On October 30 the Government of Manitoba announced province-wide changes to its #RestartMB Pandemic Response System in response to the surge of confirmed COVID-19 cases and the increasing test positivity rate.

On November 12, all health regions across Manitoba moved to the critical (red) level, and remained at this level until June 25. On June 26, all health regions were moved back to the restricted (orange) level in addition to eased restrictions that also took effect that day.

This blog summarizes various measures and restrictions the province has implemented and lifted since November 12.

UPDATE:

As a result of Manitobans reaching a third vaccination benchmark, the Province announced  on August 3 that it would be further easing public health restrictions effective Saturday, August 7. The following is a summary of the restrictions to take effect, subject to the new public health orders yet to be issued.

In addition to the province lifting restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences, the following sectors will be permitted to open without restrictions:

  • retail businesses;
  • gyms and fitness centres;
  • personal services, such as hair and nail salons;
  • libraries;
  • markets;
  • garden centres;
  • malls; and
  • day camps.

Other Sectors Permitted to Open with Limited Restrictions

Restaurants and bars will no longer be subject to a capacity limit, separation requirements or restricted operating hours. There will also be no group limits for indoor and outdoor dining, and immunization cards will no longer be required to access certain services. However, patrons will still be expected to avoid congregating or socializing between tables.

Museums, galleries and movie theatres will open up to all individuals (not only fully vaccinated people) though capacity will remain at 50%.

Casinos and bingo halls, professional sporting events, horse and auto racing, and concert halls will continue to be limited to fully vaccinated individuals; however, these facilities may now open to 100% capacity.

Remote Work and Use of Masks

To note, remote working will no longer be required or recommended by public health. Workplaces will be encouraged to transition from COVID-19 safety plans to a general communicable disease prevention plan that focuses on reducing the risk of workplace transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. However, workplaces must continue to report cases to the government for follow-up and may be ordered to close for a minimum of 10 days where transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace has been confirmed.

In addition, the province has announced that the mandatory mask mandate for indoor public spaces will be lifted, but that masks are strongly recommended in indoor public settings for unvaccinated individuals, including children under 12.

We encourage employers to review the new public health orders once they are issued.

For more information on the Province's reopening plan, visit our Manitoba's Four-Step Reopening Plan for Summer 2021 blog.

Summary of July 17 Measures

Gatherings

  • permitting gatherings at private residences to a maximum of five (5) people in indoor spaces, and 25 people in outdoor spaces, plus the household members;
  • permitting indoor gatherings in public spaces to a maximum of 25 people in indoor spaces, and 150 people in outdoor spaces;

Retail Businesses

  • increasing capacity at retail businesses to 50% or 500 people, whichever is lower

Restaurants, License Premises and Food Courts

  • increasing capacity at restaurants, licensed premises and food court capacities to 50%:
  • maintaining outdoor maximum table sizes at eight (8) people;
  • maintaining that patrons may sit together indoors if they are from the same household or if all patrons 12 years of age or older are fully immunized (unvaccinated children under 12 may dine with fully vaccinated members of their household in this case);
  • extending opening hours to midnight;
  • lifting the requirement to purchase food when ordering alcohol; and
  • permitting VLTs to operate while all other restaurant/bar rules apply (i.e., two-metre distance, only households or fully vaccinated people seated together).

Other Employers

  • maintaining the capacity of personal services (haircuts and styling, nail salons, estheticians and massage) at 50%, with appointments no longer required;
  • increasing gym and fitness centre capacities to 50%; masks and increased physical distancing (three metres) are still required; and
  • permitting libraries to open at 50% capacity to a maximum of 150 people, whichever is lower.

Fully Immunized Individuals

A person considered to be fully immunized against COVID-19:

  1. has received two doses of the Pfizer — BioNTech , Moderna or AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccine for COVID-19 or two doses of any combination of those vaccines within a 16-week period and  at least 14 days have passed since they received their last vaccine dose; or
  2. has received the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine and at least 14 days have passed since they were vaccinated.

Movie theatres, bingo halls, VLT lounges, casinos, museums and galleries were permitted to reopen for fully immunized individuals only, to a maximum capacity of 50%

Fully immunized individuals were also permitted to attend large-scale, outdoor professional sports or performing arts events, which could operate with capacities up to 100% after developing an approved event plan in consultation with public health.

