August 3, 2021: Changes to the public health orders effective August 7
The following sectors can open without restrictions:
- Gyms and fitness centres.
- Libraries.
- Personal services such as hair and nail salons.
- Retail businesses, markets, garden centres and malls.
Other sectors will see the following changes:
- Restaurants and bars will no longer need to restrict the size or space between tables and dining will not be restricted to households or vaccinated individuals Patrons will still be expected to avoid congregating or socializing between tables.
- Museums, galleries and movie theatres will remain limited to 50 per cent capacity but will no longer be restricted to vaccinated individuals.
- Casinos and bingo halls, professional sporting events and concert halls will continue to be limited to vaccinated individuals. All these facilities may now open to 100 per cent capacity.
- Remote working will no longer be recommended or required. Workplaces will be encouraged to focus on risk-reduction principles to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19.
Reporting cases of COVID-19:
- Workplaces must continue to report cases to government and public health-confirmed transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace may result in workplaces being ordered to close for a minimum of 10 days.
The Manitoba government says they are moving from restrictions to recommendations. Provincial public health officials strongly recommend the following:
- Wearing masks in indoor public spaces for everyone who is not fully immunized including children under 12.
- Maintaining physical distancing of two metres (six feet) in indoor settings.
These orders are scheduled to expire at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7. For more detailed information, read the Province’s Aug. 3 news release.
July 14, 2021: Changes to public health orders effective July 17
Here’s what’s new for restaurants as of 12:01 a.m. July 17:
- Restaurants, licensed premises and food court capacities expand to 50 per cent indoors, outdoors remains at 50 per cent.
- Opening hours extend to midnight.
- The requirement to purchase food when ordering alcohol no longer applies.
- VLTs may operate with all other restaurant/bar rules applying (two-metre distance, only households or fully vaccinated people seated together).
- Outdoor maximum table size remains at eight people.
- Patrons may only sit together indoors if they are from the same household or if all patrons 12 years of age or older are fully immunized (unvaccinated children under 12 may dine with fully vaccinated members of their household in this case).
Additional changes:
- Retail businesses increase to 50 per cent capacity with a limit of 500 people.
- Personal services (haircuts and styling, nail salons, estheticians and massage) continue at 50 per cent capacity — appointments are no longer required.
- Gym and fitness centre capacities expand to 50 per cent (masks and physical distancing of three metres are still required).
- Museums & galleries, movie theatres, bingo halls, and VLT lounges & casinos may open only to fully-vaccinated people, up to 50 per cent capacity.
- unvaccinated children under 12 may attend/visit these facilities/events (as appropriate) if accompanied by fully vaccinated members of their household.
- Indoor sporting facilities may host groups up to a maximum of 25 people, interaction between groups and tournaments are not permitted.
- Public outdoor gatherings increase to a maximum of 150 people (i.e. outdoor fitness classes).
According to the Province, physical distancing and mask use are still required.
These orders are scheduled to expire at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 7. For more detailed information, read the Province’s July 14 news release.
June 24, 2021: Changes to public health orders effective June 26
Here’s what’s new as of 12:01 a.m. June 26:
- Retail: increased capacity at 25% to a limit of 250 persons, with no restrictions on the number of household members permitted to shop together.
- Personal service businesses (hair and nail salons, estheticians, barbers, etc.): reopen at 50% capacity, appointments required
- Restaurants & bars: reopen at 25% capacity for indoors and 50% for outdoor dining.
- Indoor dining: patrons seated together must be from the same household unless all patrons at the table are fully immunized (two vaccine doses plus two weeks from the time of their second dose). Patrons who are fully immunized and from different households may dine together.
- For outdoor dining, tables are limited to a maximum of 8 patrons and can be from different households regardless of immunization status.
- Gyms & fitness facilities: reopen for individual and group fitness classes at 25% capacity with three metres distance maintained between patrons.
These orders are scheduled to expire at 12:01 a.m. Monday, Aug. 2. For more detailed information, read the Province’s June 23 news release.
May 27, 2021: New public health orders effective May 29
Here’s what’s new & notable:
- Malls asked to take measures to ensure no gatherings
- Employees should work from home if they can
- Businesses with high rates of transmissions can be closed by Province
More information is available in the Province’s May 27 news release.
