COVID-19: Step 2 guidance for physicians and medical clinics

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How clinics can adapt to the easing of public health measures

Now that we have entered Step 2 of the province’s 3-step lifting of public health measures, we know many physicians and medical clinic staff have questions about what this means for their care spaces.

CPSA has updated guidance to assist physicians and community medical clinics in understanding requirements for preventing infections within their professional settings, while offering recommendations for those who wish to maintain some of the heightened safety practices associated with COVID-19. We also continue to update our COVID-19 Info for Physicians webpage.

As physicians, you are in the best position to assess the risks within your own practices and medical clinics, and to use your judgment in protecting patients, staff and yourselves as the province adapts to easing COVID-19 measures. If you have any questions during this transition, please reach out to us at covid19@cpsa.ab.ca.

Mask use in medical clinics
In Step 2, the provincial indoor masking requirement has been lifted. This means while you can request that patients wear masks within a medical clinic, you cannot deny care if they refuse.

If you plan to request that patients wear a mask, please feel free to use one of these posters in your clinic’s entrance. These posters are intended to encourage mask use—they are not intended to imply masks are mandatory.

Infection Prevention and Control 
Preventing the spread of infection remains a priority within community medical settings. As Alberta lifts pandemic-related measures, healthcare teams can still take steps to keep themselves and their patients safe by following CPSA’s Infection Prevention and Control General Standards.