Summary of June 26 Measures

  • increasing outdoor gathering sizes on private property to 10 persons and allowing outdoor visitors to briefly access homes for essential activities (e.g., to use a washroom);
  • increasing public outdoor gathering sizes to 25 persons;
  • increasing the capacity at retail businesses to 25% to a limit of 250 persons, with no restrictions on the number of household members permitted to shop together;
  • permitting personal service businesses (e.g., hair and nail salons, estheticians, barbers, etc.) to reopen at 50% capacity, on an appointment basis only;
  • permitting restaurants and bars to reopen at 25% capacity for indoor dining. Patrons seated together must be from the same household unless all patrons at the table are fully immunized. Patrons who are fully immunized and from different households may dine together;
  • permitting restaurants and bars to reopen at 50% for outdoor dining. Tables are limited to a maximum of 8 patrons and can be from different households regardless of immunization status; and
  • permitting gyms and fitness facilities to reopen for individual and group fitness classes at 25% capacity with three metres distance maintained between patrons.

There were no changes to the restrictions on casinos, VLTs, museums, galleries, libraries, movie theatres and concert halls. Further, employers continued to be required to allow employees to work from home where possible.

The Province indicated that fully immunized Manitobans (i.e., two vaccine doses plus two weeks from the time of their second dose) would benefit from certain exemptions, such as being able to dine indoors at restaurants and bars with other fully immunized friends and family from outside their household and being exempt from the 14-day self-isolation period upon returning to Manitoba from essential or non-essential travel. Further, the Province indicated that fully immunized Manitobans may be able to attend large-scale, outdoor professional sports or performing arts events, and that additional benefits would be announced in July.

Summary of June 12 Measures

A household and up to five individuals, who did not reside at more than two different private residences, could gather outdoors on private property. Up to five individuals were permitted to gather at an outdoor public place. In addition, the measures introduced on May 29 were otherwise extended to June 26 at 12:01 a.m.

Summary of May 29 Measures

In addition to the measures introduced over the Victoria Day long-weekend, such as prohibiting all gatherings of persons outside a household and permitting only one person per household to enter a business, the following restrictions were implemented:

  • requiring employers to allow employees to work from home as much as possible; and
  • increasing requirements for malls to manage capacity and access to eliminate gatherings and ensure compliance with shopping.

To note, the public health orders require employers, who become aware that two or more persons working at the same location at the business or facility have contracted COVID-19, to immediately notify the chief provincial public health officer. An employer must also provide information respecting the location of the business or facility and the COVID-19 cases. Notification must be provided by sending an e-mail to mgi@gov.mb.ca or by phoning (204) 945-3744 or 1-866-626-4862.

The province further extended the closure (i.e., remote learning) of kindergarten to grade 12 schools in the cities of Winnipeg and Brandon, as well as the Red River and Garden Valley school divisions to June 7. Similarly, schools in Dauphin continued remote learning until June 9.

The chief provincial public health officer also indicated the he would utilize health-hazard orders to close businesses, if necessary, where there are multiple COVID-19 cases and transmission is a risk.

Summary of May 26 Measures

On May 25, the Province of Manitoba announced that the public health measures implemented on May 22 would be extended to Saturday, May 29 at 12:01 p.m.

Summary of May 22 Measures

The following restrictions took effect on Saturday, May 22 at 12:01 a.m., and were to remain in effect until May 26:

  • prohibiting outdoor gatherings with anyone from outside a household, including at all recreation spaces such as playgrounds, golf courses, parks and sports fields; and
  • permitting only one person per household to enter a business, with some exceptions, such as a single parent with children, or someone who requires a caregiver.

The new public health orders define a "gathering" as a "grouping of persons in general proximity to each other who have assembled for a common purpose or reason, regardless of whether it occurs in public or at a private residence or on other private property, but does not include (a) a gathering in which all persons are residents of the same private residence; and (b) a gathering of employees at a business or facility or persons who are working at a worksite."

