Manitoba hands out thousands of dollars in fines to people breaking public health orders

B.C. is in a new and complex phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, one in which transmission of the virus is primarily in private settings where public health measures are difficult to enforce. In this phase, health officials’ “soft-hands” approach – prioritizing education over enforcement – appears to have little impact.

WINNIPEG — Manitoba handed out 26 tickets last week to people who were breaking the public health restrictions, including one fine for defying quarantine rules.

From March 29 to April 4, enforcement officers handed out 23 tickets for $1,296 to people for various offences, including 15 tickets for breaking rules around gatherings at private residences.

Officers also handed out two $298 tickets to people not wearing masks in indoor public places, and one person was fined $5,150 for breaking the federal Quarantine Act.

This comes to a total of $35,554 in fines, as well as 42 warnings during the week.

This week saw a drop in fines from the previous week, when the province handed out 38 tickets, including two $5,000 tickets issued to Manitoba businesses. From March 29 to April, enforcement officers didn’t ticket any businesses, according to the enforcement update.

Since the province began its enforcement efforts in April, officers have issued 1,146 tickets, which resulted in nearly $1.6 million in fines.