N.S. police issue slew of tickets for Health Protection Act violations

Police forces in various parts of Nova Scotia have ticketed people who have violated public health regulations in recent days.

Police in New Glasgow say a man has been fined for not wearing a mask in a public place — the second time in less than a week he was given the fine.

A news release from New Glasgow Regional Police says officers were called to a business on East River Road around 10 a.m. Monday.

Police say a 35-year-old man was issued a fine under the Health Protection Act for not wearing a mask in a public place.

It was the second time in as many days the man was issued the $2,422 fine.

On Sunday, a 30-year-old woman was stopped by New Glasgow police on Trenton Connector Road in Trenton for speeding.

Upon investigation, it was determined she had travelled from Colchester County for non-essential business and was issued a $697.50 fine under the Emergency Management Act.

Truro police issue several tickets

The Truro Police Service has given out several tickets in the past 24 hours to people who violated the Health Protection Act.

In two separate instances, a 25-year-old man from Dartmouth and two 22-year-old men from Halifax were each charged with violating travel restrictions for going to Truro's Victoria Park for non-essential reasons. They received tickets with fines of $2,422.

A 21-year-old man from Truro was also issued a ticket with a fine of $2,422, but police did not indicate what aspect of the act he is accused of violating.

Finally, a Truro business and one of its employees were charged for not complying with masking rules. The business owner's ticket carries a fine of $11,622, while the employee's fine is $2,422.

Truro Police Chief Dave MacNeil said the number of tickets was out of the ordinary for the area.

"People have been pretty good for the most part, but I do understand people have a bit of COVID fatigue and the nice weather is coming and people want to do things. But the rules are there to protect us all and the quicker we can follow them and get out of this, the better for everybody."

Halifax-area charges

Meanwhile, RCMP in the Halifax area have charged a man and woman with violations of the act in two separate incidents.

At 3 p.m. on Monday, police ticketed a man inside a business on Sackville Drive in Lower Sackville after receiving a report of someone refusing to wear a mask.

At 11:30 p.m., police stopped a vehicle on Memory Lane in Musquodoboit Harbour. Officers found out the driver is from Indian Brook and charged her for non-essential travel outside the municipality where she lives.

Both tickets come with a fine of $2,422.