Ontario, Quebec Lay out Reopening Plan After COVID Restrictions; Manitoba Tightening

Travellers are directed to take a mandatory COVID-19 test after arriving on a international flight at Pearson International Airport during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto, on Feb. 1, 2021. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

The country’s two most populous provinces are laying out plans to reopen as Canada’s COVID-19 vaccination pace brings optimism, but Manitoba’s premier warned surging infections there are linked to people not getting their shots.

“COVID is evil. It robs your breath. It robs your strength. It robs your freedoms. It can take your life,” an emotional Brian Pallister said during a news conference Thursday.