Londoners are making good use of a city tip line set-up to report people and businesses that break provincial and federal orders put in place to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Since it was launched last Friday, the tip line has received more than 1,500 complaints about those disobeying self-isolation orders and non-essential businesses that are still open.
"People are calling up about their neighbours or somebody they know. It's not like it is a snitch line, they are concerned about them," London's Bylaw Manager Orest Katolyk said of the bulk of the complaints that have come in. "In the vast majority of cases, we are just supplying information to them from the provincial and public health websites on what should they be doing during this self-isolation or quarantine."
The number of tips sent in by phone and email has been so great additional city staff have been redeployed to help municipal bylaw officers sort them out. The calls are "triaged" and addressed in order of priority.
"[COVID-19] is a real serious issue globally. It really doesn't have any boundaries in terms of applying to only one city or one province or one country," said Katolyk. We at the City of London are taking this very seriously and the citizens and businesses in London should take it very seriously too."
As of yet, there have been no charges laid or fines issued in connection with anyone or any business found in violation of provincial or federal COVID-19-related orders.
"Right now we are focusing strictly on education," said Katolyk. "At this point, we are getting very good compliance, but we will have no issue working with public health and London police in moving toward charges should non-compliance occur."
The federal government invoked the Quarantine Act last month to force travellers returning to Canada from abroad to self-isolate for a mandatory 14 days. Those convicted of breaking the emergency law can be fined up to $100,000 and sentenced to up to one year in jail.
Under the extended state of emergency issued by the Ontario government, all non-essential businesses are prohibited from opening to the public.
As a proactive measure, Katolyk said bylaw officers have actively been looking for businesses that are in violation of the order.
"These are mainly personal service establishments which we licence - hair salons, barbershops, tattoo parlours - to ensure that they are closed and they do remain closed," said Katolyk. "In most cases, once we explain the essential business list issued by the provincial government the business owners say they will shut down immediately."
Concerns about businesses or individuals believed to be in violation of COVID-19 related orders can be emailed to COVIDOrderConcerns@london.ca or phoned in to 519-661-4660.