Health Department inspects big box stores Jan. 16 and 17 for compliance with public health measures

Whitby, Ontario - Durham Region Health Department public health inspectors will be visiting area big box stores to ensure compliance with COVID-19 public health measures as part of a provincial enforcement blitz happening this coming Saturday and Sunday. On Jan. 16 and 17, public health inspectors will join their enforcement counterparts from the province, as well as local bylaw and police officers, in this initiative to help protect workers and customers in response to rising COVID-19 cases.

These inspections will focus on ensuring workers and patrons are wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, and following every public health and safety measure. Public health inspectors will have the authority to ticket supervisors, employees and patrons who do not comply with COVID-19 public health requirements or temporarily close a premise.

The most common areas of non-compliance to date have been improper mask use, lack of employee screening and improper sanitization. Since the beginning of the pandemic’s second wave last September, the Health Department has responded to over 4,700 inquiries and complaints related to businesses, organizations and the public regarding lack of compliance with COVID-19 public health measures.

Individuals and businesses who are not following the rules can be fined as follows:

• $750 for not following the rules;
• $1,000 for preventing others (including employees or other workers) from following the rules.

Maximum fines can be up to $100,000 for individuals and $10 million for a corporation. Failure to follow the rules could also result in prosecution or even a year in jail. For more information and a list of numerous sector-specific resources to help business owners and operators create a workplace safety plan, visit durham.ca/reopeningtoolkit. Additional resources are also available at ontario.ca/covidsafety.

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For more information, please contact the Health Department