Survey to elicit feedback on proposed COVID measures

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/11/2020 (1578 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The province has posted an online survey asking Manitobans for feedback on a proposed curfew and enhanced enforcement of public health orders to slow the spread of soaring COVID-19 cases.

The survey asks eight questions, such as how much the respondent knows about the restrictions outlined in the current public health orders, where they’ve seen people behaving in a way that risks public health or significantly breaches of public health orders (bars, gyms, retail outlets, private homes, etc.). It asks what, if anything, they did to report it — such as calling 311, the provincial government inquiry line or police, or posting it on social media.

The survey also asks how effective respondents think measures to ensure compliance have been, including educating businesses and the public, issuing warnings and handing out fines.

Questions about the curfew ask what time it should take effect and who should be exempted, such as police, transit, health-care and essential-services employees. It also wants to know if the curfew should cover the Winnipeg metro region, the entire province, or just metro Winnipeg and COVID-19 hotspots as they emerge.

“Our No. 1 priority is protecting Manitobans, and we want to stay connected and hear directly from Manitobans, even when we must stay physically apart,” Premier Brian Pallister said in a press release Tuesday morning.

As part of a public engagement strategy, the province will host a weekly telephone town hall with a new topic each week and a report from the previous week’s town hall will be shared with Manitobans.

The first telephone town hall is Thursday, with enforcement of COVID public health and emergency orders the theme. Topics will include a survey to provide feedback on a possible curfew in the Winnipeg metropolitan region and how it could be enforced and a question-and-answer portal on Manitoba’s Pandemic Response System.

Manitobans can register to participate in Thursday’s telephone town hall and are also invited to share their thoughts online at engagemb.ca.

The province will also launch a series of targeted stakeholder roundtable discussions with conference calls to help gain feedback and input for Manitoba’s path forward in the fight against this pandemic, the press release said.

Topics will include enforcement practices for COVID-19 restrictions, vulnerable populations and COVID-19, and personal care homes and COVID-19. Plans for future stakeholder roundtable discussions will be announced in the coming weeks.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca