Manitoba looking for input on COVID-19 reopening plan

WINNIPEG – The provincial government wants to hear from you about how it can best balance the economy with the health and safety of Manitobans as it looks to reopen.

Premier Brian Pallister says Manitoba’s COVID-19 curve is trending in the right direction after slowly lifting some restrictions.

Now, the province is looking to lift even more restrictions while still prioritizing the health and safety of Manitobans.

The risks of #COVID19 variants are real, the risks of vaccine delays are real, and the risks of reopening too quickly are real. We must proceed with caution to ensure we continue to protect and safeguard Manitoba lives. Have your say here: https://t.co/QM3nGYoJG3 pic.twitter.com/ZOjjweiiBI

— Brian Pallister (@BrianPallister) February 4, 2021

Some of the restrictions the province is looking at include allowing places like restaurants, personal care services, and libraries to reopen at a 25 per cent capacity.

“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,” said Pallister in a release.

WATCH: Dr. Brent Roussin, Premier Brian Pallister provide an update on COVID-19 in Manitoba

Here’s a full list of restrictions that the government is looking for feedback on:

• 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.

“Of course, the fundamentals – including physical distancing, frequent handwashing, mask-wearing, and staying home when sick – still apply, and are what will help us gradually reopen more activities and services when it is safe to do so,” explained Dr. Brent Roussin in a release.

You can have your say online from now until Feb. 12.