Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba chief public health officer, speaks during the province’s COVID-19 update at the Manitoba legislature in Winnipeg on March 28, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)

WINNIPEG — 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
• Summer day camps may reopen to a maximum of 20 participants in groups

Greater freedoms for those fully immunized

Manitobans who have received two vaccine doses plus two weeks from the time of their second dose will benefit from the following exemptions:

• Visit fully immunized loved ones in personal care homes or hospitals
• Participate in social or communal activities, if you are a resident of a personal care home or congregate living facility
• Travel domestically for essential and non-essential purposes outside of Manitoba without the requirement to self-isolate on their return
• Dine indoors at restaurants and bars with other fully immunized friends and family from outside your household

“While the case numbers and our health system are improving, the pandemic is not over and variants of concern, especially the B.1.617.2 (delta) variant, are still circulating,” said Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer.

“Today’s reopening fits with the public health advice on where we are in the fight against the pandemic and where we still have to go.”

The new orders take effect Saturday, June 26 and will remain until August 2. However, reopening capacities may be increased earlier if vaccination rate goals are reached sooner and the province’s overall COVID-19 situation continues to improve.

Manitoba Public Health Orders – June 26, 2021 by ChrisDca on Scribd

Watch Wednesday’s announcement: