Dr. Brent Roussin and Health Minister Cameron Friesen presser has begun.

Winnipeg TP rate is 6.3% today.

Two week change coming, Roussin says. Calls it a sacrifice. Says need to reduce transmission, contacts and hospitalizations.

Effective Monday, additional restrictions:

- gathering sizes down to 5 people. Household plus 5.
- All beverage rooms, casinos, bingo rooms, closed
- restaurants at 50% capacity

- retail down to 50%
- sport specators down to 25% capacity
- museums, movie theatres down to 25% as well.

Restaurants have said repeatedly that even when the were allowed 100% capacity, it was still only around 50% due to spacing requirements.

Roussin asking only one parent to go to sports events.

One person per household to go grocery shopping.

Gyms and fitness centres remain at 50% capacity.

Roussin: Stay home when you're sick. We've seen many, many occasions where this hasn't happened.

All of this will be reviewed after two weeks. Essentially, take it seriously and things will change for the better.

New drive-thru site opens tomorrow at Keystone Centre in Brandon.

Roussin says the closures are due to where they are seeing a lot of the transmission events.

Roussin said depending on the license a establishment has can affect if they are closed or not... for bars, beverage rooms, etc.

No school announcements, it appears.

Roussin says they are continuing to monitor schools.

So it appears stand-alone bars, nightclubs, etc. are shuttered.

(I don't know why this has to be so confusing)

Roussin says expanded remote learning not part of today's announcement. Says transmission in schools is low, despite the number of schools with cases.

Finally, a release!

• closing all beverage rooms, entertainment facilities, casinos & bingo halls

• lowering indoor and outdoor gathering sizes from 10 to five

• reducing group/table sizes in restaurants and lounges from 10 to five & formally reducing capacity at these locations to 50 per cent

• formally reducing capacity at retail businesses to 50 per cent, including lowering gathering sizes from 10 to five in food courts and common areas;
• reducing the number of spectators to 25 per cent of a site’s capacity for after-school activities and sporting events;

• formally reducing the capacity of museums, galleries and libraries to 50 per cent and requiring sites to collect contact information for all attendees; and
• requiring gyms and fitness centres to collect contact information for all attendees.

The current measures requiring mandatory mask use in indoor public places, reducing liquor service hours and noise restrictions at licensed facilities continue to be in force in the region.

Friesen won't commit to providing financial aid to shuttered businesses.

Says it's a two-week period of time.

If you have 10 people in your household, you can invite five more people over.

Exclude the household because of various households.

The five-person limit applies to private homes, in case that wasn't clear.

(This is impossible to police)

Roussin says they are going to be doing more enforcement, increasing fines they can levy against those flouting the rules.

Roussin says they are seeing a lot of gathering inside recreational sports facilities after events.

Roussin says they won't be knocking on doors to see what's up.

Halloween not being affected yet. There is a plan for that.

Roussin on mask use not working: Says they do work, sufficient evidence that suggest they are effective. They are an addition to other measures. Masks on and growing numbers doesn't mean they don't work.

Faith-based organizations are not affected by new gathering sizes.

Friesen says supports out there for businesses.

Restaurant industry says the right supports are not in place.

The order is in place for two weeks. So at that point, it either needs to be extended or reduced.

Friesen said they have appropriate individuals in place to enforce, and can expand if needed.

Friesen continues to compare Manitoba to other jurisdictions in terms of outbreaks. Says it's not an excuse.

(Hot take: comes across that way)

Friesen reiterating when said yesterday when it comes to Parkview Place. Physician on site. 24/7 administration, etc. WHRA response team there as well.

Roussin said public health restrictions, alone, won't reduce the numbers. People need to get onboard again. Decisions have to be made. Reduce contacts.

Roussin says there's a balance on gathering sizes, including a mental health one. Much more to health than COVID, but admits that COVID is threatening us right now and must be paid attention to.