A Peterborough barbershop was served a Section 22 order to close on Friday after “willfully defying” the provincial shutdown order associated with a COVID-19 ’emergency brake,’ health officials announced late Friday afternoon.
In a media release, Peterborough Public Health says the operator of Who’s Next Barber Shop at 72 Hunter St. E. was served the order on Friday.
“Personal service settings like hair salons and tattoo parlours are high risk for COVID-19 transmission because of the inability to maintain two meters distance,” stated medical officer of health Dr. Rosana Salvaterra.
“In fact, there is currently an active outbreak linked to another local personal service setting that has resulted in eight cases so far. We had to serve this barbershop operator with a Section 22 order because he has been willfully defying the provincial order to close, despite warnings and charges laid under the Reopening Ontario Act.”
Salvaterra noted that failure to comply will lead to an escalation of measures necessary to ensure that public health orders are being followed. This could include a fine of up to $5,000 for every day or part of each day on which the offence occurs or continues.
“Barbershops are personal service settings and were ordered closed by Premier (Doug) Ford as part of the provincial emergency brake that came into effect last Saturday,” she said.
A further provincewide stay-at-home order to curb soaring coronavirus cases also took effect Thursday.