Regina bar plans to fight $14K COVID ticket

Regina bar fighting COVID fine WATCH: Stats Restaurant and Bar said it will fight a $14,000 ticket issued for breaking the public health order. Wayne Mantyka reports.

REGINA — A Regina restaurant plans to fight a $14,000 fine issued for alleged violation of COVID-19 rules.

Mr. D’s Stats Cocktails and Dreams Bar and Grill is accused of inadequate social distancing of customers. Restaurant manager Mia Danakas-Weinkauf feels the situation was a misunderstanding and the penalty is unwarranted.

She said she thought the restaurant was following all provincial rules.

“Our capacity would be a lot less than what we normally have, that we would have to social distance customers and everyone would be required to wear masks when they are walking around and not wearing or drinking and sitting at their tables,” Danakas-Weinkauf said.

Last week, a government health inspector came for an inspection, along with four police officers.

“He turned around and looked at the four booths and said ‘what’s happening with those tables?’ and the girl that was serving them said ‘oh, is there a problem with them? There are partitions there and you had told me before that people are able to sit there,’” Danakas-Weinkauf said.

On Tuesday, the inspector delivered a $14,000 ticket. The restaurant is scheduled to appear in traffic court on Apr. 30.

“We’re definitely going to be fighting it,” Danakas-Weinkauf said.

Two Saskatoon bars are also facing $14,000 tickets. The action comes following the premier’s call for more enforcement measures.

“We cannot release information specific to these tickets as the enforcement process is ongoing,” the Saskatchewan Health Authority said in a statement.

The Saskatchewan Government is questioning whether current fines are sufficient. The province has a bill awaiting passage in the legislature to increase the maximum penalty to $100,000 for the balance of this pandemic, and any public health emergency.