Manitoba is heading into the holidays with province-wide Code Red restrictions in effect until at least January 8.
Dr. Brent Roussin says "it’s going to be very difficult for people to stay focused, but we need Manitobans to stay focused. We can’t have a lot of gatherings outside of your household because we know that’s where transmission takes place.”
Here’s a look at the latest guidelines from public health officials for the holidays:
What Travel Restrictions Are In Effect Over The Holidays?
The advice from Manitoba’s chief provincial public officer is to stay home and limit gatherings to people from the same household, and celebrate with others virtually.
Current health orders do not restrict travel outside or into Manitoba, but there is a 14-day self-isolation requirement for those arriving in Manitoba from east of Terrace Bay.
Travel to northern Manitoba (above the 53rd parallel) is prohibited, with a number of exceptions.
What Are The Province’s Restrictions On Gatherings?
Gathering sizes in Manitoba — both indoor and outdoor — must be limited to five people or less. There are exceptions for families larger than five.
"The overall message is to limit our gathering, especially this upcoming season, to those within our household," said Dr. Brent Roussin, adding “even with [the] exemptions, we must have caution, to ensure we're reducing our amount of contacts.”
Manitobans are asked to avoid having anyone in their house who does not normally live there. There are exemptions to that rule for things like health care, supporting a dependent family member, delivering items, and maintenance or renovations.
“If we have a lot of gatherings, even on just one day, we’re set up for a lot of transmission and we’ll start seeing the results of that a week or two after the holidays. My strong advice is to limit any gathering outside of your household," said Dr. Brent Roussin.
People who live on their own can have one other person who they regularly interact with come to their home — and they may also visit that person's home.
Manitobans are free to gather in outdoor public areas with people from outside their household — as long as the group size is 5 or less, and they keep two metres distance from one another. However, Manitobans are not advised to have gatherings in their yard with people from other households.
“So when we have the residence restrictions, we didn’t want the large gatherings in people’s homes — you know, people going out for recreation, being active, we certainly want to encourage that,” said Roussin, “but, we didn’t want large gatherings, be it in someone’s home or in their yard.”
What Are The Guidelines For Outdoor Activities?
Public health officials are encouraging Manitobans to enjoy the outdoors during the Code Red restrictions.
Individual or family outdoor sporting and recreational activities such as skating, tobogganing, skiing, snowmobiling and ice fishing are all allowed -- but group sizes must be no more than 5 people, unless all people in the group are from the same household.
Enjoying the outdoors with someone from another household (ie. a neighbour) is okay — as long as two metres distance is maintained and the fundamentals are followed.
Dressing rooms, warming shacks and other indoor facilities associated with outdoor sporting or recreational activities must be closed while the public health orders are in effect.
Ice fishing shacks may open if all persons using the shack reside in the same residence.
Can University/College Students Come Home For Christmas?
Public health officials say students are able come home for the holidays, in situations where students aren't permitted to stay in their school-year living situations during the holidays.
“This traveling back to your, essentially, original residence, with your parents, is not a violation of the orders. So when that's necessary, it certainly doesn't violate the orders,” said Dr. Roussin
However, Roussin notes that if a student were coming into Manitoba from east of Terrace Bay, they would have to abide by the provincial order to self-isolate for 14-days and avoid having any close contacts during the isolation period.
What About Christmas Mass?
Places of worship in Manitoba must remain closed during Code Red, but a recent update to the province-wide measures now allows drive-in church services.
The province says outdoor gatherings in which people remain in their vehicles are permitted, as long as everyone stays in their vehicles, and people within a single vehicle are all from the same household.
What About Boxing Day Shopping?
Retail stores that are allowed to remain open in Manitoba may only sell essential items in-store, and must limit capacity to 25% or 250 people, whichever is lower.
Non-essential items that can not be purchased in-store are still able to be purchased by telephone or other remote means for delivery or pick-up.
“We have the vaccine on the horizon. We have every reason to believe that next year is not going to look like this — but we have to get through this year.”
Where Can I Go For COVID Testing Over The Holidays?
COVID-19 testing sites and respiratory clinics in the Prairie Mountain Health region will be operating with some adjusted hours over the holidays.
You can click here for a full list of testing site locations and operating hours over the holidays.
Will Santa Be Following Public Health Guidelines?
With Code Red measures in effect heading into the holidays, Dr. Brent Roussin has assured Manitobans that Santa has been given the all-clear.
“Premier Pallister and I worked with others in the government and made some special changes for Santa Claus. Santa is certainly an essential worker which means that he is allowed to travel to Manitoba and able to come to anyone’s house.”
