59 COVID-19 fines have been issued in Hamilton, including 7 for businesses

Hammering home how seriously Hamilton is taking the current emergency orders and restrictions, the city’s law and bylaw enforcement have reportedly already issued 59 fines for offences related to COVID-19, with 52 against individuals and the other 7 against local businesses.

The fines were issued to Hamiltonian individuals and businesses for violations of COVID-19 emergency orders such as gatherings of more than five people at a time.

Of the offending businesses, four of the seven charges were for being open when not deemed an essential service, and the other three for allowing gatherings that exceeded five people.

59 charges laid for COVID-19 offences in Hamilton, including 7 against businesses | CBC News https://t.co/GR9PPIRNWv

— Troy Ouellette (@aceshigh1309) April 22, 2020

With many public gathering spaces and businesses shuttered indefinitely during this global pandemic, the city announced a few weeks ago that local police and bylaw officers would issue fines starting at $750 to individuals found violating social distancing orders, with repeat offenders potentially seeing jail time and a fine as high as $100,000.

Ontario’s businesses and corporations found violating orders could be hit even harder, with charges up to $500,000 for offenders.

Hamilton bylaw officers can now also issue $500 tickets to individuals disregarding the city’s bylaw that people must maintain a physical distance of at least 2 metres from each other, but according to city officials, none of these tickets have been issued yet.

The number of total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hamilton currently sits at 348, with 153 of those cases resolved and 16 deaths.

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