Enforcement officers handed out 26 tickets last week for pandemic violations

Enforcement officers handed out 26 tickets worth a total of $35,554 last week for violations of pandemic public health orders.

From March 29 to April 4, 23 individuals received $1,296 tickets for various offences, including 15 tickets related to gatherings in private residences, the provincial government said in a news release.

One person was fined $5,150 for violating the federal Quarantine Act.

Two people were fined $298 for not wearing a mask inside a public place.

Officers also issued 42 warnings.

The number of tickets and the total dollars in fineslast week are a slight drop from recent weeks.

From March 15 to 21, enforcement officers handed out 32 tickets, worth $44,888. The next week, 38 tickets were issued, totalling $47,536 in fines.

Since April 2020, when enforcement efforts began, the province has issued 1,146 tickets worth more than $1.5 million in fines to businesses and individuals.

The provincial government has warned "abusive and aggressive behaviour" towardenforcement officers will not be tolerated, and criminal offences will be reported to police.