A number of people who attended a COVID-19 anti-mask rally in Saskatoon are being issued tickets for violating public health orders.
Roughly 100 people attended the anti-mask children’s carnival on Saturday at Vimy Memorial in Kiwanis Park.
A flyer for the event stated it would a “fun day” for kids, with face painting, balloon animals and “science table experiments.”
On Wednesday, Saskatoon police said 11 attendees at the April 24 rally — who police called key participants — are being cited for breaching the province’s public health orders.
Under the current orders, public outdoor gatherings are limited to 10 people with at least two metres distancing between households.
Police said they continue to investigate and said more charges may be laid.
Saskatoon police said they are also consulting with officials at the ministries of health and justice regarding options for individuals who repeatedly violation public health orders.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority had issued a COVID-19 exposure alert the day before the rally for all individuals who attended an anti-mask event in Prince Albert on April 17.
The alert stated that everyone who participated in the event must immediately self-isolate and contact either HealthLine 811, their physician or a nurse practitioner for further direction.
One anti-masker tweeted he was at the Prince Albert event and had hugged and shaken hands with other attendees.
He wrote he would be attending the Saskatoon carnival and had been to Costco, a Coop, several stores and even customers’ houses since the Prince Albert event.
He said he wouldn’t isolate.
Saskatoon police said that to their knowledge, no one at the rally on Saturday had been ordered to self-isolate.
They added that anyone who fails to self-isolate when ordered to do so may be subject to a public health detention order.
—with files from Nathaniel Dove.
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