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    • Targeted health restrictions draw criticism from southern Manitoba communities

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    WINNIPEG -

    New targeted public health orders going into effect on Oct. 5 aren't sitting well with many southern Manitoba residents, including some local politicians.

    On Friday afternoon, the province announced new public health orders for unvaccinated Manitobans and for people living in the southern health region.

    Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba's chief public health officer, said COVID-19 cases in the region could double in less than three weeks if nothing changes.

    "To reduce the spread of the virus in the region, the orders will also move retail capacity to 50 per cent in Southern Health-Santé Sud Region. These orders will come into effect Oct. 5," said Roussin at a Friday news conference.

    Roussin said the Southern Health Region has more COVID-19 cases per capita than others in the province and the lowest vaccine uptake.

    The low vaccination rate isn't a problem for some southern communities, though.

    In Niverville, vaccine uptake is sitting at 81.8 per cent, slightly above the provincial average and much higher than other communities in the region like Winkler and the RM of Stanley.

    Myron Dyck, the mayor of Niverville, doesn't think his community should be lumped in with others in the region.

    "I think it's a little unfair if you will, where there are sections of the province with similar vaccination rates to ours that aren't under the same punitive penalties that our chamber and our businesses are," said Dyck.

    Dyck said he and other politicians in the region have reached out to Dr. Roussin to arrange a meeting.

    "We're just wondering if that part of the southern health region that is doing their part, that is keeping with the rest of the province, can be exempt?"

    The new health orders reduce indoor group sizes for faith-based gatherings to 25 people or 33 percent, whichever is higher, if attended by an unvaccinated person who is eligible for the vaccine.

    Martin Harder, the mayor of Winkler, believes this will discourage the faith community from getting the shot.

    "You got a 50 per cent occupancy in a grocery store or a superstore or whatever the case may be, but yet in a church all of a sudden you're down to 25 as a maximum, like the double standard," he said.

    Other leaders in the region worry about the challenges of enforcement.

    On Friday, Morden Mayor Brandon Burley took to Twitter to say:

    "Nothing could be more detached from reality than expecting unvaxxed in this region to adhere to new public health restrictions on their own. Until the province sends help of reinforcement, restrictions will make no difference except hurt those who were already doing their best."

    Roussin said these new rules are intended to impact as few Manitobans as possible.

    "Overall, the proof of vaccine requirements are province-wide, so those do impact lower vaccinated regions more than higher vaccinated regions," said Roussin when announcing the restriction.

    The new health orders also limit gathering sizes for indoor and outdoor activities if they include eligible unvaccinated people.  

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