Richmond sports centre fined for COVID-19 violation
Posted August 24, 2020 2:30 pm.
RICHMOND (NEWS 1130) — A private sports facility in Richmond has been fined $2,300 for violating provincial COVID-19 regulations.
Richmond RCMP attended the sports centre, located in the 2300-block of No. 6 Road, at around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday after receiving a complaint that management there was not complying with social distancing rules and regulations.
“Frontline officers attended the location, finding a significant amount of people past the 50-person limit, as set out in requirements of the provincial health officer guidelines,” says a release from RCMP.
The location was doing little to encourage social distancing, proper sanitization or contact tracing, according to police.
RELATED: COVID-19 fines issued to four Surrey businesses over weekend
“Initially, investigators took an educational approach when dealing with the participants and spectators at the facility, but it was quite clear that the business needed further incentive to comply with the PHO’s guidelines,” says Cpl. Ian Henderson.
“It is disappointing that people still aren’t getting the message.”
The operator of the sports facility was issued a ticket under the new COVID-19 Related Measures Act, for a contravention of the provincial health officer gatherings and events order.
RCMP did not indicate the type of sports facility.
Richmond RCMP also attended a number of private gatherings over the weekend, opting to educate people rather than issue further violation tickets.
Individuals are also subject to a $230 fine if they fail to follow the request of a business owner or event organizer to comply with the terms of the provincial health order on gatherings and events.
Four Surrey businesses were also handed fines of $2,300 over the weekend for repeated violations of the provincial COVID-19 orders.
