WINNIPEG - To the delight of cottage owners, the government of Ontario says it’s getting ready to reopen its border with Manitoba just after 11 PM Central Time today.
Ontario’s Solicitor General Sylvia Jones says they won’t extend an order that had restricted non-essential travel between the provinces, which is set to expire at 11:01 a.m. CT on Tuesday, just after midnight in Ontario. But Jones cautions those entering Ontario to follow public health measures that remain in place in the province.
Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin says most people still need to self-isolate for 14-days once they return home, but says that requirement is waived for cottages owners who were fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to travel.
Current health orders also provide exemptions for Manitobans regularly travel out of the province for work, school, health care, to attend to property or business needs, or other essential reasons, as long as they don’t have any COVID-19 symptoms, kept their travel time and how much they used local services to a minimum, and complied with all the rules around COVID-19 safety while they were away.
Ontario travel restrictions had been in place since April 19, when the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hit its peak there, banning entry unless it was for work, medical care, transport of goods, or Indigenous treaty rights. During the May long weekend, the OPP checked over 1,200 vehicles, and sent 42 drivers away for not having an acceptable reason to cross the border.
What do you think?