Alberta
Free rapid tests, gathering rules eased slightly for Christmas season, and boosting boosters
Protecting Albertans against the Omicron variant
Alberta is taking immediate actions and clarifying health measures to protect Albertans and the health-care system against the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus.
Expanding rapid testing
Alberta’s rapid testing program is expanding to allow all Albertans to have access to free rapid tests. Test kits of five individual tests will be available at select Alberta Health Services sites and select pharmacies starting Dec. 17. More than 500,000 rapid antigen test kits will initially be available for at-home use. Rapid test kits will also be made available at more schools and for vulnerable populations.
Expanding vaccine boosters
As of Dec. 15, Albertans aged 50 and older and all health-care workers who had their second dose six months ago or longer can book a third dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to increase their protection against the virus. This will make up to 700,000 more Albertans eligible to book boosters.
Ramping up health system capacity
Alberta Health is working with Alberta Health Services on planning to restore intensive care unit surge capacity if Omicron begins to put pressure on the health-care system. Alberta Health is also reviewing policies for health-care worker exposure, infection prevention and control, and visitors to acute/continuing care sites.
Clarifying health measures
Albertans are being asked to observe public health measures over the holidays around social gatherings, masking and personal practices. Indoor social gatherings will remain limited to 10 people. This applies to Albertans aged 18 and over, with no limits on those under 18. Additionally, there will be no limits on number of households and no distinction between vaccine and unvaccinated attendees. With these modest changes, Alberta’s social gathering restrictions remain among the most stringent in Canada.
“We are closely monitoring developments around the Omicron variant and are taking immediate action to protect Albertans and slow the spread in our province. We strongly encourage Albertans to do their part to address the threat of Omicron by getting a booster dose, using rapid tests when appropriate and following Alberta’s public health guidelines.”
“More Albertans are choosing to be vaccinated and following public health measures, which is helping protect Alberta’s health system. However, as with past variants, Omicron has the potential to change the situation quickly. Immediately expanding access to booster doses and offering free rapid testing will allow Albertans to identify infections and protect against them.”
“We are expanding our successful at-home rapid testing program to help parents, students and staff feel even more confident about learning safely in the classroom. It’s another layer of protection, together with vaccines and public health measures, to keep school communities safe.”
“Vaccines remain the most effective tool we have against COVID-19. It is especially important to get the booster dose when eligible with emerging information about third doses being more effective against the Omicron variant. Vaccines give good protection against severe disease and hospitalization but their effectiveness can decrease over time, especially with this new variant. I encourage eligible Albertans to take advantage of the increased protection that third doses offer, even if they have had a previous COVID-19 infection.”
Booster eligibility expansion
Starting Dec. 15, Albertans aged 50 and older and all health-care workers can book a third dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine if they received their second dose at least six months before.
Eligible individuals can book appointments for third doses online with participating pharmacies or AHS by using the Alberta vaccine booking system. Albertans can also call 811, participating pharmacies or participating physicians’ offices.
Albertans who were previously eligible for third doses continue to be able to book their appointments. For information on eligibility, visit alberta.ca/vaccine.
At-home rapid test kits
Starting Dec. 17, Albertans can pick up a free BTNX rapid test kit from 700 select pharmacies in Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer, and 140 select Alberta Health Services sites in other communities. To find a location, visit alberta.ca/CovidRapidTests. As more tests become available from Health Canada, more locations will be added.
Kits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. To ensure as many Albertans have access as possible, there is a limit of one box of tests within a 14-day period per person. Albertans can pick up one additional box for another person(s) who cannot pick one up themselves provided they have each individual’s health care number.
Each BTNX rapid test kit contains five rapid tests. For maximum benefit, an individual should use two tests each week, 72 hours apart. Tests are of particular benefit for those who have had a recent COVID-19 exposure. Each test kit includes an information sheet with details on how and when to use the test.