May 7, 2021: Strict new restrictions & closures effective May 9
Changes include:
- restaurants, bars and patios will close to in-person dining, but can still provide take-out and delivery services
- gyms and fitness centres will close
- casinos remain closed and VLTs will close
- museums, galleries and libraries will close
- personal services such as estheticians, barbers, salons and tanning salons will close
- retail stores, markets and garden centres will be able to be open at 10 per cent capacity, to a maximum of 100 people
- malls will be open to a maximum of 10 per cent of the facility’s capacity
- outdoor gatherings that include people from multiple households are limited to a maximum of five people
April 26, 2021: New public health orders effective April 28
Here’s what’s new for retail:
- Retail stores must be limited to 25% of the capacity of the store or up to 250 patrons, whichever is lower
- Malls will be limited to 25% of the facility’s capacity
Here’s what’s new for restaurants and bars
- Patio dining will be restricted to groups of four people only, with no household restrictions
- Food courts in malls and shopping centres will be required to close
Here’s what’s new for gyms and fitness centres:
- Gyms and fitness centres continue to be limited to 25% capacity, but individuals will be required to maintain physical distancing of three metres from others
Here’s what’s new for personal services:
- Personal service businesses will be able to continue to operate at 50 per cent capacity, but appointments will be required
Changes to the orders will last until May 26, 2021. Learn more from the Province’s public health orders news release.
April 19, 2021: Change to public health orders effective April 21
Retail stores and malls are limited to 1/3 capacity of the store or 333 people (whichever is lower).
More information is available from the Manitoba government news release.
March 12, 2021: Change to public health orders effective March 13
Outdoor dining on patios at restaurants and licensed premises can include groups of up to six people from different households. This change is in addition to the current public health orders and is in effect as of Saturday, March 13 at 12:01 a.m.
For more information, please see the Province’s news release.
March 2, 2021: New public health orders effective Friday, March 5
Retail and restaurants
- Enable any type of business to be able to operate with the exception of indoor theatres, indoor concert halls, casinos and bingo halls.
- Retail stores, malls and personal services can have increased capacity limits of up to 50 per cent or 250 people, whichever is lower.
- Restaurants and licensed premises can have increased capacity limits of up to 50 per cent, with the requirement for tables to sit with only household members.
- Businesses other than casinos can resume operating video lottery terminals, with physical distancing measures and barriers in place.
Recreation & Fitness
- Indoor recreation and sporting facilities such as gyms, fitness centres and studios can open at 25 per cent total capacity. The requirement that only one-on-one instruction is allowed has been removed.
- Gyms, fitness centre and pool users must continue to wear a mask while working out and in all other areas of the facility, with the exception of while in a swimming pool.
- Indoor recreational facilities such as arcades and children’s facilities to open at 25 per cent capacity.
For a more detailed list, please visit the Province’s PDF list.
February 9, 2021: New public health orders effective Friday, Feb. 12
Here’s what the changes include:
- Allowing restaurants and licensed premises to reopen at 25 per cent capacity with patron groups limited to members of the same household. Restaurants must close for dine-in between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
- Allowing gyms, fitness centres and yoga studios to reopen at 25 per cent capacity for one-on-one instruction. No group activities or classes may take place.
- Allowing museums, art galleries and libraries to operate at 25 per cent capacity.
- Allowing personal service businesses, such as those providing pedicures, electrolysis, cosmetic application, tanning, tattooing or massage services to reopen at 25 per cent capacity.
- Allowing photographers and videographers to offer services to individual clients or those residing in the same household in addition to providing services at weddings, with the exception of visiting client homes.
For more information, please visit the Province’s PDF list.
Jan. 21, 2021: Province announces minor changes to public health orders effective January 23, 2021:
Here’s what’s new for retail:
- All stores can open for the sale of all products and the essential items list has been eliminated.
- Requirements to maintain physical distancing and occupancy limits of 25% or maximum of 250 people (whichever is lower) remain in place and will be enforced.
