Falling fines: Officials hand out lowest number of COVID tickets since early April

A total of 15 tickets were written up for breaches of COVID-19 public health orders last week in Manitoba, the fewest since early April.

Nine of the tickets, each for $1,296, were given to individuals, while two $5,000 tickets were given to businesses: Ron's Custom Upholstery on Regent Avenue W. in Winnipeg and X-Cues Cafe and Lounge on Sargent Avenue in Winnipeg.

Of the tickets to individuals, eight were for violations related to gatherings in private residences or outdoors.

There were four people fined $298 each for failing to wear a mask in an indoor public place.

Along with the tickets, enforcement officials handed out 57 warnings for the week of July 5 to 11.

Since enforcement efforts began in April 2020, a total of 5,087 warnings and 2,055 tickets have been issued, resulting in more than $2.8 million in fines to businesses and individuals.

The record for the most tickets handed out in a single week came May 24-30, when there were 161 issued for a total of nearly $200,000 in fines. That surpassed the previous week's 102 tickets, resulting in more than $172,000 in fines.

Nearly 3,300 personnel across various agencies are empowered to enforce public health orders, including law enforcement agencies, provincial employees and municipal partners, such as the City of Winnipeg.

Conservation and park patrol officers are enforcing the orders within provincial parks, where campsites are considered private residences for the time people rent them.

The current public health orders, set to expire at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 2, allow gatherings of up to 25 people in outdoor public spaces and up to 10 visitors outdoors on private property (people who reside at the home are not included in that total).

Many businesses have been able to reopen at limited capacity while numerous indoor and outdoor activities have resumed and expanded freedoms have been given to fully vaccinated people. 

Premier Brian Pallister and Chief Provincial Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin have said details on an expanded reopening plan will come this week.

One week ago, Manitoba passed a milestone in the reopening plan with more 75 per cent of eligible people age 12 and up having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and over 50 per cent having received two.

That was the target the province had set for the August long weekend, with the promise to expand capacity limits for most businesses to 50 per cent. Pallister had previously said if targets are reached ahead of schedule, reopenings could happen earlier.

As of Tuesday, 76.5 per cent of Manitobans 12 and up had a first vaccine dose, the province's vaccination dashboard said, while 57.8 per cent had two doses.

The third phase of reopening will come on Labour Day — or earlier — if 80 per cent of Manitobans have one dose and 75 per cent have two.