The City of London is urging residents to do their part to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, and for those who don’t, a hefty fine could await them.
City bylaw officers issued 21 provincial offence notices over the weekend to people breaching closures of outdoor recreation areas. The city’s outdoor play structures — including playgrounds, skate parks and multi-use courts, municipal sports fields, community gardens, off-leash dog parks, and golf courses — were closed in response to orders from the province under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
In a release, the city says the fines were a result of proactive patrolling of outdoor recreation spaces and complaints received to the city’s new COVID-19 tipline.
According to the city, failing to correctly identify oneself can result in a $750 fine for failing to comply with an order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act or a $1,000 fine for “obstructing any person in exercising a power” if a bylaw officer issues a ticket.
Failing to comply with emergency orders could also result in up to a year behind bars or as much as a $100,000 fine for an individual, $500,000 for a director of a corporation, and $10,000,000 for a corporation itself if a bylaw officer “charges the individual by issuing a summons.”
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“These orders are in effect to help protect the community from the spread of COVID-19,” said chief bylaw officer Orest Katolyk.
“We know this is a difficult time for everyone and people want to enjoy the warmer weather outdoors. Now, however is not the time to be taking these orders lightly. Now is the time for everyone to be doing everything they can to stop this virus from spreading.”
The city also noted that “parks, green space, trails and pathways” are still open but for “walk-through only.” The city asks anyone who uses these spaces to stay six feet away from others, to avoid all non-essential gatherings of any size, to stay home if you are sick, to self-isolate if you’ve travelled outside of Canada, to wash hands with soap and water frequently, to cover coughs and sneezes with your sleeve or cough and sneeze into your elbow, and to clean and disinfect high-touch areas frequently.
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