Manitoba Projected to Lift All Pandemic Restrictions by March 15

Based on a timeline laid out by Premier Stefanson, Manitoba will move from public health restrictions to recommendations on March 15. Prior to that, we will see some incremental changes to public health orders, including moving the entire province to the yellow, or caution, level on the pandemic scale next Tuesday, February 15, a week earlier than they had previously indicated. This will include things such as lifting occupancy limits for most places, indoors and outdoors. On March 1, vaccine cards will be eliminated, which we can assume will mean that there will be no vaccination requirements for participation in events or entry into establishments and venues after that time.

These changes, Stefanson stresses, are as a result of the data that they are receiving on decreasing ICU and hospital occupancy. She credits the majority of Manitobans who followed the health orders and got vaccinated with getting the province to this point. Earlier this year, Stefanson and Dr. Brent Roussin indicated that they expected health orders would be lifted in the spring, so this follows that predicted trajectory.

The premier and Dr. Roussin did backtrack somewhat when questioned about the safety of vulnerable persons while the virus is still circulating. They indicated that masking rules and other precautions may still be in place after March 15 in locations such as care homes and medical facilities.

While they cite data to back up these changes, this data was not provided at this announcement. Dr. Roussin indicated it would be made available next Wednesday at his next regular briefing, while Premier Stefanson indicated they may be able to make it available sooner than that.

Stefanson was asked to speak to the protests both at the legislature and at the border at Emerson where a blockade is taking place. She indicated that she is looking for solutions in partnership with the mayor of Winnipeg and the federal government as well as the governor of North Dakota, but gave no direct actions that she will be carrying out. She, alongside the WInnipeg City Council, indicated that the Winnipeg police force had control of the situation at the legislature and that it would be best left in their hands.

Yesterday, Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen made himself available to reporters to address the protests specifically. He too made mention of the responsibility of the police force as well as the federal government in addressing those situations. He also stressed the need to balance the right to protest within a democratic society with the needs and rights of residents who are being negatively affected by the protestors occupying the area and the need for the resumption of trade.