Locals getting good grades when it comes to social distancing: RCMP

According to the local RCMP detachment local residents have been doing a good job of following social distancing measures put in place by the Province to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The Kitimat RCMP detachment told the Kitimat Northern Sentinel residents have been observing guidelines, both over the recent long weekend and in the past couple of months in general.

“The public have been responsible with social distancing and adhering to COVID-19 best practices,” the detachment said in a statement.

The District of Kitimat previously had to restrict vehicle access to the Kitimat River via Dyke Road because of incidents of groups of people gathering in the area without practicing proper physical distancing measures. The decision was eventually reversed after the Easter Long weekend after receiving additional input from the RCMP.

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Currently RCMP officers are responsible for bylaw enforcement within the District, with bylaw duties split between its two building inspectors for lack of a dedicated bylaw officer. The RCMP will continue to remind residents about physical distancing guidelines. While they are technically able to ticket people in relation to the public health orders generally police across the Province have opted for a more educational stance, instead reminding residents about the rules in place.

One notable exception is the City of Vancouver, which in March approved a bylaw that gave its staff the ability to issue tickets up to $1,000 for individuals or $50,000 for businesses.