The Province of Manitoba has introduced a long-awaited reopening plan that ties the easing of restrictions to specific benchmarks of vaccinated Manitobans with rewards of greater freedoms and fewer restrictions on our lives and economy to enjoy the summer.
The 4-3-2-One Great Summer Reopening Path sets out a clear path for more openings and fewer restrictions as vaccination levels rise over the course of the summer. It focuses on the four reopening categories Manitobans value most, three summer holiday milestones for phasing out COVID-19 restrictions, and the two public health responsibilities Manitobans must continue to follow to ensure the province can reopen and stay open.
Designed around the experiences Manitobans value most – gathering and socializing, travel and tourism, shopping and services, and dining out and entertainment; the path to one great summer ensures we can get back to our lives quickly and safely and make the most of the summer:
Manitoba’s 4-3-2-One Great Summer Reopening Path proposes a phased-in approach with more freedoms and less restrictions for each of the three holidays we look forward to each summer.
- By Canada Day (July 1) – 25% or greater opening capacity for businesses, services and facilities as well as increased gathering sizes with restrictions for some sectors.
- By August Long (August 2) – 50% or greater opening capacity for businesses, services and facilities as well as increased gathering sizes, with fewer restrictions for specific sectors.
- By Labour Day (September 6) – All services, facilities and businesses will reopen, with limited restrictions in some cases.
As long as vaccination uptake continues to rise and COVID-19 remains under control by the time of each long weekend milestone, Manitoba will proceed to ease more and more restrictions.
Key to reopening safely is Manitoba’s collective progress in getting vaccinated and reducing COVID-19 spread in communities and hospitals. Each holiday milestone for reopening will have a one-dose and two-dose immunization goal to guide progress in keeping Manitobans safe.
The immunization targets are:
- over 70 per cent of all Manitobans aged 12 and over have received their first dose and over 25 per have received their second dose by Canada Day;
- 75 per cent or greater of all Manitobans aged 12 and over have received their first dose and over 50 per have received their second dose by the August long weekend; and
- 80 per cent or greater of all Manitobans aged 12 and over have received their first dose and over 75 per have received their second dose by Labour Day.
“This reopening path aligns with public health advice on phasing out restrictions as more Manitobans get vaccinated,” said Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer. “This path to reopen businesses, services and facilities and our ability to gather with each other relies on Manitobans getting that second dose while continuing to follow the public health orders, and I encourage everyone to book their first and second doses as soon as possible.”
Reopening activity levels will be tied to the first and second dose immunization targets including:
- meeting vaccine targets by Canada Day means businesses, services and facilities can open at 25 per cent capacity or greater levels;
- meeting vaccine targets by the August long weekend means businesses, services and facilities can open at 50 per cent capacity or greater levels; and
- meeting vaccine targets by Labour Day means businesses, services and facilities can open with limited restrictions.
The provincial government hasn’t announced specifics about which businesses and services are expected to be open in each phase nor have they associated province’s targets for COVID-19 case counts, test positivity rates and hospitalizations before reopening.
“We intentionally left some flexibility in the plan, but the goal is that if we get these vaccine targets, we can start moving forward with these types of openings, these capacity limits, fairly broadly,” he said.
Roussin said public health officials will be reviewing those indicators as well. He said if vaccination targets are met, they do not expect Manitoba to see high numbers of hospital admissions even in a fourth wave of COVID-19 cases.
“This is really the message to Manitobans on what they have full control over, and those are those two requirements: following the public health orders, getting vaccinated,” he said.
In the week before each holiday milestone, announcements will be made about specific reopening plans focused on activities Manitobans miss the most.
These decisions will be based on progress towards the twin goals of more vaccinations and less COVID-19 in our communities and hospitals.
The first of these announcements are not expected until on or before June 26, 2021, when the recently announced set of public health that take effect June 12 at 12:01 a.m. expire.
For a detailed analysis of the 4-3-2-One Great Summer Reopening Path, please click here.
