The provincial government has amended the Phase 4 Reopening Plan after more than 50,000 Manitobans provided feedback over the last two days.
“As we move through this pandemic, our number one priority is to ensure the health and well-being of all Manitobans,” said Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Cameron Friesen. “While Manitoba’s response to COVID-19 has been led by scientific evidence and the advice of our public health professionals, we need to keep listening to what Manitobans are ready to accept and support at each phase of our recovery efforts. I want to thank Manitobans for their valuable input and commitment to keep the virus at bay as we continue to take a balanced and measured approach at restarting our economy.”
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Minister Friesen said that as a result of public health evidence and public feedback phase four will proceed as early as July 25, 2020, but some items originally proposed have been deferred and others amended.
Changes to the draft proposal include:
- maintaining current site capacity at 30 per cent for faith-based services, pow wows, but eliminating the need for sub-groups (cohorts);
- allowing stage performances and opening movie theatres to a maximum capacity of 30 per cent of the site, up to a maximum of 500 people;
- allowing casinos to open at a maximum of 30 per cent of the site’s capacity; and
- allowing retail businesses and indoor recreation sites to use non-permeable barriers when distances of two metres can not be maintained.
Items that have been deferred include changes to indoor and outdoor gathering sizes as well as relaxing self-isolation requirements for those travelling from eastern and southern Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
Walk-up counter service in bars, beverage rooms, brew pubs, microbreweries and distilleries have also been deferred at this time.
Manitoba Public Health will continue to review possible adjustments to the phase four reopening on a weekly basis and make changes based on the public health situation at the time.
© News4.ca 2020