These tests are intended for at-home personal use for regular screening in asymptomatic people. Albertans who screen positive on a rapid test or who have COVID-19 symptoms should book a confirmatory PCR test through Alberta Health Services and must isolate for 10 days or until they receive a negative PCR test result.
In-home rapid tests will also be made available to foster families and kinship caregivers with school-aged children.
Albertans who are looking for tests for their workplace are encouraged to access tests through their employers’ rapid test programs. If an employer does not provide tests, Albertans must provide documentation from privately paid tests.
The rapid test kits provided for free through Alberta’s rapid testing programs cannot be used for the Restrictions Exemption Program (REP), which requires privately paid test results.
Additionally, the rapid test kits cannot be used for travel. They do not include appropriate documentation, so Albertans should not attempt to use them for domestic or international travel needs.
School rapid testing program
All K-6 schools on alert status (two or more cases in the last 14 days who were present at school while infectious) can now request rapid test kits. Participation in the program is optional for schools, parents and staff.
Eligible schools can submit a K-6 at-home rapid testing program request form. More information is available online.
To date, more than 90 schools have requested tests for students and staff and more than 35,000 students and staff have accessed rapid tests through this program.
All rapid tests are only for people without COVID-19 symptoms. If an individual has COVID-19 symptoms, they must not use a rapid test. They should stay home, isolate and book a test through Alberta Health Services with the online assessment tool or by calling 811.
Rapid testing program
Rapid tests continue to be available to any public, private or not-for-profit employer or service provider with an approved COVID-19 screening program.
Organizations can continue to apply at alberta.ca/rapidtesting or with their local chamber of commerce.
Social gathering changes
Effective immediately, indoor private social gatherings will no longer be limited to two households. The maximum number of individuals 18 years and older permitted is 10. In addition, there will be no distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated Albertans.
The temporary state of public health emergency has lapsed. However, all other current public health restrictions remain in effect, including mandatory masking in indoor public places.
Outdoor social gathering capacity remains at 20 people, regardless of vaccination status. Physical distancing between households is required.
Introducing $15 a day child care for families
Alberta is introducing a flat monthly parent fee of $326.25 for full-time licensed child care, or roughly $15 a day.
As part of the $3.8-billion Canada-Alberta Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, Alberta is supporting families to access affordable child care across the province with their choice in provider.
Starting Apr. 1, parents with children zero to kindergarten age attending full-time licensed daycare facilities and family day home programs across the province will be eligible for a flat parent fee of $326.25 per month, or roughly $15 a day. Parents requiring part-time care will pay $230 per month.
To support these changes and high-quality child care, about 85 per cent of licensed daycare providers will receive a funding increase once the new fee structure is in place on Apr. 1.
Every day, parents and families across Alberta rely on licensed child-care providers to support their children’s growth and development while going to work or school. Licensed child-care providers and early childhood educators play a crucial role in helping children build the skills they need to support their growth and overall health. As Alberta’s population grows, the need for high-quality, affordable and accessible licensed and regulated child care is increasing.
While Alberta already reduced parent fees to an average of $15 a day in January 2024, many families are still paying much more depending on where they live, the age of their child and the child-care provider they choose, which has led to inconsistency and confusion. Many families find it difficult to estimate their child-care fees if they move or switch providers, and providers have expressed concerns about the fairness and complexity of the current funding framework.
A flat monthly fee will provide transparency and predictability for families in every part of the province while also improving fairness to providers and increasing overall system efficiency. On behalf of families, Alberta’s government will cover about 80 per cent of child-care fees through grants to daycare facilities and family day homes.
This means a family using full-time daycare could save, on average, $11,000 per child per year. A flat monthly parent fee will ensure child care is affordable for everyone and that providers are compensated for the important services they offer.
As opposed to a flat monthly parent fee, Alberta’s government will reimburse preschools up to $100 per month per child on parents’ behalf, up from $75.
“Albertans deserve affordable child-care options, no matter where they are or which type of care works best for them. We are bringing in flat parent fees for families so they can all access high-quality child care for the same affordable, predictable fee.”
