“Out of those 81 places that were found in non-compliance, 56 of those received education, 29 received a warning and three received a ticket under the Reopening Ontario Act.”
“Top issues were premises that didn’t have safety plans in place or readily available for production if someone asks for them. There was a lack of screening of staff and patrons as well as issues with eye protection, masking and collecting personal information.”
The 54% compliance rate is up five percent from a previous inspection in January but compliance rates in many other regions are around the high 60s.
Andrew Landy, Manager of Healthy Environment says they will continue to stress the importance of following the rules.
“We have to get back to the basics, perhaps, and do a little bit more education, reinforce the message. And then it’s progressive enforcement. So we start with the education and try that a bit and if that doesn’t work we just have to get a little more forceful and give some warnings, and tickets if we need to.”
If a business or individual fails to comply the Act, the set fines are:
- $750 for individuals for failing to comply with the requirements;
- $1,000 for corporations failing to comply with the requirements;
- $1,000 for obstructing others from complying with the requirements
Employers who fail to comply may also face fines of up to $100,000 for individuals and up to $10 million for corporations.
Individuals violating the Act may also be imprisoned for up to one year if convicted.
