Manitoba to allow small outdoor gatherings under health order changes
Manitobans will soon be able to gather outside with friends and family, as the province's top doctor announced changes to the public health orders set to take effect this weekend.
Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer, announced the changes to the orders on Wednesday, saying the province is in a position to slowly and minimally ease restrictions.
Under the changes, Manitobans will be able to gather outside in limited groups on public and private property.
Roussin said on private property, people can have up to five visitors in addition to those in the household. He clarified the visitors should be from no more than two households.
Groups gathering in public outdoor spaces, including golf courses, will be limited to five people total.
"These are the only changes that will be occurring at this time," Roussin said, adding all other restrictions remain in place.
Indoor gatherings remain limited to household contacts only, Roussin said.
Retail businesses will remain at 10 per cent capacity or 100 customers, whichever is lower. The rule limiting only one person per household in a business also remains in place.
Restaurant patios are also required to remain closed.
These new orders take effect on Saturday, June 12 at 12:01 a.m., and will remain in place until Saturday, June 26, at 12:01 a.m.
"We're not signalling an opening here. We're just signalling that Manitobans have given up so much – (they) haven't been able to see the people they care about in so long, even outdoors," Roussin said.
He said while the orders allow Manitobans to gather in small groups, he urged people to keep their contacts down as much as possible.
The province recommends physical distancing and mask use in outdoor settings for people from different households.
"We still are going to rely heavily on Manitobans to follow the fundamentals – to follow the spirit of what this represents for these next few weeks."
Roussin said Manitoba does have plans for reopening the province in the near future, but said they rely on lowered COVID-19 case counts and increased vaccination rates.
This is a developing story. More to come.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Parents of infant who died in wrong-way crash on Ontario's Hwy. 401 were in same vehicle
Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit has released new details about a wrong-way collision in Whitby on Monday night that claimed the lives of four people.
Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
'What have we done?' Lawyer describes shock at possible role in Trump's 2016 victory
A lawyer who negotiated a pair of hush money deals at the centre of Donald Trump's criminal trial recalled Thursday his "gallows humor" reaction to Trump's 2016 election victory and the realization that his hidden-hand efforts might have contributed to the win.
Conservative MP says Chinese hacking attack targeted his personal email
A Conservative MP is challenging claims by House of Commons administration that a China-backed hacking attempt did not impact any members of Parliament, because the attack was on his personal email.
B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Loblaw leaders call criticism 'misguided,' say they aren't to blame for high food prices
Loblaw chairman Galen Weston and the company's new CEO are pushing back against critics who blame the grocery giant for soaring food prices, as a month-long boycott of the retailer gets underway.
Orangutan observed treating wound using medicinal plant in world first
Scientists working in Indonesia have observed an orangutan intentionally treating a wound on their face with a medicinal plant, the first time this behavior has been documented.
'Giant-killer' Kazushi Kimura to race in Kentucky Derby this weekend: 'I'm representing Canada and Japan'
Six years ago, at age 18, Kazushi Kimura left his home and family behind in Hokkaido, Japan to chase a dream. This weekend, he'll ride in the Kentucky Derby.
President Joe Biden calls Japan and India 'xenophobic' nations that do not welcome immigrants
President Joe Biden has called Japan and India “xenophobic” countries that do not welcome immigrants, lumping the two with adversaries China and Russia as he tried to explain their economic circumstances and contrasted the four with the U.S. on immigration.