“Reducing child care fees makes life more affordable for families and gives them the freedom to make choices that work for them—whether that’s working, studying or growing their family. We’ll keep working to bring costs down, create more spots, and reduce waitlists for families in Alberta and across the country, while ensuring every child gets the best start in life.”
To make Alberta’s child-care system affordable for all families, the flat monthly parent fee is replacing the Child Care Subsidy Program for children zero to kindergarten age attending child care during regular school hours. The subsidy for children attending out-of-school care is not changing.
As the province transitions to the new flat parent fee, child-care providers will have flexibility to offer optional services for an additional supplemental parent fee. These optional services must be over and above the services that are provided to all children in individual child-care programs. Clear requirements will be in place for providers to prevent preferential child-care access for families choosing to pay for optional services.
Cutting red tape and supporting child-care providers
By moving to a flat monthly parent fee, Alberta’s government is continuing the transition to a primarily publicly funded child care system. To support high-quality child care, approximately 85 per cent of licensed daycare providers will receive a funding increase once the new structure is in place on Apr. 1.
The province is enhancing the system to streamline the child-care claims process used to reimburse licensed child-care providers on behalf of Alberta parents. Alberta’s government is also putting technological solutions in place to reduce administrative burden and red tape.
Looking ahead
Over the final year of the federal agreement, Alberta’s government is working to support the child-care system while preparing to negotiate the next term of the agreement, reflective of the needs of Albertans and providers. Alberta joins its provincial and territorial partners across the country in calling for a sustainable, adequately funded system that works for parents and providers long term.
Quick facts
- In line with requirements under the Canada-Alberta Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, the flat monthly parent fee only applies to children zero to kindergarten age requiring care during regular school hours.
- Children attending 100 or more hours in a month are considered full-time and parents will pay $326.25 a month. Children attending between 50 and 99 hours are considered part-time and parents will pay $230 a month.
- Families with children attending preschool for up to four hours a day are eligible for up to $100 per month.
- There are no changes to the out-of-school care Child Care Subsidy Program for children requiring care outside of school hours in grades 1 to 6 and attending full-time kindergarten.
- Programs may choose to provide optional services for a supplemental fee. Examples may include transportation, field trips and food. Child-care programs are not required to charge parents additional supplemental fees.
Related information
Justice Centre President sends an open letter to Dr. Shelley Duggan, President of the Alberta Medical Association
Dear Dr. Duggan,
I write in response to the AMA’s Statement regarding the Final Report of the Alberta Covid Pandemic Data Review Task Force. Although you did not sign your name to the AMA Statement, I assume that you approved of it, and that you agree with its contents.
I hereby request your response to my questions about your AMA Statement.
You assert that this Final Report “advances misinformation.” Can you provide me with one or two examples of this “misinformation”?
Why, specifically, do you see this Final Report as “anti–science and anti–evidence”? Can you provide an example or two?
Considering that you denounced the entire 269-page report as “anti–science and anti–evidence,” it should be very easy for you to choose from among dozens and dozens of examples.
You assert that the Final Report “speaks against the broadest, and most diligent, international scientific collaboration and consensus in history.”
As a medical doctor, you are no doubt aware of the “consensus” whereby medical authorities in Canada and around the world approved the use of thalidomide for pregnant women in the 1950s and 1960s, resulting in miscarriages and deformed babies. No doubt you are aware that for many centuries the “consensus” amongst scientists was that physicians need not wash their hands before delivering babies, resulting in high death rates among women after giving birth. This “international scientific consensus” was disrupted in the 1850s by a true scientist, Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis, who advocated for hand-washing.
As a medical doctor, you should know that science is not consensus, and that consensus is not science.
It is unfortunate that your AMA Statement appeals to consensus rather than to science. In fact, your AMA Statement is devoid of science, and appeals to nothing other than consensus. A scientific Statement from the AMA would challenge specific assertions in the Final Report, point to inadequate evidence, debunk flawed methodologies, and expose incorrect conclusions. Your Statement does none of the foregoing.
