – Revised April 7

Team sports are not permitted

No sports games, competitions, team practice or league play of any kind is allowed.

All group fitness activities are not permitted

Individual or household one-on-one training only, with a trainer, is permitted.

All indoor fitness must be scheduled or by appointment – no drop-ins allowed.

Safety requirements

Masks

Masks must be worn by:

• trainers at all times
• clients at all times during low intensity exercise – masks are not required during high intensity exercise

Physical distancing

• 3 metre physical distancing must be maintained at all times, regardless of the type or intensity of exercise. This includes between pairs of trainers and clients – sessions cannot interact.
• 2 metre physical distancing is required in all other areas of the facilitly, such as entryways and exits, change rooms, etc.

Restrictions for training sessions

• Trainers must be professional, certified and/or paid trainers who are providing active instruction and correction. Passive supervision of a physical activity is not considered training.
• Each trainer can only interact with their assigned client, and each client can only interact with their assigned trainer. No interaction between clients or between trainers is allowed.
• ‘Cycling through’ multiple trainers (as in circuit training) is not permitted.

Mandatory restriction – Provincewide – Revised Feb. 8

Group activities

Adult group physical activities, including team sports, fitness classes and training sessions, are prohibited or restricted across Alberta. See guidance for outdoor winter recreation.

Outdoor team sports and group activities where 2 metre distancing cannot be maintained at all times are prohibited (shinny, tag and pick-up hockey are prohibited).

Outdoor group physical activity must be limited to 10 people or fewer.

Keeping the activity to members of the same household is strongly recommended.

Members of different households must maintain 2 metre distancing at all times.

Outdoor recreation amenities can be open to public access unless specifically closed by public health order.

This includes outdoor skating rinks, sledding hills and Nordic ski areas.

More than 10 people may use an outdoor recreation amenity at the same time (for example, public access to a local rink) as long as physical distancing is maintained between households.

One-on-one training

One-on-one training with a fitness trainer or coach is allowed, with restrictions.

See the Indoor fitness section for more information on one-on-one training.

Mandatory - Provincewide - Effective Dec. 13

Working from home is mandatory unless the employer requires the employee's physical presence to operate effectively.

View public health orders and exemptions on the provincial website, available here.

Mandatory restriction – Provincewide – Revised April 7

Banquet halls, community halls and conference centres can open for activities permitted under Step 1, such as:

• wedding ceremonies up to 10 people
• funeral services up to 20 people

Wedding receptions, funeral receptions and trade shows are not permitted.

Hotels, motels, hunting and fishing lodges may remain open, but must follow restrictions – no spas, pools or in-person dining (room services only).