The state of emergency in Manitoba will end this afternoon at four o'clock.

It was first declared on March 20th, 2020, just as our province was starting to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Premier Kelvin Goertzen and Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler say it is no longer required to help the province protect Manitobans from the impacts of the virus.

"As we continue to move toward a post-pandemic Manitoba, we want to remind everyone, although the state of emergency is expiring, COVID-19 is still here," says Goertzen. "With vaccination rates among the highest in the country with over 82 per cent of eligible Manitobans fully vaccinated, we can help control COVID, but it's important that all Manitobans continue to follow the fundamentals that help us limit our risks."

It is important to note that the expiration of the state of emergency does not mean public health orders have been lifted or that restrictions have been eased. Public health orders can continue to be issued through the Public Health Act, and the province can declare a new state of emergency if required in the future.

An example of when the state of emergency was used was when government restricted staff movement between personal care homes. This order is no longer required as amendments were made to the Public Health Act that enabled the issue to be addressed under that act.