You assert that “science and evidence brought us through [Covid] and saved millions of lives.” Considering your use of the word “millions,” I assume this statement refers to the lockdowns and vaccine mandates imposed by governments and medical establishments around the world, and not the response of the Alberta government alone.
What evidence do you rely on for your assertion that lockdowns saved lives? You are no doubt aware that lockdowns did not stop Covid from spreading to every city, town, village and hamlet, and that lockdowns did not stop Covid from spreading into nursing homes (long-term care facilities) where Covid claimed about 80% of its victims. How, then, did lockdowns save lives? If your assertion about “saving millions of lives” is true, it should be very easy for you to explain how lockdowns saved lives, rather than merely asserting that they did.
Seeing as you are confident that the governments’ response to Covid saved “millions” of lives, have you balanced that vague number against the number of people who died as a result of lockdowns? Have you studied or even considered what harms lockdowns inflicted on people?
If you are confident that lockdowns did more good than harm, on what is your confidence based? Can you provide data to support your position?
As a medical doctor, you are no doubt aware that the mRNA vaccine, introduced and then made mandatory in 2021, did not stop the transmission of Covid. Nor did the mRNA vaccine prevent people from getting sick with Covid, or dying from Covid. Why would it not have sufficed in 2021 to let each individual make her or his own choice about getting injected with the mRNA vaccine? Do you still believe today that mandatory vaccination policies had an actual scientific basis? If yes, what was that basis?
You assert that the Final Report “sows distrust” and “criticizes proven preventive public health measures while advancing fringe approaches.”
When the AMA Statement mentions “proven preventive public health measures,” I assume you are referring to lockdowns. If my assumption is correct, can you explain when, where and how lockdowns were “proven” to be effective, prior to 2020? Or would you agree with me that locking down billions of healthy people across the globe in 2020 was a brand new experiment, never tried before in human history? If it was a brand new experiment, how could it have been previously “proven” effective prior to 2020? Alternatively, if you are asserting that lockdowns and vaccine passports were “proven” effective in the years 2020-2022, what is your evidentiary basis for that assertion?
Your reference to “fringe approaches” is particularly troubling, because it suggests that the majority must be right just because it’s the majority, which is the antithesis of science.
Remember that the first doctors to advocate against the use of thalidomide by pregnant women, along with Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis advocating for hand-washing, were also viewed as “advancing fringe approaches” by those in authority. It would not be difficult to provide dozens, and likely hundreds, of other examples showing that true science is a process of open-minded discovery and honest debate, not a process of dismissing as “fringe” the individuals who challenge the reigning “consensus.”
The AMA Statement asserts that the Final Report “makes recommendations for the future that have real potential to cause harm.” Specifically, which of the Final Report’s recommendations have a real potential to cause harm? Can you provide even one example of such a recommendation, and explain the nature of the harm you have in mind?
The AMA Statement asserts that “many colleagues and experts have commented eloquently on the deficiencies and biases [the Final Report] presents.” Could you provide some examples of these eloquent comments? Did any of your colleagues and “experts” point to specific deficiencies in the Final Report, or provide specific examples of bias? Or were these “eloquent” comments limited to innuendo and generalized assertions like those contained in the AMA Statement?
In closing, I invite you to a public, livestreamed debate on the merits of Alberta’s lockdowns and vaccine passports. I would argue for the following: “Be it resolved that lockdowns and vaccine passports imposed on Albertans from 2020 to 2022 did more harm than good,” and you would argue against this resolution.
Seeing as you are a medical doctor who has a much greater knowledge and a much deeper understanding of these issues than I do, I’m sure you will have an easy time defending the Alberta government’s response to Covid.
If you are not available, I would be happy to debate one of your colleagues, or any AMA member.
I request your answers to the questions I have asked of you in this letter.
Further, please let me know if you are willing to debate publicly the merits of lockdowns and vaccine passports, or if one of your colleagues is available to do so.
Yours sincerely,
John Carpay, B.A., LL.B.
President
Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms
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