As of today, nearly 77% of Manitobans have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 58% are fully vaccinated with two doses. Manitobans are continuing to bend the curve downward and move towards a post-pandemic era, although we still have daily cases and we still have Manitobans in ICU. With this next phase of re-opening, fully-vaccinated people will benefit from their status.
Today, the Province of Manitoba announced changes to the public health orders which will be effective Saturday, July 17 at 12:01 AM. These orders are scheduled to expire at 12:01 AM on Saturday, August 7.
Under the second phase of the ‘4-3-2 One Great Summer’ Reopening Path, most facilities may now open to 50 per cent capacity, allowing more people to gather indoors and outdoors, shop, dine out, visit cultural and recreational facilities, and more. Fully immunized Manitobans who have received two vaccination doses at least two weeks ago, may enjoy even more benefits under new public health orders. Specifically, the new public health orders will now allow the following:
- indoor gatherings at private residences are permitted to a maximum of five people, plus the household members;
- indoor gatherings in public spaces are permitted to a maximum of 25 people;
- outdoor gatherings on private property increase to a maximum of 25 people;
- public outdoor gatherings increase to a maximum of 150 people;
- retail businesses increase to 50 per cent capacity or 500 people, whichever is lower;
- restaurants, licensed premises and food court capacities expand to 50 per cent capacity:
– outdoor maximum table size remains at eight people;
– patrons may only sit together indoors if they are from the same household or if all patrons 12 years of age+ are fully immunized (unvaccinated children under 12 may dine with fully vaccinated members of their household in this case);
– opening hours extend to midnight;
– the requirement to purchase food when ordering alcohol no longer applies;
– VLTs may be operate with all other restaurant/bar rules applying (two-metre distance, only households or fully vaccinated people seated together); - personal services (haircuts and styling, nail salons, estheticians and massage) continue at 50 per cent capacity; however, appointments are no longer required;
- dance, theatre, and music school capacities increase to 50 per cent capacity to a maximum of 25 perople per group;
- indoor sporting facilities may host groups up to a maximum of 25 people, interaction between groups and tournaments are not permitted;
- day camp capacity increases to groups of 25, joint activities between groups and overnight camps are prohibited;
- outdoor recreation including games and practices may take place to maximum group size of 50 people; spectators are permitted and do not count towards this capacity limit; tournaments are not permitted;
- gym and fitness centre capacities expand to 50 per cent capacity; masks and increased physical distancing (three metres) are still required;
- outdoor weddings and funerals may include up to 150 participants in addition to photographers and officiants; indoor weddings or funerals increase to 25 people in addition to photographers and officiants;
- libraries may open to 50 per cent capacity to a maximum of 150 people, whichever is lower;
- faith-based and cultural gatherings (pow wows, sun dances) may expand to 50 per cent capacity or 150 people indoors, whichever is lower; masks and physical distancing between households is still required;
– if the facility design allows, the capacity limits may be applied to different physical spaces within the venue;
– outdoor faith-based and cultural gatherings permitted up to 150 people and drive-in services continue to be permitted without restriction; - the following may now reopen for fully immunized people only, to a maximum capacity of 50 per cent: movie theatres; bingo halls, VLT lounges and casinos, and museums and galleries;
– museums operate under the fully vaccinated requirement when open to the public as a museum, both indoors and out, and if the museum is used as a private venue for another purpose (e.g. wedding), then the appropriate orders apply;
– unvaccinated children under 12 may attend/visit these facilities/events (as appropriate) if accompanied by fully vaccinated members of their household; - large-scale, outdoor professional sports or performing arts events may operate with capacities up to 100 per cent after developing an approved event plan in consultation with public health.
In all cases, following the COVID-19 fundamentals, including indoor mask use and physical distancing, is still required to protect the health and well-being of all Manitobans. The orders are scheduled to expire at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 7 and will be reassessed at that time in the context of vaccination rates and the province’s overall COVID-19 situation.
For more information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, visit www.manitoba.ca/covid19/. Click here to access a re-opening pathway backgrounder.
