Manitoba premier Brian Pallister puts on a mask after speaking to media prior to the reading of the Speech from the Throne at the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg, Wednesday, October 7, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)
WINNIPEG — With Manitoba’s soaring COVID-19 numbers, the idea of a possible curfew was raised by Premier Brian Pallister on Monday.
The idea quickly drew swift reaction from both sides of the debate, with many saying a curfew is needed to slow the spread of coronavirus, while others were worried it infringed on their freedom and couldn’t be easily enforced.
In an effort to listen to Manitobans more clearly, the province will now hold weekly telephone town halls.
The first topic of discussion? A possible curfew.
“Our number one priority is protecting Manitobans, and we want to stay connected and hear directly from Manitobans, even when we must stay physically apart,” Pallister said in a statement on Tuesday.
“From the very beginning of this pandemic, we have endeavoured to reach out directly to Manitobans and ask for their input, ideas and feedback on a variety of measures designed to keep Manitobans safe.”
The virtual town hall is scheduled for Thursday, November 5 and will focus on COVID-19 public health and emergency orders. Topics will include a survey to provide feedback on a possible curfew in the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region and how it could be enforced and a question-and-answer portal on Manitoba’s Pandemic Response System.
Manitobans can register for the town hall at EngageMB.ca and can also share their thoughts on the same website.
Other upcoming topics include enforcement practices for COVID-19 restrictions, vulnerable populations and COVID-19, and personal care homes and COVID-19. Plans for future stakeholder roundtable discussions will be announced in the coming weeks.
