Open this photo in gallery

       People line up outside an immunization clinic to get their Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Edmonton on April 20.

       JASON FRANSON/The Canadian Press

       Alberta’s COVID-19 vaccine passport system comes into force today.

       The program allows businesses and venues to operate without capacity limits and other public health measures if they require proof of vaccination or a negative test result from anyone entering.

       It applies at restaurants, nightclubs, casinos, concerts and fitness facilities, and is not mandatory.

       When it was announced by Premier Jason Kenney last week, it also applied to retail stores and libraries, but they were removed from the list of eligible businesses over the weekend.

       Does my province have COVID-19 vaccine mandates? Are public restrictions still in place? The rules across Canada

       Kenney had previously opposed a vaccine passport over what he said were privacy concerns, but said last week it has become a necessary measure to protect Alberta’s hospitals that face the prospect of being overwhelmed in the pandemic’s fourth wave.

       Starting Sunday, Albertans were able to download cards with the dates they’d received their vaccinations, and a health ministry spokeswoman says work continues on a more secure QR code that will be available in the coming weeks.

       We have a weekly Western Canada newsletter written by our B.C. and Alberta bureau chiefs, providing a comprehensive package of the news you need to know about the region and its place in the issues facing Canada. Sign up today.