The Province of Manitoba is hoping to increase group sizes, including church services, as well as restoring other safe services to the province in just over one week's time.

The province plans to begin Phase 3 on June 21. Today, they are releasing a proposed draft plan as follows:

Group Gatherings

Public gatherings are proposed to increase to 100 people outdoors and 50 people indoors. A two-meter distancing is required to be observed in gatherings.

Community centres will be permitted to allow up to 300 people in the facilities, with a maximum capacity of 30 per cent. Facilities would be expected to monitor group sizes with a maximum subgroup size of 50 people.

Church Gatherings

Pallister says they had conversations with the church community to discuss which methods work best to keep congregations safe. 

Churches may gather outdoors in groups of up to 300 people, as long as subgroups are no larger than 100 people. Each sub-group must be able to arrive, depart and participate in the gathering without co-mingling with members from any other sub-group.

Indoor church gatherings may occur with building occupancy under 30 per cent, and no larger than 100 people. Subgroups are not permitted to be larger than 50 people, and physical distancing must continue to be provided for all participants. Each sub-group must be able to arrive, depart and participate in the gathering without co-mingling with members from any other sub-group.

Staggered entrances and exits are being requested and if not possible, the province requests worshippers stagger entrances. Congregations are not permitted to comingle in common areas.

Day Care

Child care facilities will be resuming their regular licensed capacity.

Those utilizing a temporary daycare space will be permitted to do so until August 31, 2020.

Day Camp

Day camps would be permitted to operate in groups of 50 or less and will be required to ask participants to maintain a 2-meter distance between each other.

Choirs, band camps or musical theatre activities would not be permitted to occur.

Other proposed measures include:

  • easing border restrictions to allow residents of western Canada and northwest Ontario to enter Manitoba without the need to self-isolate for 14 days
  • increasing indoor occupancy levels for community/service centres and senior centres/clubs
  • allowing people employed by or affiliated with a film production to enter Manitoba without self-isolating for 14 days
  • allowing people employed by or affiliated with a professional sports team to enter Manitoba without self-isolating for 14 days
  • removing occupancy limits for retail businesses while ensuring physical distancing measures are in place
  • increasing indoor and patio occupancy limits to 75 percent of total capacity for restaurants, bars, beverage rooms, brewpubs, microbreweries and distilleries
  • lifting occupancy limits for regulated and non-regulated health professions including registered massage therapists

Pallister is asking Manitobas to review the Phase 3 draft plan and to give their feedback. He is requesting all feedback to be given by the end of the day on Tuesday.

"There is a lot to take into consideration as we continue to restore our services," Pallister says. "Your security and protection is our motivation."

Those interested can submit an online survey. 

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