A 45-year-old woman has been charged after hosting a birthday party in southeast Barrie, Ont., on Saturday amid the COVID-19 crisis, a police spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.
There were 11 people at the party when officers responded just after 9:30 p.m. Saturday — six household members and five guests, Peter Leon, Barrie Police Service’s corporate communications co-ordinator, told Global News.
“That goes contrary to the emergency order that’s in place,” Leon said
The woman was charged under Ontario’s Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act after she violated the province’s emergency order that’s banned gatherings of more than five people, effective March 28.
“The charge comes with a $750 fine,” Leon added.
“The biggest concern that we have is these are events that don’t need to be taking place,” Leon said.
“At the end of it all, people are doing what’s being asked of them, but there are some people that aren’t.”
At the beginning of April, the City of Barrie launched a COVID-19 enforcement line so that the public can report matters of non-compliance with emergency orders.
On Tuesday, Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman told Global News that the enforcement line received a lot of calls when it was first set up, but those have since tapered off.
The City of Barrie has also enforced a bylaw to prohibit certain activities and to regulate physical distancing. Those not abiding by the physical distancing regulation can be fined anywhere between $500 and $100,000 for each offence.