City of Winnipeg plans to drop mask, vaccine requirements for public as provincial rules ease

Members of the public will soon be allowed to enter city facilities and participate in programs without having to wear masks or show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 even though the city would like to keep some of those requirements in place.

The city announced Wednesday it will drop its vaccination andmaskrequirements for the publiconce the provincial government lifts its mandates.

The province announced earlier this month that itintends to remove its proof of vaccination requirements as of March 1, and will lift itsmask mandates as ofMarch 15.

In a news release, chief administrative officer Michael Jack said the city doesn't have the resources to maintain the mask requirements to enter city facilities and use public transportation once the provincial restrictions ease.

"While it would be our preference to maintain a mandatory mask requirement for members of the public independent of the anticipated provincial orders, it's just not feasible," he said in the release.

"We do not have the resources to properly enforce it, nor do we want to put our employees in potentially confrontational situations."

City employees will still be required to wear masks at work, and the city will continue other mitigation measures, such as plexiglass barriers, physical distancing, and self-screening for symptoms.

But assuming the province goes ahead with easing its requirements, the city will follow suit for members of the public.

The city willalso end itstesting requirements for staff who had not provided proof of vaccination and had been granted an exemption.

Approximately 97 per cent of city staff who have ongoing contact with vulnerable residents or work in higher-risk settings with direct, ongoing contact with the public are fully vaccinated, the city said.

Although masks won't be required to enter community centres or board a bus, the city says it still strongly encourages people to continue wearing them in those settings.