Manitoba RCMP say 10 tickets were handed out at an anti-mask rally held in Steinbach over the weekend, and further charges are anticipated.
The rally, organized by a group calling itself Hugs over Masks, saw an estimated 60 people gather outside Steinbach’s city hall Saturday to protest COVID-19 restrictions.
In an email to Global News Monday, an RCMP spokesperson said the tickets were issued by the province while RCMP officers were present, and said details on what specific charges were laid under the Public Health Act would come from the province.
The province says it will release more information about its recent enforcement efforts Tuesday.
A Global News reporter at the scene Saturday said some protesters were social distancing while others were not and most attendees were not wearing masks.
RCMP say officers closed a road near city hall for safety reasons during the rally.
Since Nov. 12 2020, the province has been under code-red restrictions where non-essential items can’t be sold in stores, some businesses have been forced to close and gathering sizes have been capped.
The latest restrictions are set to expire Friday and provincial health officials have yet to say if or how they plan to change them.
Since March, 769 Manitobans with COVID-19 have died and 27,511 people have contracted the coronavirus, according to provincial health data.
It is not the first time Steinbach has been the site of similar protests.
Two days after the province went into code-red restrictions, a group of nearly 200 people protested the restrictions in Steinbach.
The Church of God Restoration, south of Steinbach, has already been fined for breaking the rules around religious services — both in person and drive-in.
Minister Tobias Tiessen has been handed at least two $1,300 fines as well.
Tiessen was also seen speaking at Saturday’s rally outside city hall.
–With files from Malika Karim, Amber McGuckin, and Marek Tkach
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
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