Over 30 tickets issued at private gatherings in Mississauga over the weekend

Over 30 tickets were handed out at private gatherings in Mississauga over the weekend, city officials say.

In a news release issued Monday, officials said a total of 37 tickets were issued, 33 of which were given to people at private gatherings at four separate locations.

Four tickets were issued to non-essential businesses.

“Now that we are three weeks into the lockdown, businesses and residents should be well aware of the restrictions in place to protect the health and safety of our community,” Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said.

“Our enforcement staff are working to enforce these measure, to help keep people safe and reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community.”

The city said seven warnings were also handed out over the weekend.

Mississauga, which is a part of Peel Region, is currently in lockdown — the strictest level of restrictions under Ontario’s coronavirus response framework.

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No indoor gatherings are permitted while in lockdown unless with members of the same household, restaurants may only serve takeout, and non-essential retail can only have curbside pickup or delivery services.

Violations of the rules could result in a ticket of $750. If the charge is laid by a court summons, failing to comply with the orders could result in a fine of up to $100,000 and one year in prison for an individual, $500,000 for the director of a corporation, or $10,000,000 for a corporation.

Since moving into lockdown on Nov. 23, 126 charges have been laid and 90 warnings were issued in Mississauga, officials said.