City conducting shutdown compliance audits

Non-essential businesses ignoring emergency measures face $750 fine

Compliance audits are being conducted by the city to ensure that businesses that do not qualify as essential services will close their doors under emergency measures introduced by the province to combat the spread of COVID-19.

“Our team began conducting compliance audits across the city to run seven days a week and evenings until further notice,” said Matthew Pegg, Toronto’s fire chief and general manager of the city’s office of emergency management.

“Enforcement action will be taken against any non-essential businesses.” On Monday an ashen-faced Premier Doug Ford announced the shutdown of all non-essential businesses in the province and Mayor John Tory followed up by declaring a state of emergency in the city.

All non-essential businesses were asked to close by midnight Tuesday. The shutdown was undertaken to encourage people to remain in their homes while those engaged on the front lines of fighting the virus struggle to contain its spread and treat the sick.

Nearly 19,000 people have died worldwide, including 13 COVID-related deaths in Ontario.

According to Toronto Public Health, as of Wednesday afternoon, there were 319 recorded cases of COVID-19 in Toronto, including 22 requiring hospitalization and four deaths.

The audits are being undertaken by members of the city’s municipal licensing and standards division, Toronto Public Health and the Toronto Police Service, Pegg said. He said that tickets for violating the order start at $750.

“Our audit team will … take the enforcement action that is appropriate or reasonable in the circumstances, and that of course, as we can all appreciate, is always situationally dependent,” said Pegg.

Bars and restaurants in the city were closed last week, as were nail and hair salons. An audit conducted over the weekend revealed a high level of compliance with those orders, said Coun. Joe Cressy, chair of the board of health.

“As of Saturday our non-compliance rate was down to about 0.3 per cent. That’s outstanding. The best solution is where everyone complies. If you get in a situation where it’s whack-amole (businesses opening, then closing, then opening) then social distancing isn’t working.

We need compliance,” said Cressy (Ward 10, Spadina—Fort York).

City spokesperson Brad Ross said residents can call 311 to report non-essential businesses that remain open.

Tory said he will consider whatever measures Toronto’s medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, says are necessary to slow the spread of the virus. “I will rely, as I have throughout, on the advice of the medical officer of health, and if she says it’s a problem, then I will discuss what the options are to deal with it, but there is no discussion at the moment of other measures,” Tory said.