During his presser today, October 30, Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s Chief Provincial Public Health Officer, announced 480 new presumptive and positive cases of COVID-19, and that as of Monday, November 2, the Winnipeg Metro Region will move to the Critical level (red) on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System.
When asked by a member of the member of the media what the Province of Manitoba’s message is to businesses that have gone above and beyond to try to implement all necessary precautions and protocols, Dr. Roussin replied: “The message is that businesses HAVE done a lot, but pandemics are very challenging times. And this is a once in 100-year pandemic. We haven’t been shut down the whole time because we know the implications of doing that, and we’ve been trying to deal with this virus without having to shutter businesses again. But given the case number increases and transmission rates, we have no choice now.”
The Winnipeg Metro Region’s Red Level includes the following changes to public health orders:
- Bars and restaurants will be closed except for take-out and delivery.
- Most retail will be reduced to 25 per cent capacity.
- Sports and recreation programming will be suspended.
- Gyms and fitness centres will have reduced capacity to 25 per cent and masks will be mandatory, even when exercising.
- Movie theatres and concert halls will close.
- Personal services have no change and stay at 50 per cent capacity.
- Non-urgent and elective surgeries and diagnostics will be suspended. Scheduled surgeries in a number of essential and time-sensitive areas will continue to be performed including cancer, cardiac and trauma. Patients will be contacted directly if their scheduled surgeries are affected.
- Visitation at all Manitoba hospitals has been suspended, with exceptions made on a case-by-case basis for patients receiving end-of-life care, in labour and delivery, as well as in pediatrics.
- Faith-based gatherings are reduced to 15 per cent or 100 people, whichever is lower.
In addition, Southern Health–Santé Sud, Prairie Mountain Health, and Interlake–Eastern health regions will move to the Restricted level (orange) on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System effective Monday, November 2, joining the Northern health region at orange. Changes for these regions include:
- Public and private group gathering sizes limited to five, in addition to household.
- Capacity limited to 50 per cent at restaurants and bars, with group sizes limited to five.
- Reduced retail capacity to 50 per cent, encouraging limiting those who go shopping from each household.
- Blended learning for grades 9 to 12, voluntary blended learning temporarily available for kindergarten to Grade 8, encouraging as much physical distancing as possible.
- Personal services have no change and stay at 50 per cent capacity.
- Reduced spectators at sports and recreation facilities to 25 per cent.
- Gyms and fitness centers require contact information for all attendees and mask use at all times, except when exercising.
- Faith-based gatherings are reduced to 20 per cent or 250 people, whichever is lower.
Public Health also reminds all Manitobans who are able to work from home to do so.
