The Manitoba government is implementing new public health orders to begin this Saturday, one month earlier than expected.
Premier Brian Pallister says 80 percent of eligible Manitobans have had one dose, and another 25 thousand need to get their second dose to hit 75 percent, which is the goal on the 4-3-2-One Great Summer Reopening Path.
"COVID case numbers continue to drop, and vaccination rates keep increasing. Manitoba is in a good place right now thanks to the hard work of our public health team and of course the collective efforts of all of you."
Dr. Brent Roussin says public health will no longer require mask use in indoor public places under the new health orders, but they are still highly recommending that Manitobans wear masks in indoor public places.
"So we're moving from public health restrictions to recommendations, but we know that COVID is still with us, and that crowded spaces and prolonged contact increase the risk of COVID and other respiratory viruses."
The new public health orders will allow the following sectors to open without restrictions:
• indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences
• gyms and fitness centres
• libraries
• personal services such as hair and nail salons
• day camps
• retail businesses, markets, garden centres and malls
Other sectors will open with limited restrictions including:
• expanded capacity limits will remain in place for weddings, funerals and other public gatherings both indoors and outdoors including larger capacity limits for worship and cultural events like pow wows
• restaurants and bars will no longer need to restrict the size or space between tables and dining will not be restricted to households or vaccinated individuals; however, patrons will still be expected to avoid congregating or socializing between tables
• museums, galleries and movie theatres will remain limited to 50 per cent capacity but will no longer be restricted to vaccinated individuals
• casinos and bingo halls, professional sporting events, horse and auto racing, and concert halls will continue to be limited to vaccinated individuals; however, all these facilities may now open to 100 per cent capacity
• indoor and outdoor sports and recreation will fully reopen with limits only on spectator capacity
• overnight camps will be permitted with limits on camper cohorts
• workplaces must continue to report cases to government for followup and public health-confirmed transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace may result in workplaces being ordered to close for a minimum of 10 days
• remote working will no longer be required or recommended by public health and workplaces will be encouraged to transition from COVID-19 safety plans to a general communicable disease prevention plan that focuses on basic risk-reduction principles to reduce the risk of workplace transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses
The new public health orders will go into effect at 12:01 a.m., Saturday, August 7th.
The orders will expire at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, September 7th, and will be reassessed at that time in the context of vaccination rates and the province’s overall COVID-19 situation.
