Manitoba hands out 39 more tickets to those violating public health orders

The Manitoba government says another 39 tickets for COVID-19 health order violations were handed out last week.

They include:

• 31 $1,296 tickets to individuals for various offences;
• six $298 tickets to individuals for failure to wear a mask in indoor public places;
• one $5,000 ticket to a business; and
• one $1,750 ticket to an individual for the Federal Quarantine Act.

Of the 31 individual tickets handed out between Feb. 1 and Feb. 7, 25 were for gatherings held in private residences or outdoors, the province said.

Another 99 warnings were given over the same time period.

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“Although the province has made moderate changes to public health orders, they remain in effect and must be followed to reduce the spread of COVID-19,” the province said in a Tuesday press release.

“Manitobans are reminded to stick to the fundamentals of physical distancing, handwashing and wearing a mask.”

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Since Manitoba began enforcement efforts in April,  2,857 warnings and 938 tickets have been issued, adding up to more than $1.3 million in fines to businesses and individuals, the province said.

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Provincial fines for individuals breaking COVID-19 health orders are set at $1,296, while fines for businesses are $5,000. Those caught not wearing a mask in public indoor spaces can face a $289 fine.

The province says nearly 3,300 personnel across various agencies are currently able to enforce public health orders.

Manitoba’s current public health orders can be found on the province’s website. Details of the latest enforcement efforts are also now available online.

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.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.