The Manitoba government has released a list of restrictions that could be relaxed in the next public health orders, and are asking for feedback on those proposed changes.
On Thursday morning, Premier Brian Pallister and Dr. Brent Roussin announced what’s currently being considered for the next set of public health orders that are due next Friday:
• allowing food services, including restaurants and lounges, to reopen at 25 per cent capacity with closure time of 10 p.m., limited to patron groups of household members
• allowing personal services, including nail salons and tattoo parlours, to reopen at 25 per cent capacity with adequate physical distancing, enhanced personal protective equipment measures and requirements to collect information for contact tracing purposes
• allowing gyms to reopen at 25 per cent capacity for one-on-one and individual training sessions with adequate physical distancing, with no group classes
• allowing places of worship to reopen at a maximum of 10 per cent capacity or 50 people, whichever is lower
Other Restrictions Under Consideration
• allowing libraries to reopen at a maximum of 25 per cent capacity, limited to patron groups of household members
• allowing organized outdoor sports to resume for games or practices (no multi-team tournaments)
• clarifying that addictions support and treatment groups can operate with adequate physical distancing measures in place
• allowing the film industry to resume work, with safety protocols in place
• opening public washroom facilities with 25 per cent capacity and enhanced signage
• increasing capacity for weddings to up to 10 people in addition to the officiant and photographer
• allowing photographers to resume operations outdoors and with studio capacity limited to patron groups of household members only
Dr. Rousin says the proposed changes would have the entire province remain in code red — “which highlights the actual level of risk we’re in. We have yet to get an adequate supply of vaccine, and we’re under threat of the new variants.”
“So our numbers certainly allow this continued cautious approach to reopening, but we’re still at a critical juncture moving forward,” Roussin said.
What won’t be changing in the new health orders next Friday?
It appears the province will not change the rules on gathering sizes for the time being. Currently, the restrictions on household visitors allow up to two designated people, while visits of five people plus members of a household are permitted on outdoor private property.
The province is asking for feedback on the proposed changes, which would come into effect next week to replace the current public health orders that expire at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 12.
To provide input, visit EngageMB.
