Stop trying to find loopholes – that message from Chatham-Kent’s Chief Medical Officer as residents across the province try to better understand the latest ‘stay home’ orders from the Ford Government.
Dr. David Colby wants people to stop asking what they can get away with and focus on the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law.
“The purpose of this is to encourage people to stay home and stay safe,” Dr. Colby says. “Really, the spirit of the law is unless you’ve got a good reason to leave your home, a necessary reason, stay home.”
Dr. Colby says if you aren’t sure whether something counts as being an essential trip outside your home, chances are it doesn’t.
Meantime, Chatham-Kent’s CAO says even though there’s some grey area when it comes to what counts as essential, the pandemic has been going on long enough for people to understand what’s expected of them.
“People can no longer say after 10 months, ‘Well I didn’t know,’ people trying to get around it, that’s wearing pretty thin,” Don Shropshire says. “I would expect if someone was to do something like have a party or disrespect the five people maximum gathering limit, that’s the sort of thing I think people are going to be called on. I don’t see bylaw enforcement officers waiting outside a paint store waiting for someone to pick up a gallon of paint.”
Shropshire says enforcement will be primarily complaint-driven, and anyone who has concerns can call 311 or via email COVID19Enforcement@chatham-kent.ca.
Chatham-Kent Police have also added a FAQ section on their website to answer any questions related to the new state of emergency orders – click here.