Here’s what’s new for health services, hair salons & barber shops:
- Non-regulated health services, such as podiatrists and reflexologists, can reopen with adequate physical distancing and requirements to collect information for contact tracing purposes.
- Barber shops and hair stylists can reopen at 25% capacity with adequate physical distancing and requirements to collect information for contact tracing purposes.
Jan. 8, 2021: Public health orders extended until Jan. 22, 2021
Visit the province’s website for a reminder of the current public health orders
Dec. 9, 2020: Province extends the Critical (red) level until January 8, 2021, with some exceptions:
- Allowing thrift stores to open with some capacity limits
- Allowing acupuncture and manual osteopathy practices to open
- Adding school supplies as an essential item under the restrictions to retail services
- Allowing for the seasonal sale of holiday decorations such as garlands and ornaments, and religious items like menorahs and candles
- Permitting the Winnipeg Jets to train in Manitoba in preparation for an eventual NHL decision on a 2021 playing season
Nov. 20, 2020: Province announces additional restrictions under the Critical (red) level, effective Nov. 21, 2020.
- Social gatherings are not permitted. Social contacts reduced to your household only.
- 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.
Nov. 19, 2020: Province restricts the sale of non-essential items during in-person shopping.
As of Nov. 20 at 12:01 a.m., Retail businesses selling essential items can remain open but may only sell essential items to people who are shopping in person.
As of Nov. 21 at 12:01 a.m., retail businesses must do the following:
- Ensure that non-essential items are removed from areas where members of the public have access.
- Prevent members of the public from gaining access to non-essential items at the business.
- Display signs or stickers on non-essential items that cannot be purchased.
- Limit the number of people shopping at the business to 25 per cent of the usual capacity or 250 people, whichever is lower.
- Implement measures to ensure that people maintain a separation of at least two metres from other members of the public.
- Establish a system to ensure compliance with the capacity limits
- Provide proof the capacity limits have not been exceeded on request from a person authorized to enforce these orders, at the time the request is made.
Oct. 30, 2020: Winnipeg was elevated to Critical (red) level in the Province of Manitoba’s Pandemic Response System, effective Nov. 2, 2020.
- Bars and restaurants will be closed except for take-out and delivery.
- Most retail capacity will be reduced to 25 per cent or five people, whichever is higher (not including employees). Food and pharmacy are exempt and remain at 50 per cent capacity.
- Sports and recreation programming will be suspended.
- Gyms and fitness centres will have reduced capacity to 25 per cent and masks will be mandatory, even when exercising.
- Movie theatres and concert halls will close.
- Personal services (PDF) such as hair and esthetic salons, massage therapy, tattoo and piercing studios, and laser clinics remain at 50 per cent capacity.
Oct. 19, 2020: The Province implemented occupancy restrictions for some businesses and limited gathering sizes.
- Closed all entertainment facilities, casinos/VLT lounges and bingo halls.
- Lowered indoor and outdoor gathering sizes from 10 to 5.
- Reduced capacity of retail businesses to 50 per cent, including lowering gathering sizes from 10 to five in food courts and common areas.
- Reduced group/table sizes in restaurants and lounges from 10 to 5 and reducing the capacity at these locations to 50 per cent.
- Reduced the capacity of museums, galleries and libraries to 50 per cent and requiring sites to collect contact information for all attendees.
- Requiring gyms and fitness centres to collect contact information for all attendees
October 7, 2020: The Province of Manitoba effected regulations for licensed premises (restaurants and bars).
- No sale or service of liquor between 10 p.m. and 9 a.m.
- The business must ensure all members of the public vacate the premises by 11 p.m.
- Staff must obtain contact information in writing from at least one person in each party and must keep it for 21 days.
September 28, 2020: Winnipeg was elevated to Restricted (orange) in the Province of Manitoba’s Pandemic Response System.
- Masks are mandatory in all indoor public spaces.
- For restaurants and bars, staff and guests must wear masks at all times except when seated.
- There are no changes to occupancy level restrictions for businesses.
- Public gatherings are restricted to 10 people, both indoors and outdoors.
July 25, 2020: The Province of Manitoba implemented Phase Four of its Restoring Safe Services plan.