BREAKING: Manitoba staying in the Red, no increase to faith-based gatherings

Minor changes are coming to the Public Health Orders this weekend.

Premier Brian Pallister and Dr. Brent Roussin say there are not many changes in store for Manitoba's COVID-19 response.

"Manitoba is going to continue with slow, cautious reopenings," Dr. Brent Roussin says.

Most of the proposed COVID-19 Public Health Orders from last week are not moving forward. Manitoba will be staying at Level Red on the Pandemic System Response Plan.

There are no changes to places of worship gathering sizes and will remain at a building capacity of 25 per cent or 100 people. Roussin says COVID-19 cases will be an important indicator after the holidays of if he can make more reopenings.

Changes to the orders include:

• increasing gathering limits at outdoor public places to 25 from 10 people;
• increasing gathering limits at weddings and funerals to 25 from 10 people; 
• maintaining the capacity limits for retail stores at 50 per cent, but expanding the in-store limits to a 500-person capacity, whichever is lower, with other public health measures still in effect; and
• relaxing rules for drive-in events to allow people to leave their vehicles while still observing public health measures.

These orders will be in place at midnight on Friday.

There will be no changes to indoor gatherings at residences or restaurants, or public gatherings such as at concert halls. There will be no increase in gathering sizes at places of worship. 

New survey results from Manitobans have found:

• 53 per cent of respondents felt increasing gathering limits at outdoor public places to 25 people is an appropriate next step;
• 48 per cent of respondents felt increasing gathering limits at weddings, funerals and other gatherings to 25 people is an appropriate next step;
• 45 per cent of respondents felt expanding capacity limits for retail stores to 50 per cent or 500 people, whichever is lower, is an appropriate next step;
• respondents indicated that their top priority of the proposed public health changes was increasing gathering limits at an outdoor public place to 25 people; and
• 39 per cent of respondents indicated that bigger changes should wait until after Passover and Easter or later to prevent further spread of COVID-19.