There have been COVID-19 outbreaks in other provinces connected to foreign workers, leading to concern for Manitoba's situation. Currently, there are a number of temporary foreign workers in southern Manitoba. The federal government has provided updated information on travel restrictions and new measures for employers. Manitoba Employment Standards also provides information on workplace rights.

Workplace Safety and Health, Employment Standards and Office of the Fire Commissioner collaborate to share information about places that employ Temporary Foreign Workers in effort to ensure their rights and safety and health are protected.

Meat processing and slaughter plant segments of the industry face significant risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is particularly of concern in some of Manitoba's larger facilities as there could be major challenges related to animal welfare and the food supply if they had to close down for any significant period of time. Prior to the pandemic, there was a backlog due to limited slaughter capacity across Canada and North America, putting pressure on the system. Recent outbreaks resulting in plant closures in Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec and in the United States have elevated these concerns.

Because of these complex issues and the added oversight of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Manitoba public health and workplace safety and health officials, as well as industry leaders have collaborated to review COVID-19 readiness plans and ensure processes are in place for notification and immediate coordinated action if a worker was found to be infected with COVID-19. The Chief Occupational Medical Officer will be promptly notified of COVID-19 cases who are employees of food processing plants or abattoirs and can immediately connect with the cases, employers, and the relevant stakeholders to ensure that good coordination of the response and proper follow up are done.

• The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have developed guidelines and information about COVID-19 for the food processing sector.
• In addition, Maple Leaf Foods has shared their pandemic plan to support the global efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Manitoba farmers' markets are defined as an essential service under current provincial public health orders. This website provides guidance to market coordinators and vendors about the standards that must be met, including the use of physical distancing measures and hygienic practices to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.

It can be difficult to maintain proper social distancing in a vehicle. The below guidance is provided to reduce the transmission risk of COVID-19.

• Ideally, carpooling should be kept to a maximum of two people, each sitting in a different row and on opposite sides of the vehicle.
• Once individuals choose to carpool together, they should not carpool with different individuals.
• Everyone should self-monitor for illness.
• Do not go to work if sick, even if the illness is mild. Inform your carpool crew if you become ill and encourage them to self-monitor. Clean the interior of the vehicle frequently, especially high-touch areas like door handles (interior and exterior, steering wheels, dashboard controls, and seat belts.
• If you are sick, stay home and do not carpool.
• Have passengers place their belongings in the trunk of the vehicle.
• Clean your hands often, do not touch your face, practice cough/sneeze etiquette and disinfect your vehicle regularly, paying particular attention to high-touch areas (e.g., door handles, window controls).
• For long or out of town trips, plan gasoline, meal, and washroom stops as much as possible to keep them at a minimum.

Under current public health orders, all travelers are required to self-isolate for 14 days after entering Manitoba(or the duration of their stay, whichever is less. To get from the airport to where you are self-isolating, you are advised to:

• Avoid using public transit (i.e., the bus). Use a private vehicle, and remain in your vehicle. Do not make unnecessary stops. If you need gas, pay at the pump. If you need food, go through a drive-thru, ensuring you maintain a two-metre distance and avoid paying with cash. Do not stop for supplies or groceries. Ask friends to drop-off groceries and supplies, or use a delivery or pick-up service when you get home.
• Use of taxis by return travelers who are not experiencing symptoms (e.g., cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose) of a respiratory illness is NOT recommended. However, if you do not have access to a private vehicle, this could be considered provided you follow all requirements as outlined under the advice for vehicles-for-hire and their passengers.
• If you have symptoms of a respiratory illness (e.g., cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose) and do not have access to a private vehicle, call Health Links - Info Santé to assist with developing a plan to get to your place of self-isolation.
• Some airports offer services that allow a family member/friend to drop your vehicle/keys off at the airport for you to pick-up; contact the airport where you will be arriving for more information.

Drivers should do the following:

• Ensure you self-monitor yourself for symptoms before starting your shift. If you have symptoms (e.g., cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat, difficulty breathing), do not work. Stay home and self-isolate (i.e., keep away from others).
• Transport one fare at a time. (e.g. people from the same household).
• Clean your hands before you pick-up each fare with a 60 per cent or higher alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Open the vehicle windows (weather permitting) and use the vents of the vehicle to bring in fresh air from outside (avoid using the recirculated air option of the vehicle).
• Encourage passengers to use a 60 per cent or higher alcohol-based hand sanitizer before entering the vehicle, and ask passengers to avoid touching the interior of the vehicle as much as possible.
• Limit contact with passengers by:
  • requiring passengers to load and unload their personal belongings (e.g., suitcases, briefcases) by themselves; and
  • requiring passengers to sit in the back seats only (if transporting one passenger, have them sit in the back, passenger side of the vehicle). The front passenger seat should be vacant at all times.
• Direct passengers to place all of their personal belongings in the trunk rather than in the back seat.
• Encourage cashless transactions.
• Clean and disinfect your vehicle after you drop off each fare with an alcohol (70 per cent) wipe, paying close attention to surfaces that are touched frequently (e.g., door handles, window controls, payment device). Where possible, use vehicles with interior surfaces that can be cleaned and disinfected easily (e.g. vinyl seats instead of fabric).
• Clean your hands after you drop off each fare with a 60 per cent or higher alcohol-based hand sanitizer. You should also clean your hands before and after you eat as well as after you cough or sneeze.
• Provide a closed bin, lined with a plastic bag (i.e., plastic-lined garbage container) to enable the hygienic disposal of waste (e.g., used tissues).
• Everyone in the vehicle should avoid touching their face, practice good cough etiquette, avoid touching high-touch areas and clean their hands before and after getting in the vehicle.

