Masks, social distancing still required in all City of Winnipeg, Brandon facilities, most health-care settings

Essential health services and the City of Winnipeg and City of Brandon will maintain mask and social distancing measures, despite provincial public health orders no longer requiring them as of 12:01 a.m. Saturday. 

On Tuesday, the province announced Manitobans will no longer be required to wear face masks in indoor public places. However, measures such as masks and social distancing are still strongly recommended by chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin.

The City of Winnipeg released a statement Friday saying people visiting all city-run facilities and vehicles will still require a mask. This includes Winnipeg Transit users, libraries, gym facilities, and all other indoor and outdoor facilities.

The city says they will increase capacity in the coming weeks to fitness, library and aquatic facilities.

The statement also notes the authority to require masks exists by the authority of the Chief Administrative Officer. The Director of Winnipeg Transit has authority to require face masks on Winnipeg Transit vehicles, including Winnipeg Transit Plus vehicles, the city said. 

The City of Brandon also posted a statement online Friday saying it, too, will continue to require the use of masks in all municipal buildings and public transit.

Shared Health will also continue the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), despite the change in provincial orders. These include hospitals, personal care homes, and clinics, among other essential health services, a spokesperson said on Friday.

Other types of essential health services were not specifically included under the public health orders but will still follow Shared Health's recommendations. 

The Manitoba Dental Association president and board chair Dr. Christopher Cottick says throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, they've used the policies from Shared Health as a template for their regulations. 

"Because dentistry is an essential healthcare service, the dental association will not be changing our latest interim guidance which continues to guide our members and their teams to continue to use physical distancing and mask use in our offices."

He notes guidance will be updated as changes arise. 

Cottick adds because of the delta variant, and not everyone being vaccinated, the association feels strongly they should follow Shared Health guidelines, and hopes things will change when there's more proof and definite indication that they can lessen the guidance. 

Optometrists are also asking patients to stay masked up.

"We're keeping it in place, the chief reason is because of the nature of the work," said Brooks Barteaux, president of the Manitoba Association of Optometrists.

"You're in close contact with people. It's a special situation more so than the grocery store where you might brush past a person. It still didn't seem to be time yet."

Some backing out of mask mandate 

The Manitoba Chiropractors Association, however, won't mandate mask use any longer. 

"Use of masks, or lack thereof, must not be a barrier to access for chiropractic care. To do so would be a violation of the MCA Patient Charter of Rights," a memo to members said. 

The association said employees can still choose to wear PPE, but it is not required, as per public health orders. 

"While we recognize some members may continue using PPE, all members must respect a patient's decision whether they wear, or do not wear PPE."

Local grocery store employees masked for at least another month 

A local Winnipeg grocery store owner Munther Zeid says the province removed required mask use a bit too quickly. 

"I think it's a little bit too soon. I think we're on the right track of the numbers going down. I think it was a little bit too fast, removing the masks right away," says Food Fare owner Munther Zeid. 

Zeid says three out of five Food Fare stores in the city will require employees to continue wearing PPE for the next 30 days. He says customers will have the option of a mask, but he still encourages social distancing within the store.

"Customer-wise it's optional. As long as they maintain a bit of distance and do the proper thing."

He says if the provincial mandate requires distancing, they will enforce it again, but for now it is at the customer's discretion. 

"They've been policing themselves lately, and doing a very good job about it. We're going to continue doing that. We're not going to enforce six feet," Zeid says.

He hopes everyone stays cautiously optimistic. 

"We work very hard, and we sacrificed a lot to get to where we are today. Let's not screw it up so we can keep going."