One woman in Cross Lake and another one in Norway House were two of the three people fined by Manitoba RCMP for failing to comply with provincial emergency orders between Oct. 26 and Nov. 1.
A Cross Lake resident received a fine after police responded to a house party with more than five people from outside the household in attendance Oct. 30. That same day, Norway House RCMP officers fined a woman for failing to self-isolate as directed, after she ignored previous warnings to do so.
The other person fined was an intoxicated woman in Stonewall who was ticketed for not wearing a mask on Oct. 28.
RCMP received 182 calls related to COVID-19 from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1 but enforcement was not required in most cases as they were resolved through education or guidance provided by responding officers.
Since April 9, Manitoba RCMP have issued 77 warnings and handed out 42 fines related to COVID-19 public health orders.
“The focus of our officers since the very beginning of the pandemic has been on providing education and issuing warnings; however, with the dramatic rise in cases across the province we recognize that a shift is now required,” said Manitoba RCMP criminal operations officer Chief Supt. Rob Hill in a Nov. 4 news release. “While officers will still have discretion, I have made it clear that ticketing is the preferred option for individuals who are blatantly disregarding the public health orders and putting lives at risk. This is about protecting the health and safety of every Manitoban. We all need to do our part to help reduce and stop the spread of this virus.”
Manitobans outside of Winnipeg should not call 911 to report COVID-19 related issues, RCMP say, but report non-compliance to the Manitoba government inquiry line at 1-866-626-4862.
