Surrey’s COVID-19 compliance and enforcement team says it will get tough on Canucks fans on Scott Road.
Over the weekend, Surrey RCMP say they issued four violation tickets to businesses and event organizers following repeated contraventions of the provincial health officer’s COVID-19 orders.
Following the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General’s announcement Friday (Aug. 21) of new fines for non-compliance with COVID-19 health orders, the Surrey COVID-19 Compliance and Enforcement Team (CCET) issued $2,300 fines to one restaurant, two event/banquet spaces, and one after-hours club on Sunday (Aug. 23). Each of these places had been subject to previous warnings by CCET, according to police.
However, none of the violation tickets were given to those who celebrated the Canucks’ first-round playoff series win on Friday (Aug. 21).
That night, a number of Canucks fans at the corner of Scott Road and 72nd Avenue ignored physical-distancing rules when close to 1,000 people gathered there.
(Story continues below)
Middle of the intersection. #Canucks #ScottRoad pic.twitter.com/DjW04WNLeu
— Desai87 (@VasimDesai) August 22, 2020
Surrey RCMP and Delta Police Department were there, but due to the size of the crowd, they say their focus was on pedestrian and traffic safety. A total of seven violation tickets were issued for seat-belt violations as a result of occupants hanging out of windows or sunroofs, police say.
“Canuck fans who gathered in large groups without masks on Friday night should consider this to be their warning,” Roger Green, Sergeant of the Surrey COVID-19 Compliance and Enforcement Team, said in a news release Monday (Aug. 24).
“The public and the police are not happy with the disregard for physical distancing and expect you do to better for the sake of your families, yourselves, and your fellow residents.”
The CCET squad says it conducted 429 checks on Saturday and Sunday at various businesses, event spaces and faith-based institutions, with 425 of those in compliance with provincial health orders.
Since March 2020, CCET has been “proactively conducting outreach around Surrey to ensure that residents, business owners and organizations understand their obligations to stop the spread of COVID-19 by following health orders,” the news release says.
CCET, which involves Surrey RCMP officers and City of Surrey bylaw officers, conducts approximately 60 proactive compliance checks each day, as well as responding to calls for service.
To report a violation of a COVID-19 public health order, call the City of Surrey Bylaw call centre at 604-591-4370 or the Surrey RCMP non-emergency line at 604-599-0502.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.comLike us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram and follow Tom on Twitter
