Province sees massive spike in COVID-19 enforcement tickets, warnings

The province says the number of tickets and warnings handed out last week has risen by 167 per cent compared to the previous week.

Between April 19-25, 92 warnings and 52 tickets were given out for noncompliance with the Public Health Orders.

Hundreds of people gathering at The Forks on Sunday, forcing the cultural location to close for safety reasons.

"Enforcement officials investigate all public health order violations they are made aware of, including large gatherings and rallies, and were present at The Forks last weekend," the province says in a statement.

The province did not say if anyone was given a ticket or warning at this gathering.

Thirty-three of the 39 $1,296 individual tickets were issued were in relation to gatherings in private residences or outdoors. Seventeen tickets were given out to people for not wearing a mask while inside public spaces.

Over five thousand calls responding to violations of the heath orders were made. G4S, a private security company hired by the province, responded to 2,588 of the total 5,026 calls. Since April 9, 147,353 calls were responded to by the close to 3,300 workers authorized to give out tickets and warnings, including RCMP officers and municipal partners.

"The Manitoba government is taking strong action to protect Manitobans and ensure timely access to care."

Commissionaires Manitoba has been hired to work at the Winnipeg International Airport to advise travellers on the current self-isolation requirements in Manitoba.

We have reached out to the province asking how many non-Manitobans received a warning or ticket, and how many tickets and warnings were given out at The Forks on the weekend.