Newmarket business Point of Light is facing two bylaw charges for remaining open for indoor shopping while York Region is in lockdown.
The charges, laid by York Region Public Health and Newmarket bylaw enforcement officers, came after owners Barbara Bushe and Karthik Raj sent a defiant email to municipal leaders, public health officials and the media on Dec. 10 decrying calls for more restrictions from local hospital executives.
Given the high survival rates for anyone infected with COVID-19 under 65, the owners argued that the hospitals and public health officials had not adequately justified the additional restrictions they see as unnecessary and harmful to small businesses.
"This hardly seems like numbers that should be alarming to the public at large and seems to only call for more protection focused on the elderly and vulnerable of our population," reads the email.
The business owners felt the statistics being published about the risk to hospitals were too vague and that health care officials are being alarmist without the numbers to back it up.
"We know we speak for many York Region citizens when we say it is irresponsible for our health 'leaders' to publish such statements without full transparency, backed by data and grounded in truth," reads the email.
York Region was placed under lockdown by the province the next day on Dec. 11. Now Point of Light is being charged with not complying with the prohibitions against non-essential businesses for being open for indoor shopping.
Enforcement officers issued a $750 fine plus a surcharge to the business, totalling $880. The store was closed on Wednesday, Dec. 30.
Between Dec. 21 and 27, York Region COVID-19 enforcement task force officers visited a total of 1,186 businesses to check for public health compliance. In Newmarket, 127 inspections took place, and three education notices were issued, as well as the two charges against Point of Light.
In total, there were 15 charges laid across York Region:
- 5 charges issued by York Region Public Health
- 1 charge issued by York Regional Police
- 2 charges issued by the Town of Aurora
- 1 charge issued by the City of Markham
- 2 charges issued by the Town of Newmarket
- 3 charges issued by the City of Richmond Hill
- 1 charge issued by the City of Vaughan
A complete list of charges and closures is available on york.ca/COVID19
Since March 2020, Public Health Inspectors, municipal bylaw officers and other enforcement agencies have completed 29,370 inspections, resulting in 711 charges and 16,362 compliance education activities.
In the coming weeks, officers from the COVID-19 task force will continue to visit essential businesses and various other locations to ensure public health measures under the province-wide shutdown are being met.
