The Surrey RCMP’s COVID-19 Compliance and Enforcement Team issued 18 violation tickets totalling nearly $17,000 in fines last week for non-compliance with public health orders.
“Our officers have recently seen the number of people and businesses ignoring public health orders creeping up,” said Sergeant Tyler Wickware, of the CCET. “Especially with sunny weather now here, it can be very inviting to gather with others, so we are reminding everyone that public health orders are still in effect limiting gatherings, even outdoors.”
Corporal Joanie Sidhu said most of this stemmed from large gatherings. She said between April 7 and April 11, CCET officers dealt with five separate residences after receiving complaints about large gatherings. One involved a wedding in Newton attended by 22 people on April 7. “The host of the gathering was issued a violation tickets for $2300 for hosting a non-compliant event,” Sidhu said.
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On April 10 officers checked a restaurant in the 9400-block of 120 Street and found people dining inside it contrary to current public health orders. “A violation ticket was issued to the restaurant owner. This was the second violation for this establishment, as such Fraser Health authorities were also notified,” Sidhu said.
The following day, police responded to a report of a man refusing to wear a mask in a store in the 7300-block of King George Boulevard and spoke with him in the parking lot, Sidhu said, “where he was uncooperative with police and continued to cause a disturbance. He was issued violation tickets for failing to wear a face covering, failing to comply with direction, and for abusive and belligerent behavior.”
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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