NOTE: Passengers experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness (e.g., cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose) that do not have access to a private vehicle, are advised to call Health Links - Info Santé for assistance in developing a plan to get to a health facility.

People who are sick are advised to self-isolate and not take public transit; bus drivers are advised to not go into work. Someone who requires medical assistance for a respiratory illness (e.g., cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose) who does not have access to a private vehicle, should call Health Links - Info Santé to assist with developing a plan to get to a health facility.

• Passengers are advised to follow physical distancing measures to ensure there is a two-metre distance between themselves and other people on the bus at all times.
• Passengers should take the bus during non-peak times as much as possible for essential purposes only (e.g., picking-up groceries and supplies, reporting for work in-person).
• Everyone on the bus should avoid touching their face, practice good cough etiquette, avoid touching high-touch areas and clean their hands before and after getting on the bus.
• Bus drivers are encouraged to clean their hands often, especially after coughing or sneezing, before and after eating, and after using the toilet.

Winnipeg Transit and Brandon Transit have advised that they have implemented enhanced, frequent cleaning and disinfecting on all of the buses. Information is available on precautionary measures Winnipeg Transit page. Visit the precautionary measures Brandon Transit has adopted for additional information.

• The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety is providing following resources for day cares to address COVID-19.
• Manitoba-specific information on child care centre, community care services and Child and Family Services is also updated regularly, and is available here.

Federal emergency orders under the Quarantine Act require anyone who has travelled outside of Canada in the 14 days prior to entering Manitoba to self-isolate for 14 days.

Current public health orders require anyone entering or returning to Manitoba from another Canadian jurisdiction to self-isolate for 14 days. Exemptions have been made for:

• health care workers;
• workers who reside in towns just outside the Manitoba border;
• workers from out of province or country who regularly travel to Manitoba for critical service work;
• workers deemed by employer to be required for the critical service to be performed or continue running; and
• workers who regularly travel across provincial borders for their work, such as truck drivers.

However, workplaces may opt to institute a 14-day isolation period before a worker attends the worksite. This will depend on the spread of COVID-19 in the location where the worker lives, or the vulnerability of the workplace, including:

• Northern or remote locations where access to timely health care is limited; or
• high potential for contact with vulnerable groups such as those older than 60, people who are immune compromised, or people with underlying medical conditions.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has developed general guidelines and tips about COVID-19 and work camps, as has the BC Centre for Disease Control.

Work camps have special requirements due to workers both living and working at a particular site. In addition to the excellent guidance reference above, companies with work camps should consider:

• limiting the number of out of country and out of province workers attending the camp;
• requiring a self-isolation period prior to out of country, and out of province workers traveling to the work camp;
• limiting worker turnover at camp, such as lengthening the changeover cycle;
• assigning a lead coordinator for the pandemic plan at the camp;
• consider restricting access to adjacent local small or remote communities that may be at higher risk for an outbreak of illness due to reduced health system capacity and socio-economic factors; and
• communicating the pandemic plan to various local stakeholders, including but not limited to public health officials, local governments and First Nations and Metis community leaders.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has developed guidance on death care services and handling of dead bodies and on the management of mass fatalities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Manitoba government has created fact sheets, posters and other resources for shelters and agencies to share with their customers to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

• Public Health guidelines for screening customers of shelters (pdf)
• COVID19 Shelters - Basic Fact sheet (pdf)
• COVID19 Information for Shelters Fact sheet (pdf)
• Stop COVID-19 - Poster for shelters (pdf)
• Handout - Stop the Spread of COVID-19 (pdf)

Employers are obligated to comply with all federal, provincial and municipal laws and regulatory requirements, provide appropriate supervision and training for each student, and follow Manitoba's COVID-19 public health guidelines for the workplace.

Under the Employment Standards Code young workers between 13 and 15 years of age need to complete the Young Workers Readiness Certificate Course (YWRCC) before they can begin working. The YWRCC is an interactive, online training course designed to enhance knowledge and promote safety consciousness in the workplace. Throughout this course young people learn about employee and employer rights and responsibilities at work, such as safety regulations and minimum standards for wages, breaks, and ending employment.

Employers seeking to hire a worker under the age of 16 are required to confirm the successful completion of the course and keep a copy of the certificate as an employment record. The certificate is transferable to different employers, meaning youth only need to complete the YWRCC course once.

To ensure young workers and employers are aware of the safety measures to be followed, information on COVID-19 safety measures should be made easily available.

SAFE Work Manitoba and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety have expertise in providing accurate workplace and safety information. Their existing portals include practical resources and information related to occupational safety and health, including COVID-19.

Operational Guidelines (pdf) to follow once a recreational water facility has passed inspection and is allowed to open.

In addition to the general guidance that all groups need to follow, these guidelines, provides specific recommendations to organizations that provide services to populations that experience disadvantages to help address their unique circumstances and provides guidelines to further decrease the risk of COVID-19 transmission.