Beginning Saturday, August 28, 2021 Manitobans will once again be required to wear masks in all indoor public places.

The mandatory mask orders are being brought back as the emergence of the delta variant has changed projections of a possible fourth wave of the virus in the province.

“The emergence of the delta variant has changed things significantly. Now, public health officials tell us the pandemic is one of the unimmunized and we must take these extra steps to protect the nearly 230,000 children who are not yet eligible for immunization,” said Health and Seniors Care Minister Audrey Gordon. “Manitoba’s vaccine passport benefit will help encourage greater vaccine uptake, which is necessary to protect our health-care system from the COVID-19 fourth wave.”

Manitobans who are fully vaccinated will be the only ones able to participate in certain activities and events as of September 3, 2021, across the province including:

• indoor and outdoor ticketed sporting events and concerts;
• indoor theatre/dance/symphony events;
• restaurants (indoor and patio dining);
• nightclubs and all other licensed premises;
• casinos, bingo halls and VLT lounges;
• movie theatres;
• fitness centres, gyms and indoor sporting and recreational facilities (excluding youth recreational sport); and
• organized indoor group recreational classes and activities, and indoor recreational businesses.

The province noted that children 11 and under who are not eligible to be immunized will be able to attend events and activities with a fully immunized adult.

Those attending events or businesses will be required to show their vaccination card or QR code.

Employees of businesses or events will also have to prove they are fully vaccinated or under go COVID-19 testing as often as three time per week and can only attend work after proving a negative test result.

“Ensuring that people are fully immunized before attending higher-risk events, activities and services will help reduce community spread of the virus,” said Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer. “Already, we are seeing more of the newly identified cases are in people who have not yet been immunized, and we need to take these steps to protect them, others in their communities and the health-care system from the effects of the delta variant.”

Roussin pointed out that today’s announced public health orders will reduce the need for more stringent restrictions and lockdowns that would otherwise be necessary to combat a fourth wave of COVID-19 and protect the health care system.

The province is also recommending that businesses consider mandating COVID-19 vaccination for their employees in order to protect customers and staff and avoid an outbreak of the virus at their workplaces.

© News4.ca 2021