The number of tickets handed out for violating public health orders in Manitoba tripled from the previous week Nov. 16-22, with 95 tickets and 79 warnings handed out compared to 30 tickets and 54 warnings Nov. 9-15.
Last week’s tickets included nine $5,000 fines for businesses and 55 $1,296 tickets for individuals. Three band bylaw tickets were also issued by the Manitoba First Nations Police Service and 28 people were fined $298 each for not wearing masks in indoor public places.
The total value of all fines issued Nov. 16-22 was $126,082, compared to $49,992 the week before.
Sixteen tickets have been handed out to people who attended an anti-mask rally in Steinbach Nov. 14
“This rally put public health at risk for everyone who attended and everyone who came into contact with them afterwards,” said Premier Brian Pallister at a Nov. 24 news conference.
One person ticketed as a result of the Steinbach rally received a second ticket Nov. 21 while at a demonstration at the legislature in Winnipeg.
One $1,296 fine was issued to a person at a Steinbach church that held an in-person service Nov. 22 and evidence was gathered which will result in more tickets being handed out, said Pallister.
One of the businesses fined in the past week was a hotel in Western Manitoba that violated public health orders by opening its beverage room.
Since enforcement of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions began in April, 388 warnings and 307 tickets have been issued, with a total value of more than $390,000.
