Is anybody watching? COVID-19 rule-breakers to see stricter enforcement in York Region

Here's whom to call to report rule-breakers

Yorkregion.com
Nov. 11, 2020
Kim Zarzour

"It's time for the hammer to come down."

Arpi Greco is fed up.

The Kleinburg resident regularly shakes her head at the behaviour she's witnessed -- ongoing close-contact parties at a nearby bar-turned nightclub, the local gym that remained open when all gyms were supposed to be closed, restaurants with tables so close that "if you leaned back, you'd knock heads with the diner behind you."

These warm autumn days brought crowds of people to the quaint little village, and it worries her.

"It's concerning and disappointing. I'd expect people to have a lot more consideration for other people's health. But instead, you still hear 'it's not real, it's a hoax' or 'I think I had COVID in January ' There's a lot of misinformation. It's just mind-boggling.

"Word on the street is there's very little enforcement so basically, they are doing whatever they want."

We’ve all been there: blood pressure rising as the customer in the checkout line presses just a little too close, deke-and-ducking down too-crowded shopping aisles, driving past a park where gaggles of maskless kids gather, or past a jam-packed driveway where your neighbour’s partying like it’s 2019.

Isn’t this supposed to be a pandemic?

Isn’t anybody watching?

The short answer is yes.

The long answer is public health, bylaw officers and police are going to be watching even closer in the days ahead.

“To me, the answer now is enforcement. Enforcement, enforcement, enforcement,” said Markham regional Coun. Tom Heath at a recent council meeting on the topic. “We can’t have enough enforcement because people are skirting the issue; everywhere it’s happening.”

York Regional council members say they are on board for ramped-up rules and restrictions following a presentation Nov. 5 by the region’s deputy regional solicitor and the medical officer of health.

The first wave of COVID-19 was characterized by education and persuasion and that was mostly successful, according to a report by solicitor Dan Kuzmyk.

But there are growing calls for a firmer approach and as York Region rides the second wave into colder weather, you can expect to see stricter enforcement.

“This is not about a police officer on every corner,” said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “It's about situations where the establishment and the patrons or shoppers are clearly violating the measures and protocols.”

COVID-19 rules and regulations are designed to reduce virus transmission and avoid business closures, keep schools and child care open, avoid overloading the health-care system and protect vulnerable populations, Kuzmyk said.

Penalties range from tickets for less serious offences up to $10 million fines for corporations convicted of violating the rules.

A survey by StatsCan, released Nov. 9, found police services across the country were involved in 14,303 infractions, with spikes during two periods -- at the start of the pandemic in April, and again in July when businesses began to reopen and larger social bubbles were permitted.

There were also actions taken to enforce the mandatory 14-day quarantine for travellers entering Canada. As of Aug. 31, the Public Health Agency of Canada had sent the RCMP 86,640 referrals. Of the 15,960 law enforcement follow-ups, 47 resulted in fines and two in court summons, StatsCan said.

On a local level, municipal bylaw enforcement staff, York Region Public Health and York Regional Police (YRP) work together to enforce pandemic rules.

YRP played a significant role, issuing 155 tickets and 185 warnings between March and October, Kuzmyk’s report said.

At the municipal level, the Town of Aurora and City of Vaughan were busiest with 37 and 35 actions taken, respectively, by local bylaw officers

The region’s public health department conducted more than 3,700 inspection visits to ensure rules were being followed, laying four charges amounting to $880 for each charge said York Region spokesperson Patrick Casey.

The Dollarama store in Stouffville, which came under fire by councillors during a recent York Region council meeting for allowing too many people inside, is among those facing more scrutiny.

Dr. Karim Kurji, York Region's medical officer of health, said public health inspectors attended the store recently and spoke with Dollarama’s head office.

The company agreed there needs to be a written plan with respect to distancing, line management and capacity, he said.

“We were assured each store would be briefed on these changes,” he said. “In addition, we notified, by electronic means yesterday, all large retail stores and chains.”

There are promising new developments, signs that the latest measures are having an impact and new noninstitutional cases in the region plateauing, Kurji said.

As well, the region is initiating a pilot project with the University of Waterloo to detect COVID-19 in wastewater, looking for information to help assess and predict COVID-19 spread.

There is also hope on the horizon, Kurji said, with “remarkable” news from vaccine manufacturer Pfizer’s trial data showing 90 per cent effectiveness.

Still, Kurji said, “there is no room for complacency. This is going to continue for some time, so we need to be very vigilant.”

That means everyone “going back to the basics”: staying two meters apart, wearing a mask when you can’t, remembering hand hygiene as well as cough and sneeze etiquette, avoiding social gatherings, getting your flu vaccine, and downloading the COVID-19 app.

If you are concerned about residents or businesses contravening the rules, York Region Public Health’s Health Connection phone line is available Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 1-800-361-5653 or TTY 1-866-512-6228.

Individuals can also email concerns to health.inspectors@york.ca.

If you have questions, York Region residents can call Access York at 1-877-464-9675.

If you have bylaw and compliance concerns you can also contact your town or city.

For more information visit york.ca/covid19.