The provincial government is changing up its COVID-19 testing protocol.

Starting on Monday, anyone who traveled outside of the country and returned after March 12 won’t be tested at this time. This is when the province started asking Albertans to self-isolate if they had any symptoms.

If you fall under this category and have mild symptoms, you’re asked to self-isolate immediately.

The GoA is now focused on testing people who are hospitalized with a respiratory illness, living in continuing care and other similar facilities, returned from traveling between March 8 and March 12, and are health-care workers with respiratory symptoms.

People who meet these requirements are asked to call Alberta’s Health Link at 8-1-1.

“Changing our testing protocols will allow us to focus Alberta’s testing capacity on those most at risk. This is consistent with the approach happening across Canada,” said Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.

“It will enable us to strategically use our testing resources. Our new approach reflects the fact that the most important thing anyone can do if they have mild symptoms isn’t to get tested – it’s to stay home and self-isolate.”

The province’s online self-assessment tool has also been updated to reflect these changes.

More information can be found on the GoA’s website.