The Manitoba government is seeking feedback from Manitobans on plans to move to the ‘restricted’ (orange) level on the Pandemic Response System and continue to restore safely services and activities while balancing the needs of the health-care system.
The province has launched a survey on https://EngageMB.ca and invites Manitobans to share feedback on their priorities for potential easing of the current level ‘red’ or ‘critical’ COVID-19 restrictions. The survey asks questions about Manitobans’ perspectives on the risk of the virus and their comfort levels with different activities. In addition, people will be asked their thoughts on the timing, such as if changes should happen sooner, or wait until after the Easter and Passover holidays.
To provide your feedback, visit https://engagemb.ca/restartmb-pandemic-response-system
Possible changes to the public health orders include:
- increasing gathering limits at an outdoor public places to 25 people;
- increasing gathering limits at weddings, funerals and other gatherings to 25 people;
- expanding capacity at religious services to a 25 per cent or a 250-person capacity, whichever is lower, with other public health measures still in effect;
- expanding the capacity limits for retail stores to 50 per cent or a 500-person capacity, whichever is lower, with other public health measures still in effect;
- allowing people to eat at the same table with other people in the indoor area of a restaurant, as long as everyone seated at a table has designated those individuals to visit them in their home;
- allowing organized team games at indoor sporting facilities;
- allowing youth to not wear a mask while taking part in an indoor sporting activities, but requiring mask use in other areas of the facility;
- enabling indoor theatres, indoor concert halls, casinos and gaming centres to open at 25 per cent or a 250-person capacity, whichever is lower, with other public health measures still in effect; and
- removing the requirement to self-isolate for 14 days for interprovincial/domestic travellers who travel for business reasons and do not have symptoms.
In addition, other changes include enabling indoor theatres, indoor concert halls, casino and gaming centres to open at limited capacity levels and removing the requirement to self-isolate for 14 days for interprovincial/domestic travellers who travel for business reasons and do not have symptoms.
Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s Chief Provincial Public Health Officer, noted that public health officials are NOT considering changes to indoor or outdoor gathering sizes at personal residences at this time, noting that close, prolonged contact has a higher risk of transmitting the virus.
