Capacity at places of worship lowering for gatherings with unvaccinated Manitobans

Indoor faith-based gatherings capacity limits will vary greatly depending on if everyone on the property is fully vaccinated or not.

Starting on Tuesday, Manitoban places of worship will see a decrease in indoor capacity. If gatherings include people who are unvaccinated but eligible, the new capacity rate will be 25 people or 33 per cent, whichever is greater. Children younger than 12 are excluded as they are not eligible for the vaccine. 

"Faith-based gatherings may take place with the choice of services at their discretion for fully immunized worshippers, therefore, no restrictions," Roussin says. "Or worship that doesn't require proof of vaccination and then they would have the restricted capacity," Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's Chief Public Health Officer says in a media briefing Friday morning. 

Roussin says this is enforceable.

"We want to ensure that all Manitobans, at least for now, have that ability to worship in person," Roussin says later that afternoon.

He says there is a lot of benefit to having the option for fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated gatherings.

If restricting services to those who are fully vaccinated, there is no capacity limit. Places of worship can ask for proof of vaccination by using the provincial QR codes or other approved methods businesses have been using.

"We know that indoor prolonged contact is where we see the transmission of this virus. So we know that it is not so much related to the nature of what's going on, it's that prolonged indoor contact. They were at 150 or 50 per cent capacity whichever is greater; now this will be reduced to 25 or now one-third capacity whichever is greater. I think it's just a reflection of the increasing risk we see."

There are no proposed changes to drive-in services.

"These institutions are quite concerned about the health of their parishioners. I think they have already taken many steps for safer environments," Roussin says.

Other indoor public gathering group sizes are being reduced to 25 people or 25 per cent capacity, whichever is lower if there are unvaccinated people in attendance. This includes weddings and funerals.

All outdoor public gatherings will be reduced to a 50 person capacity, including faith-based gatherings.