With COVID-19 cases once again on the rise throughout the country, including in Manitoba, due to the arrival of the omicron variant, the province has brought into effect a range of new restrictions to curb transmission of the virus.
The orders go into effect today—Tuesday, December 21—and are set to either expire or be revised on January 11.
“We are taking the advice of our public health officials to put new measures in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect each other from this virus and the omicron variant,” says Audrey Gordon, Minister of Health. “This is difficult, especially around the holidays, but it is a necessary step. Once again, we must ask Manitobans to do more.”
Although there had not yet been a surge of confirmed omicron cases at the time these restrictions were first announced, Public Health is operating under the assumption that the variant is already spreading, or will be very soon, as it has done in other Canadian regions.
The province has released projections which demonstrate the urgent need to take additional steps. According to data collected both at home and abroad, it is expected that Manitoba could be seeing approximately 1,000 daily new cases of COVID-19 by early January.
At the height of the third wave in the spring of 2021, the daily totals were around just 600 new cases.
Manitoba’s hospitals are already under strain from the fourth wave of delta infections, with a pronounced shortage of ICU beds.
It is a lack of nurses that is so far constraining capacity. In mid-December, the provincial government put in a request from the federal government to provide additional ICU nurses on an interim basis to help to get the situation under control here.
For this reason, the prospect of a punishing surge of omicron cases has been met with concern.
The new restrictions include:
• private indoor gatherings are limited to 10 additional people plus the household if all are fully vaccinated (youth aged 12 and under are exempt).
• private indoor gatherings are limited to five additional people plus the household if any of the individuals are eligible but unvaccinated (youth aged 12 and under are exempt).
• indoor and outdoor sporting and recreation capacity is reduced to 50 percent for spectators, while games and practices can continue no tournaments will be permitted.
• large group gatherings will be limited to 50 percent capacity with proof of immunization.
• gyms, movie theatres, museums and libraries are limited to 50 percent capacity with proof of immunization required everywhere except libraries.
• restaurants and licensed premises are limited to 50 percent capacity and seated service only with a maximum of 10 people per table and proof of immunization required.
• faith-based gatherings are limited to 50 percent capacity with proof of vaccination, or 25 percent capacity or a total of 25 people, whichever is lower, when proof of vaccination is not required.
“We are seeing concerning numbers now, particularly with the omicron variant,” says Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer. “Projections clearly show more challenges ahead for our individual health, to our communities and for our health-care system as a whole. We need to take further steps to curb the situation. Thank you to all Manitobans who are following the public health orders, focusing on the fundamentals and choosing to be vaccinated. It is frustrating to be here again but I know we will step up to make these necessary changes, together.”
Both Gordon and Roussin are encouraging Manitobans to get their booster shots as soon as possible, since the omicron variant has demonstrated a knack for escaping some of the protection offered by the current vaccines.
“In addition to following these new orders, I encourage every Manitoban eligible to get their first, second or third dose to keep themselves safe,” Gordon says.