Photo Courtesy Alberta Health Services

By Christian Oldale

EFFECTIVE OCT. 11, 2023

Alberta Health Services adopts enhanced masking directive for acute care sites

Oct 12, 2023 | 1:17 PM

Alberta Health Services (AHS) has adopted an enhanced masking directive to help prevent transmission of COVID-19 within acute care facilities.

The Use of Masks to Prevent Transmission of COVID-19 Directive, which came into effect on October 11, 2023, allows zone leadership to require enhanced masking by all AHS staff at the care sites.

That applies to physicians, midwives, students, volunteers, contracted service providers, and workers at Alberta Precision Laboratories.

Additionally, in spaces where the enhanced measures are implemented, masking would be required for patients and visitors in the Emergency Departments of acute care facilities.

Masking will also continue to be required for workers, family/support persons and visitors when:

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• Recommended during an outbreak by the Medical Officer of Health, according to the Communicable Disease Control Outbreak Guides;
• For staff, as identified by the Attending Work with COVID-19 symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test
• In contact with a severely immunocompromised individual.

AHS will make the decision on implementing enhanced masking based on rate of hospitalizations, number of outbreaks, and test positivity, among other factors.

Masking is optional for AHS workers when they are in an area where there is no contact with patients, and at continuing care and Addiction and Mental Health settings.