Manitobans ‘earned’ looser restrictions

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This article was published 22/01/2021 (1816 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Beginning Saturday, many Manitobans will see a modest loosening of restrictions set in place in mid-November when new daily case counts soared.

The entire province will nevertheless remain in the critical level red zone, as per Manitoba’s pandemic response system.

Under the new orders, funerals can take place with one officiant and 10 people, with all proper protocols in place.

On an intimate level, changes included outdoor visits augmented to include five people and members of a household on private property, and household changes mean two designated people can now visit, but only those same two people.

As for businesses, retail operations will be expanded to eliminate the list of essential items. Stores will be able to sell any products if they maintain physical distancing between customers with occupancy limits of 25 per cent or a maximum of 250 people, whichever of those is lower.

The orders will also be expanded to allow for basic services that promote physical and mental health for Manitobans, said Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer.

Non-regulated health services will be allowed to reopen, and barbershops and hair stylists are able to reopen at 25 per cent capacity, with physical distancing, and requirements to also collect information regarding potential contacts. Roussin emphasized this is for hair services only.

But returning to a targeted approach, the Northern health region, including Churchill, will not see those changes. That region has been consistently seeing half of the daily new cases — with 105 of 196 announced Thursday.

Premier Brian Pallister joined his chief provincial public health officer Thursday to share that news.

He said Manitobans have earned this opportunity and can earn more such opportunities in the future if they continue to adhere to public health orders.

“They are cautious changes. They are changes we are making to ensure we continue to protect and safeguard Manitoba lives,” said Pallister.

Pallister described the alternative to the two-person-only rule graphically, after saying he knows people will be disappointed with it.

“You have many friends and family you’d like to see and you’d like to visit and you’ve been holding back the ability to do that out of respect for the rules. Let me explain why. Two people is a fixed number,” he said, adding it’s about reducing contacts.

“You might be thinking, ‘Well, over the next three weeks I’d be able to see in three weeks, 21 days, two different people a day.’ And, if you did that, you’d see 42 people. That’s not the only problem. The problem isn’t just 42 people versus two people. The problem is, well, let me explain to you this way …”

Pallister did some contact math, trying to get the message across that a couple visiting a home becomes, exponentially, many more couples before long.

“And, as you move forward, if you keep going like that and we relaxed these rules to allow this to happen, after about a week you’d be able to have a gathering with 500 people. It wouldn’t all be in the room, but they would have all been in direct contact with the people in the room. You see the problem that we would have,” he said.

Pallister noted 100,000 Manitobans responded to the government survey related to moving forward on restrictions. He said no one wants a COVID comeback.

“We’re asking you to follow the rules because that’s how we’ll keep each other safe,” Pallister said, after noting there aren’t enough enforcement personnel to verify each household is following the rules.

“Remember that in three weeks time, if we do the right things, there may be the opportunity to make further progress on this front.”

Pallister also encourages Manitobans to shop local because businesses have been through a rough patch — and this is an opportunity for some to get their jobs back.

When asked what changes the province introduced to restrictions that are different from its ideas earlier in the week, Roussin said only around specifics related to the two-people rule.

“We had talked about two people gathering within a residence. We sent the message that this should be considered a bubble-type format that we don’t want many, many groups of two visiting. But what we did was just clarify that in the orders that it is actually a designated two people that would be allowed to visit any household.”

“Let’s follow the doctor’s orders,” said Pallister. “Let’s stay home. Only leave home for essential purposes. Stay home when you’re ill. Stay home when any member of your family is sick. Don’t socialize with people outside your household. Wash your hands. Cover your cough. Practise physical distancing. You know these rules, now. Keep following them.”

» mletourneau@brandonsun.com

» Michele LeTourneau covers Indigenous matters for The Brandon Sun under the Local Journalism Initiative, a federally funded program that supports the creation of original civic journalism.