Over 1,000 stores visited and 112 tickets issued to date as part of Ontario’s COVID-19 inspection blitz
Posted January 29, 2021 2:42 pm.
The province released up-to-date figures on its COVID-19 inspection blitz program, confirming that bylaw officers and other enforcement officials have visited over 1,000 big-box stores and have issued 112 tickets to date.
The government says officers will be visiting more than 400 additional stores this weekend in Toronto, Hamilton, and Kitchener-Waterloo.
“We’ve marshalled hundreds of officers to inspect over 1,000 businesses in a few short weeks, and we’ll keep it up as long as there are bad actors out there,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development.
“Our government is confident that the majority of workplaces are taking all necessary steps to protect their customers and workers from the spread of COVID-19. However, if we find businesses putting people at risk, we will take immediate action. This late in the pandemic, there is absolutely no excuse for owners, staff and customers alike not to be following health and safety rules.”
RELATED: Law enforcement to ramp up province-wide: ‘Bad actors will get fined’
To date, the province says the most common reasons cited for non-compliance were failure to properly screen staff and patrons, improper social distancing, and workplaces not having adequate COVID-19 workplace safety plans.
Similar inspections took place last weekend in Ottawa, Windsor, Niagara, and Durham Regions, during which the province says 107 offences officers conducted nearly 700 workplace visits.
They found 41 percent of businesses had at least one issue of non-compliance and 98 tickets were issued.
The upcoming weekend blitzes in Toronto, Hamilton, and Kitchener-Waterloo will be followed by supplementary inspection campaigns in Halton and Huron Perth next week.
As part of Ontario’s Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, the law states that corporations can be now be fined $1,000 for failing to comply with the orders.
Ontario residents, including employees and patrons, can also be fined $750 for failing to comply with orders under these acts.
If a violation is determined as more serious, a person can be charged under Part III of the Provincial Offences Act for failing to comply with a legislated COVID-19 health and safety requirement.
If convicted, the court can impose fines as high as $100,000 for individuals, and directors and officers of a corporation can be fined up to $500,000.
