Dr. Brent Roussin Chief Medical Officer of Health/CPAC
Government and health officials in Manitoba believe they have successfully bent the COVID-curve.
The province is making modest changes to public health restrictions starting Saturday morning.
Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin says the province will remain at the Red or Critical level in the Emergency Order.
He says Manitobans and businesses have done a great job to get the province to this point but stresses “We could see in October and November, despite that, we were on a very bad trajectory. So if we opened everything now to where we were in October, we will be back at that trajectory. So we need to do this in a very cautious and slow approach.”
Dr. Roussin adds “This has to be a gradual and cautious process. We do not want to be opening, and then closing, and then opening again. We just can not overwhelm our health care system.”
The new rules will be in place until February 12.
The changes don’t apply to Northern Manitoba and Churchill due to high case load numbers.
Manitoba reported 198 new COVID cases and 5 more deaths Thursday.
The test positivity rate is now 9.2 per cent, the lowest since November 8, when the same rate was reported.
Winnipeg’s rate is down to 6.6 per cent, the lowest it’s been since October.
Here is what you need to know with the new orders:
-two designated people (family or friends) to visit a household under a new ‘rule of two’;
-outdoor visits of up to five people only plus members of a household on an outdoor private property; and
-funerals to have up to 10 people in addition to the officiant under clear COVID-19 protection protocols.
-retail operations: orders will be expanded to eliminate the essential items list, allowing all stores to open for the sale of products provided they maintain physical distancing and occupancy limits of 25 per cent only or a maximum of 250 people, whichever is lower.
-health and personal services: orders will be expanded to allow for the operation of basic services that promote physical and mental health for Manitobans:
1. non-regulated health services, such as pedorthists and reflexologists, to reopen with adequate physical distancing and requirements to collect information for contact tracing purposes.
2. barber shops and hair stylists to reopen at 25 per cent capacity with adequate physical distancing and requirements to collect information for contact tracing purposes.
