New Winnipeg restrictions take effect today

Downtown Winnipeg. (Source: CTV News/Mason DePatie)

WINNIPEG — Amid rising COVID-19 case numbers, the Manitoba government has issued more targeted restrictions for the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region, which come into effect on Monday, Oct. 19.

These new rules include:

These restrictions will remain in place for two weeks, at which time the province will reassess the rules.

“At two weeks we are going to need to either extend them or draw back – so we want to make it really clear that the intent of this is strictly time-limited,” said Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer, at a news conference on Friday, Oct. 16.

These new restrictions are in addition to the current rules in place for the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region, which includes mandatory masks in all indoor public spaces.

The Winnipeg Metropolitan Region has been under orange or restricted levels on the pandemic response system since Sept. 28.

“These restrictions will all be enforceable under the law,” Roussin said.

“We’ve issued fines in the past when required and we will be looking at ways of stepping up enforcing efforts in the coming weeks.”

As of Sunday, Oct. 18, there are 1,436 active COVID-19 cases in Winnipeg, the highest of any region in the province.

- With files from CTV’s Danton Unger.