Manitoba will move ahead with the first milestone of its ‘4-3-2 One Great Summer’ Reopening Path a week early.
Many businesses and facilities will reopen to 25 percent capacity starting on Saturday, June 26th.
Premier Brain Pallister says this is a good news day for Manitobans.
"After nearly a year and a half of fighting COVID-19 it's time for Manitobans to get some of their freedoms back and enjoy this beautiful summer. It's what we all want to do. Manitobans have earned that right."
Dr. Brent Roussin announced the changes, that are effective at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 26th:
· outdoor gathering sizes on private property to double to 10 persons and to allow outdoor visitors to briefly access homes for essential activities
· public outdoor gathering sizes to increase to 25 people
· retail businesses to open with increased capacity at 25 percent to a limit of 250 persons, with no restrictions on the number of household members, permitted to shop together
· personal service businesses like hair salons to reopen at 50 percent capacity, on an appointment basis only
· restaurants and bars to reopen at 25 percent capacity for indoors and 50 percent for outdoor dining. Those seated together inside must be from the same household unless all patrons at the table are fully immunized.
· indoor faith-based services and organized community gatherings to resume at 25 percent capacity to a limit of 25 persons with masks worn at all times
· outdoor faith-based and organized community gatherings to resume for up to 50 persons, provided distance can be maintained between households. Drive-in services continue to be permitted
· outdoor weddings and funerals may take place with up to 25 participants, in addition to photographer and officiants. Indoor weddings and funerals remain limited to 10 persons
· indoor dance, music, theatre, and other organized sports and recreation activities may reopen at 25 percent capacity to a limit of five persons, with no tournaments allowed
· outdoor dance, music and theatre classes, and other organized recreation activities may reopen for groups up to 25 people, with no tournaments allowed
· swimming and wading pools, both indoor and outdoor, may reopen at 25 percent capacity;
· gyms and fitness facilities may reopen for individual and group fitness classes at 25 percent capacity with three meters distance maintained between patrons; and
· summer day camps may reopen to a maximum of 20 participants in groups
COVID-19 safety fundamentals, like indoor mask use, and physical distancing, are still required.
These new orders are set to expire at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 2nd which is the next milestone in the Reopening Path.
The province says reopening capacities could be increased earlier if vaccination rate goals are reached sooner and the province’s overall COVID-19 situation continues to improve.
The next step on the reopening plan is for the province to reopen to 50 percent capacity or greater if 75 percent of Manitobans aged 12 and older have received their first vaccination dose, and 50 percent of Manitobans aged 12 and above have received their second dose.
