Beginning on Thursday, November 12, the entire Province of Manitoba will be under strict code red pandemic restrictions. This comes after weeks of attempting to control the spread of COVID-19 through targeted measures.
At a news conference on Tuesday morning, Premier Brian Pallister and Dr. Brent Roussin acknowledged that the targeted measures haven’t worked.
“We have taken steps in individual regions, but it’s time to take a more drastic approach to halt the rising case number and widespread community transmission of this deadly virus,” says Dr. Roussin. “I cannot stress enough to all Manitobans: now is the time to stay home and reduce your close contacts.”
These new restrictions largely bring Manitobans back to the locked-down state we were in back in the spring. Only essential businesses will be allowed to open, and social gatherings of any kind will not be permitted. Churches and faith-based organizations must also close.
Here are the specifics:
- Social contacts reduced to your household only. Social gatherings are not permitted.
- Travel to and from northern Manitoba is restricted and non-essential travel is discouraged.
- Retail businesses listed as critical services, such as grocery stores and pharmacies, can remain open at 25 per cent capacity.
- Retail businesses not on the list are able to provide e-service, curbside pickup or delivery services.
- All personal service businesses, including hair salons, barbers and sites offering manicures, pedicures and other esthetic services, must close.
- Gyms and fitness centres must close.
- Religious and cultural gatherings must close or be provided virtually only.
- Restaurants must close to the public and may be open for delivery, drive-thru or takeout only.
- All recreational activities, sports facilities, casinos, museums, galleries, libraries, movie theatres and concert halls must close.
The one exception is that schools and childcare services will continue to operate as they have been. Dr. Roussin notes that widespread transmission has not been detected among children, students, and staff.
Dr. Roussin also points out that all Manitobans need to adhere to the following guidance:
- Reduce the number of shoppers from your household to the lowest possible number. Send only one person to shop.
- Work from home if at all possible.
- Reduce travel unless absolutely essential.
- Remember all those you have come in contact with recently.
- Stay home if you are sick or when any member of your family is sick.
- Reduce your contacts to your household only and avoid closed-in or crowded spaces.
- Wash/sanitize your hands, cover your cough and physically distance when you must be with people outside your household.
- If you cannot physically distance, you should wear a mask to help reduce your risk.
- Get a flu shot.
“We are at a critical point in our fight against COVID-19, and we must do everything we can to protect our most vulnerable Manitobans and ensure our healthcare system is there for Manitobans, when they need it,” says Pallister. “This is a team effort, and we all have a role to play in protecting ourselves, our loved ones, and our community. By taking these measures seriously, we are going to save lives.”
Provincial Tip Line
As these restrictions go into place and in all regions, Pallister announced that the province has established a tip line to allow individuals who witness people breaking public health orders to report compliance and enforcement issues.
To make a report, people can visit the website linked below, or call 204-945-3744 or 1-866-626-4862 (toll-free) and pressing option three on the call menu.
Fines for breaching or failing to comply with public health or emergency orders have recently been increased to $1,296 for individuals and $5,000 for corporations.
Bridge Grant
Pallister acknowledges that many businesses across Manitoba will suffer in the coming weeks due to these necessary restrictions, and so the province has announced a new wave of relief grants to help people bridge the gap.
The new Manitoba Bridge Grant will provide $5,000 upfront to businesses, not-for-profits, and charities directly impacted by the restrictions.
“Our priority since the beginning of the pandemic has been to protect Manitobans, and our current focus is to do so by getting COVID-19 under control and limiting the community spread of this deadly virus,” says Pallister. “We recognize that Manitoba businesses, not-for-profits and charities have made and continue to make sacrifices to protect the health and safety of our province.”
The Manitoba Bridge Grant will provide an immediate one-time payment of $5,000 to small and medium-sized businesses, not-for-profit, and charitable organizations that have been directly ordered to temporarily cease operations or close their publicly accessible physical locations. This includes restaurants, bars, beverage rooms, brewpubs, microbreweries, distilleries, casinos, recreation and sport facilities, museums and galleries, theatres and concert halls, as well as organizations like charities, not-for-profits, and faith-based organizations that have been adversely impacted.
To pay for these grants, the province has shifted $100 million from other programs that have already run their course. If more money is required, the province will seek additional funding.
“Organizations required to close have identified an urgent need for financial support as they lose revenue and struggle to make rent payments, avoid staff layoffs, find new ways to safely offer services and pay for products they ordered prior to the mandated restrictions and closures,” Pallister adds. “Right now, the most important thing we can do to help our small businesses is to reduce our COVID-19 cases.”
The Manitoba Bridge Grant has the capacity to be extended automatically on January 1, 2021, to provide an additional $5,000 to each organization should these public health orders remain in place. If required, the province would automatically process the second payment at that time with no further actions required from applicants.
A January payment would increase the program’s total cost up to $200 million.
To apply for the Manitoba Bridge Grant, visit the link below. The application portal will open on Monday, November 16. The deadline for applications is December 15.
Public Feedback
Nearly 45,000 Manitobans have so far provided their feedback on COVID-19 enforcement and public health protection measures.
“All Manitobans have a critical role to play in protecting themselves, their loved ones and their community,” says Pallister. “We are all in this together, and I look forward to continuing to hear from Manitobans, every step of the way, on how we can keep each other safe in the face of this pandemic.”
The second in a series of telephone town halls is scheduled for Thursday, November 12. This week’s town hall will focus on the province’s pandemic response system, its design, public health indicators, and other considerations that factor into the response levels and sector-specific measures.
More than 26,200 people participated in the November 5 town hall, which focused on enforcement of COVID-19 public health and emergency orders. The telephone town hall included a discussion with Justice Minister Cliff Cullen, Municipal Relations Minister Rochelle Squires, Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer and Scott Kolody, associate deputy minister for Manitoba Justice.
A live poll during the town hall indicated that a majority of respondents said gatherings in groups larger than five people is the biggest issue related to compliance with public health orders. They also indicated that the most effective measure to ensure compliance is to issue fines.
The survey results indicated high levels of awareness of current restrictions. A majority of respondents said that a 10:00 p.m. curfew would be effective in reducing COVID-19 transmission, although no curfew has yet been put in place.
