Manitoba is loosening its grip on public health restrictions as the province hit two of its first COVID-19 vaccination targets this week.
As part of the province’s reopening path guidelines, more than 70% of all Manitobans age 12 and above have received their first vaccination dose and more than 25% have received their second vaccination dose. The deadline to meet each of these targets was July 1.
With lower case numbers and rising vaccination rates, public health officials say new public health orders taking effect this weekend will allow for additional freedoms, including:
· outdoor gathering sizes on private property to double to 10 persons, and to allow outdoor visitors to briefly access homes for essential activities (e.g. to use a washroom);
· public outdoor gathering sizes to increase to 25 persons;
· retail businesses to open with increased capacity at 25 per cent to a limit of 250 persons, with no restrictions on the number of household members permitted to shop together;
· personal service businesses (hair and nail salons, estheticians, barbers, etc.) to reopen at 50 per cent capacity, on an appointment basis only;
· restaurants and bars to reopen at 25 per cent capacity for indoors and 50 per cent for outdoor dining. 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. For outdoor dining, tables are limited to a maximum of 8 patrons and can be from different households regardless of immunization status;
· indoor faith-based services and organized community gatherings (e.g. pow wows, sun dance ceremonies) to resume at 25 per cent capacity to a limit of 25 persons with masks worn at all times;
· outdoor faith-based and organized community gatherings (e.g. pow wows, sun dance ceremonies) to resume for up to 50 persons, provided distance can be maintained between households. Drive-in services continue to be permitted;
· outdoor weddings and funerals may take place with up to 25 participants, in addition to photographer and officiants. Indoor weddings and funerals remain limited to 10 persons;
· indoor dance, music, theatre and other organized sports and recreation activities may reopen at 25 per cent capacity to a limit of five persons, with no tournaments allowed;
· outdoor dance, music and theatre classes and other organized recreation activities may reopen for groups up to 25 people, with no tournaments allowed;
· swimming and wading pools, both indoor and outdoor, may reopen at 25 per cent capacity;
· gyms and fitness facilities may reopen for individual and group fitness classes at 25 per cent capacity with three metres distance maintained between patrons; and;
· summer day camps may reopen to a maximum of 20 participants in groups.
The new orders take effect Saturday, June 26 and will remain until August 2.