Peterborough Public Health has enacted a provincial order enabling fines of up to $5,000 a day to anyone who fails to self-isolate during the coronavirus pandemic.
On Monday at noon, Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, the health unit’s medical officer of health, issued the Class Section 22 order under the province’s Health Protection and Promotion Act. The order will target individuals who fail to self-isolate after they have been identified as being diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
The order also applies to individuals who have signs and symptoms of COVID-19 or have been tested for COVID-19 and are awaiting the results of a test. A person identified as a close contact of a confirmed case is also subject to the order.
People are required to self-isolate for a 14-day period when they first show symptoms, are tested or are diagnosed with COVID-19, Salvaterra noted.
Salvaterra — as the issuer of the order — can request the assistance of the police and the courts to charge and issue a fine to the person who does not comply with the order.
As of Monday afternoon, there were 58 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the health unit’s jurisdiction of Peterborough, Peterborough County, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation. There has been one death reported and three outbreaks at health-care facilities.
“COVID-19 is now present in the region and therefore poses a risk to the health of the residents of the region through community transmission,” stated Salvaterra. “The COVID-19 virus is spread from an infected person to a close contact by direct contact or when respiratory secretions from the infected person enter the eyes, nose or mouth of another person.”
She says the order is necessary to “decrease or eliminate the risk” to health presented by the communicable disease.
The full order can be found here:
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