Update: Pallister announcing new possible reopenings, including churches

The province is considering reopening places of worship, dining rooms, and other facilities previously closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Brent Roussin is considering allowing the following changes to the Public Health Orders:

• allowing food services, including restaurants and lounges, to reopen at 25 per cent capacity with closure time of 10 p.m., limited to patron groups of household members;
• allowing personal services, including nail salons and tattoo parlours, to reopen at 25 per cent capacity with adequate physical distancing, enhanced personal protective equipment measures and requirements to collect information for contact tracing purposes.
• allowing gyms to reopen at 25 per cent capacity for one-on-one and individual training sessions with adequate physical distancing, with no group classes;
• allowing places of worship to reopen at a maximum of 10 per cent capacity or 50 people, whichever is lower;
• allowing libraries to reopen at a maximum of 25 per cent capacity, limited to patron groups of household members;
• allowing organized outdoor sports to resume for games or practices (no multi-team tournaments);
• clarifying that addictions support and treatment groups can operate with adequate physical distancing measures in place;
• allowing the film industry to resume work, with safety protocols in place;
• opening public washroom facilities with 25 per cent capacity and enhanced signage;
• increasing capacity for weddings to up to 10 people in addition to the officiant and photographer; and
• allowing photographers to resume operations outdoors and with studio capacity limited to patron groups of household members only.

All regions would be impacted by the new orders, as well as previous openings. Manitoba will remain at Level Red. The new orders would begin on February 13.

The province is looking to residents to provide their feedback online. 

“I want to thank Manitobans for their patience and their commitment to follow to the guidelines and public health orders as we cautiously begin to restart our economy and reopen our communities,” Premier Brian Pallister says. “While Manitoba’s COVID cases continue to trend in the right direction, we must not lose sight of the gains we have made and the risks associated with vaccine delays and new COVID variants. We must, and will, proceed with caution to ensure we continue to protect and safeguard Manitoba lives.”

Dr. Brent Roussin is hoping to keep these places permanently open, even if cases rise.

This is an ongoing story.