No, Vancouver Police won’t fine you $1,000 for not social distancing (yet)

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Vancouver Police will not fine you $1,000 for riding in a car with someone you don’t live with.

At least not yet.

Both the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Police Department have said a rumour about the supposed enforcement of a COVID-19 social distancing order is not true.

A Vancouver woman posted to the 30,000-member Facebook group COVID-19 Coming Together (Vancouver) this week, recounting a story she had heard about a “friend of a friend.”

“Apparently the VPD pulled them over, asked to see their drivers licences and when they saw they didn’t live in the same house, fined them $1,000 each,” she wrote. “I’m curious about the legality of this.”

The post garnered more than 50 shares and 350 comments. The Coming Together group asks users to “agree to refrain from sharing unsourced medical info, conspiracy theories or provide medical advice” before joining.

Several other posts in the group reference police issuing $1,000 fines.

But the story isn’t true, VPD spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin told NEWS 1130.

“Right now, Vancouver Police will not be issuing tickets for non-compliance with social distancing,” she said. “As for now, the City of Vancouver has taken the lead on this and their bylaw officers will be enforcing this bylaw.”

Visintin said it’s possible police could enforce social distancing orders in the future.

“Anything can happen as this progresses, but as of right now, it will be police enforcing the law,” she said. “The city is the lead on this.”

After commenters questioned the validity of the story, the original poster followed up her initial post with an edit, saying she had “heard this through the grapevine.

“I do not have proof that this happened,” she wrote. “Because I did not know if this was a fact I was trying to find out if this had happened to anyone else.”

The poster said she was trying to confirm the story with the “primary source.”

Last week, Vancouver council unanimously approved new fines – $1,000 for individuals and $50,000 for businesses – for violating the city’s social-distancing orders. The fines are meant to be enforced only by bylaw officers.

But there is currently just one municipal order in Vancouver, banning dine-in options at restaurants.