Fort Saskatchewan RCMP say COVID-19 rules to be enforced more strictly if people keep breaking rules

Fort Saskatchewan RCMP issued a warning on Thursday to those not taking Alberta’s COVID-19 rules seriously.

“Some citizens have been breaking the outdoor gathering rules, and if they continue to do so, we will have to move to enforcement,” Insp. Mike McCauley said in a news release. “The RCMP and Municipal Enforcement do not want to issue people a $1,200 fine, but we will if we are put in that position.”

READ MORE: AHS receives 1,515 COVID-19-related complaints over the holidays, issues 4 public health orders 

Alberta implemented strict new pandemic-related restrictions earlier this month as the province’s health-care system continues to struggle to keep up with the demands place on it by high rates of hospitalization.

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READ MORE: Alberta doctor on rising COVID-19 hospitalizations: ‘We’ll not be able to treat all patients’

As of Wednesday, the province had recorded 1,046 deaths linked to COVID-19. The number of fatalities has increased over the past few weeks.

“We totally understand how difficult these restrictions are around the holidays as we are living through them as well, but we all must do our part,” McCauley said.

Among the new measures that took effect earlier this month in Alberta was a ban on outdoor gatherings.

READ MORE: Alberta’s new COVID-19 measures ban in-person dining, outdoor gatherings; retail to remain open 

The RCMP said Thursday that people should remember “no events, no shinny, no tag and no pick-up games can take place on outdoor skating rinks.”

For more information about Alberta’s current rules on outdoor recreation in the winter, click here.

Watch below: Some recent Global News videos about the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta.

1:49 Alberta ‘not out of the woods yet’ after 2 weeks of restrictions: Hinshaw

• Alberta ‘not out of the woods yet’ after 2 weeks of restrictions: Hinshaw
• More than 1,000 Albertans have died of COVID-19
• City of Edmonton’s efforts to enforce COVID-19 restrictions
• Celebrating New Year’s Eve under COVID-19 restrictions
• Challenging holiday season for Alberta physicians; signs people avoiding hospital care

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