Manitoba will be rolling back some COVID-19 restrictions on Tuesday, and it’s drawing some mixed reactions.
Sports and recreation tournaments will be allowed to resume.
“It’s a step in the right direction in that we are getting back to what some sort of new normal is going to be,” Manitoba Chambers of Commerce president and CEO Chuck Davidson told Global News.
“In terms of what’s going to change, I think not much is going to change for Manitobans, it’s only going to be those larger events and I think limited larger events in the short term.”
Davidson said he was pleased to see additional supports for arts and cultural organizations, but the updated public health orders don’t provide much change for the restaurant and hospitality sector.
“I think what we’re really looking for is what’s the next step,” he said. “The real industry that’s been impacted is hospitality, and restaurants still being able to only operate at 50 per cent capacity is a huge challenge.”
The province is aiming to have no restrictions in place by the springtime. Virologist Jason Kindrachuk says we should proceed with caution, and be ready to pivot when the virus pivots.
“The virus has thrown Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron at us so far. Our assumption should be that there likely is going to be something else coming after Omicron,” Kindrachuk said.
“If by springtime we can have everything open and the virus under control, that would be great, I don’t think anybody would debate that, but we’re not at that point yet. So let’s also be very considerate as individuals that we have a lot of work to do to try and get that reality, and we have to be able to change on a dime if the virus changes again.”
Kindrachuk also says if loosening restrictions, the province should consider expanding PCR testing for COVID-19 again to better gauge where the virus is.
“That’s not the only marker we have to look at, but I think there is that question saying can we get more or additional pieces of data to provide transparency given how quickly Omicron moves through populations,” Kindrachuk said. “Having those additional pieces of data I think will be imperative.”
The loosened restrictions are also a concern for the higher risk population, including those living with disabilities.
“Our position continues to be one of concern for the wellbeing of our clients and Manitobans at a higher risk of severe outcomes of COVID-19,” Manitoba Possible CEO Dana Erickson wrote to Global News in an emailed statement.
“We hope that the province continues to factor in the experiences of vulnerable Manitobans in making their decisions.”
However, the loosening of restrictions also provides easier access much needed resources.
“I think the impact on persons with intellectual disabilities is that (with) the restrictions loosening, access to daytime program is becoming possible again for people,” Inclusion Winnipeg advocacy coordinator Jason Kelm said.
“They’ve had their day programs closed for quite some time now and few have been able to access those, so this will allow people to get back to day programming in the months to come.”
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