Public Health

Yes. Even if you have received two vaccinations and have waited two weeks since your second shot to be fully immunized, you must still obey the Public Health Orders, with a few exceptions:

• You may make visits to Personal Care Homes if both you and the person you are visiting are fully immunized.
• You may dine indoors with people who are not members of your household, as long as they are also fully immunized.
• You may travel within Canada without needing to isolate for 14 days when you return to Manitoba. You will still need to obey health orders of the province or territory you are travelling to.
• You may attend large outdoor events approved by the Manitoba Government that are available only to fully immunized people.

To prove you are fully immunized, you will require a QR code on a smart phone or a plastic immunization record issued by the government. For more details about how to receive your record, click here.

Social distancing is a health recommendation, not law. You are not legally required to stay 2 metres away from other people, although this is what health experts have recommended to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

However, the Manitoba government has enacted a number of public health orders that you are legally required to follow throughout the province. As of October 5, 2021, these include:

• Masks are mandatory in all indoor public places, including retail stores, educational institutions, common areas of residential buildings, elevators, and public transportation. Some exceptions include people under five years of age, and people who have health conditions that prevent them from doing so. Masks can also be temporarily removed for certain purposes such as identification, eating or drinking, and dealing with a medical emergency.
• Indoor gatherings in public places can take place without limits for people who are fully vaccinated or people who are under 12 and not eligible to be vaccinated. If the gathering includes any person who is eligible to be vaccinated but is not vaccinated, the gathering is limited to 25% capacity or 25 people, whichever is lower. Outdoor gatherings in public spaces are limited to 50 people. 
• Fully immunized people can gather indoors or outdoors on private property, without any group limits. If the gathering contains anyone who is unvaccinated who is eligible to be vaccinated, it is limited to members of one other household (indoors), or 10 people (outdoors).
• Until October 12th, 2021, indoor weddings and funerals are limited to 50% capacity or 50 people, whichever is greater. Starting October 12th, weddings and funerals will follow the same restrictions as other gatherings. 
• You must be fully immunized to eat in a restaurant or food court, unless you are under 12 or are picking up food for the purposes of delivery or take-out. Proof of immunization will be required in the form of a QR code on a smart phone, or a plastic immunization record issued by the government. For more details about how to receive your record, click here. Note that individual businesses may choose to put their own additional restrictions in place, such as reducing capacity or requiring masks when not seated at a table.
• Faith-based and Indigenous cultural gatherings may take place without capacity limits if everyone attending is fully immunized or under 12 and not eligible to be vaccinated. If anyone attending is not vaccinated and they are eligible to be vaccinated, the limit indoors is 33% capacity or 25 people, whichever is greater. Outdoor gatherings in public spaces are limited to 50 people. Drive-in services are also allowed without restriction.
• Casinos and VLT lounges can open at 100% capacity, and without physical distancing between machines, for fully immunized people only. Proof of immunization will be required in the form of a QR code on a smart phone, or a plastic immunization record issued by the government. For more details about how to receive your record, click here.
• Professional outdoor sports or arts events can reopen at 100% capacity for fully immunized people only. Unvaccinated children under 12 may also attend if accompanied by a fully vaccinated member of their household. Proof of immunization will be required in the form of a QR code on a smart phone, or a plastic immunization record issued by the government. For more details about how to receive your record, click here. Other large scale outdoor events may operate as long as the event plan has been approved by public health. 
• Outdoor fairs, festivals, and community events may operate with up to 50 attendees, unless otherwise approved by public health.
• Museums, galleries, concert halls, and movie theatres may open to fully immunized people with no other restrictions.
• Retail businesses in the Southern Health-Santé Sud region may open at 50% capacity. Retail businesses in all other regions may open at 100% capacity. Two metres of separation between patrons must be maintained in all regions. Masks must be worn inside in all regions.
• Libraries may open without restrictions, though mask use is required.
• Personal services like hairdressers, spas, and tattoo parlours may open as long as distancing or separation by a non-permeable barrier can be maintained. Masks must also be worn.
• Gyms and fitness facilities may open without capacity restrictions for fully vaccinated people. Masks must be worn when not engaged in physical activity.
• Travel to and from northern Manitoba (north of the 53rd parallel) is not permitted. Some exceptions apply.
• You must self-isolate for 14 days if you have tested positive for COVID-19. You must also self-isolate for 14 days if you have been exposed to COVID-19 by a close contact, unless you are fully immunized.
• You must self-isolate for 14 days upon arriving in Manitoba if you have travelled internationally or in another province or territory in Canada. If you are fully immunized, you do not need to self-isolate.

A list of the provincial restrictions and any exceptions can be found here.

For a full list of up to date information, please visit the Government of Manitoba website here. Individuals who do not comply with the public health order to wear a mask could be fined $298, and could be fined $1,296 for other infractions. Corporations that do not comply could be fined $5,000.

The Government of Canada has also put an emergency order in place under the Quarantine Act that applies to travellers entering Canada from other countries. Violating the order could result in high fines and/or jail time. For more information about this order, visit the Government of Canada website here.

There are currently four COVID-19 vaccines that have been approved for use in Canada: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Astra-Zeneca, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson). A vaccine is only approved by Health Canada when there is sufficient data showing that it is safe and effective. You can find more information about how vaccines are approved, and a list of other vaccines currently under review here.

As with any vaccine, there may be side effects associated with receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. You can read more about the side effects here. If you have concerns about receiving the vaccine, you should consult with your doctor before being vaccinated.

You can read more about the vaccines by visiting the Government of Canada’s website here, or visiting the Government of Manitoba’s vaccine Q&A page here.

The Government of Manitoba is providing vaccinations to higher risk groups first, including medical workers, the elderly, and people living in certain higher risk areas. To learn if you are eligible for a vaccine, click here.

For more information about the available vaccines, visit protectmb.ca.

If you are eligible for the vaccine, you can make an appointment to get vaccinated at a vaccination Super-Site online by visiting this link. To book online, you will need to create an account using your email address and your Manitoba Health Card number.

If you prefer to book an appointment over the phone, or if you would rather be vaccinated at a Pop-Up clinic instead of a Super-Site, you must call 1-844-MAN-VACC (1-844-626-8222). The call centre is open every day from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and interpretation services are available for over 100 languages. Remember to have your Manitoba Health Card number handy if you are booking by phone.

You will need to bring identification, such as your health card or driver’s license. You must also fill out a consent form (which you can do ahead of time by printing out the one found here). You must wear a mask, and you should also wear a short sleeved shirt to make vaccination easier. If you need to, you are allowed to bring a caregiver or family member with you, as long as they also wear a mask.

To help with physical distancing, you should only arrive at the vaccination site 15 minutes before your appointment, but you should plan to stay on the site for 45 minutes.

Both the Government of Canada and the Government of Manitoba have information pages about vaccines. There you can find information about the vaccines that have been approved in Canada, a list of possible side effects and risks, and vaccination statistics.

The Government of Canada’s page can be viewed here, and Manitoba’s can be found at protectmb.ca.

Yes. The Government of Canada has made many of their resources about COVID-19 (such as fact sheets and videos) available in a number of languages other than English and French.

You can find links to these resources here.

The Mental Health Virtual Therapy Program is available to all residents of Manitoba 16 years old and older who are experiencing mild to moderate anxiety symptoms as a result of COVID-19.   See Website

The current state of emergency and public health orders can be found on the Government of Manitoba’s website here.

The province’s media releases can be viewed here.

You can also find general information about COVID-19 cases in Manitoba and the provincial response level here.