Summary of May 9 Measures

The following restrictions were implemented on Sunday, May 9, among other measures:

Gatherings

  • limiting outdoor gatherings to a maximum of five people, including people from multiple households
  • prohibiting indoor community, cultural and religious gatherings

Businesses

  • reducing the capacity at retail stores, markets and garden centres to 10% capacity, to a maximum of 100 people
  • reducing the capacity at malls to a maximum of 10% of the facility's capacity
  • closing restaurants, bars and patios to in-person dining (take-out and delivery services can continue to operate)
  • closing gyms and fitness centres
  • closing personal services such as estheticians, barbers, salons and tanning salons
  • casinos to remain closed and closing VLTs
  • closing museums, galleries and libraries

The Government of Manitoba further announced on Sunday May 9, that all K-12 schools in the cities of Winnipeg and Brandon would close and move to remote learning effective Wednesday, May 12 until May 30. K-12 schools located outside of Winnipeg and Brandon would also be subject to further restrictions.

The province also made amendments to the preset fines issued for violating public health orders with respect to individuals who have received two or more tickets. For those individuals, fines for failing to wear a mask have been increased from $298 to $486 and fines for other penalties under the public health orders have been increased from $1,296 to $2,542. Further, the penalty for failing to pay a ticket on time was doubled from $50 to $100.

Summary of April 28 Measures

The following restrictions were implemented on Wednesday, April 28, among other measures:

Gatherings

  • prohibiting visitors from attending at private households either indoors or outdoors, with certain exceptions including allowing one visitor for people who live alone
  • permitting outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people in public outdoor spaces only

Businesses

  • limiting the capacity at retail stores to 25% or up to 250 patrons, whichever is lower
  • restricting patio dining to groups of no more than four people (no household restriction);
  • requiring gym/fitness centre patrons and staff to maintain physical distancing of three metres (nine feet) from others
  • allowing personal service businesses to continue operating at 50% capacity, though appointments are now required
  • limiting the capacity at malls to 25%
  • closing food courts in malls and shopping centres, with the exception of take-out and delivery sales

We encourage employers to review the most current  public health orders, which will be in effect until Wednesday, May 26.

Summary of April 20 & 21 Measures

Effective Tuesday, April 20, all households may only have two designated visitors indoors, and outdoor gatherings on public and private property are limited to a maximum of 10 people, including household members.

Effective Wednesday, April 21, the capacity of retail stores must be limited to one-third of the store or up to 333 patrons, whichever is lower, and malls will be limited to 33% of the facility's capacity.

Summary of March 26 Measures

The province increased outdoor gathering sizes on public property to a maximum of 25 people and increased the capacity at retail businesses from 250 to 500 persons or 50% of the usual capacity of the premises, whichever is lower.

Summary of March 12 Measures

On March 12, the Province issued new public health orders, which took effect on March 13 and remained in effect until March 26.

Outdoor dining on patios at restaurants and licensed premises for groups of up to six people from different households were permitted.

Summary of March 5 Measures

On Friday, March 5, some revised restrictions took effect in all regions of Manitoba. The following is a summary of the public health measures implemented by the province of Manitoba, subject to the  public health orders:

Gatherings

  • households can continue to designate two visitors to their private residence, or households can choose to designate one other household to be part of each other's "household bubble";
  • increasing outdoor gathering sizes to 10 people in public or private spaces, including for recreational and non-organized sport activities; and
  • increasing capacity within places of worship to 25% or 100 people, whichever is lower.

Reopening of Businesses & Capacity

  • permitting businesses of any type to operate except for (1) indoor theatres, (2) concert halls and (3) casinos and gaming centres where food is not served and no gaming activities take place;
  • increasing capacity within retail stores, malls and personal services establishments to 50% or 250 people, whichever is lower;
  • increasing capacity within restaurants and licensed establishments to 50%, while continuing to limit patron groups to members of the same household;
  • permitting businesses other than casinos to resume operating video lottery terminals;
  • permitting professional theatre groups, dance companies, symphonies and operas to resume rehearsals that are not accessible to the public;
  • permitting indoor recreation and sporting facilities to operate at 25% capacity with physical distancing measures in all places of the facilities;
  • permitting gyms and fitness centres to resume group and personal training at 25% capacity; patrons must continue to wear a mask within the facilities at all times;
  • permitting dance, theatre and music schools to operate at 25% capacity for individual instruction and group classes; and
  • permitting day camps to operate at 25% capacity with physical distancing measures in place.

Download >> Manitoba Public Health Restrictions Eased, In Effect Aug 7

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