Capacity limits for businesses, indoor mask mandate to end in Manitoba starting Saturday
Manitoba is taking another step toward fully reopening as the province announced new public health orders will be coming into effect, allowing more businesses to reopen and lifting the province's mandatory mask mandate.
Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer, said more than 80 per cent of eligible Manitobans have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 71.4 per cent are now fully vaccinated, and 75 per cent of Manitobans are expected to be fully vaccinated this week.
He said with these vaccine numbers, it is allowing Manitoba to go ahead with its newest public health orders, which will come into effect on Aug. 7.
As part of the new orders, mask-wearing will not be required by the province but it will still be strongly recommended for those who are not fully immunized including kids under 12.
Roussin also noted businesses can still require masks.
Some of the new orders will allow many businesses to fully reopen with no restrictions, they include:
- Indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences;
- Gyms and fitness centres;
- Libraries;
- Services such as hair and nail salons;
- Day camps; and
- Retail businesses, markets, garden centres, and malls.
The new orders will also require limited restrictions for other sectors, such as:
- Weddings and funerals will have the same capacity limits. Capacity is limited to 50 people or 50 per cent of capacity, whichever is greater, while dance floors will remain closed and activities that encourage close gathering and mingling are not recommended;
- Space between tables will not be required at bars or restaurants and dining will not be contained to households or vaccinated people. However, the province said people are expected to avoid socializing between tables;
- The capacity limit at museums, galleries and movie theatres will stay at 50 per cent but these facilities will not be restricted to vaccinated people;
- Casinos and bingo halls, professional sporting events, concert halls and horse and auto racing facilities will now be allowed to open at 100 per cent capacity but will still be limited to vaccinated individuals;
- Spectator capacity will still have limits for indoor and outdoor sports recreation;
- Overnight camps will be allowed with limits on cohorts; and
- Workplaces must continue to report cases to the government and public health said remote working is no longer required or recommended. Businesses are now encouraged to create a plan to reduce the risk of workplace transmission of COVID-19.
These public health orders will be in effect until Sept. 7.
Roussin said this is the largest reopening the province has had since the start of the pandemic and he recommends that people stay patient throughout the process.
"Be kind with others. There will be people who are more open to the loosening restrictions than others, some people may still choose to not take part in crowded events. Some businesses may still require the use of masks," said Roussin.
He noted while these are the new health orders, businesses can still make their own policies which could include requiring people to be vaccinated.
The top doctor was also asked why the province is going ahead with the latest round of reopening and removing the mask mandate considering how prominent the Delta variant is throughout Canada and around the world.
"Each province has to follow the epidemiology in their province. So certainly, we might see the beginnings of a fourth wave in certain areas potentially around the world. In Manitoba, although we are seeing an increase in (the) proportion of cases of Delta, we are seeing that in the face of declining case numbers and declining test positivity."
He said Manitobans have stepped up to get vaccinated, but still encouraged more people to get the shot, noting the 80 per cent first dose and 75 per cent second dose goals are not the endpoint for the pandemic.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.