Victoria police broke up two house parties Saturday night and issued one ticket of $230 and one ticket of $2,300 for violating the province’s COVID-19 rules.
Police Chief Del Manak said in a Twitter message that party-goers lied to police about the number of guests at the parties and tried to hide in bedrooms and closets.
“Best tip, don’t host a party in the first place,” Manak tweeted.
Just after 11 p.m Saturday, officers responded to a report about a loud party in an apartment building in the 100-block of South Turner Street. Someone who lived there told officers there were four people inside but only two who didn’t live there. Officers were given permission to enter the apartment and found there were actually four guests who didn’t live there. One man was hiding in a bedroom at the foot of a bed and another man hiding in a closet.
Officers issued a $2,300 ticket to residents of the suite for contravening the provincial health officer’s gathering and events order. Non-resident guests were ordered to leave.
An hour and a half later, police were called to another loud party in an apartment building in the 1400-block of Hillside Avenue. Officers noticed the suite’s windows were fogged with condensation and they could hear loud music and people yelling inside. They spoke with the suite’s resident who admitted there were five guests in the unit. They weren’t wearing masks or observing physical distancing, police said.
Police issued a $230 ticket to the resident for encouraging people to attend a gathering that violated B.C.’s COVID-19 rules.
VicPD gave out its first ticket under the COVID-19 Related Measures Act in late August, issuing a $2,300 fine to a party host who had about 30 people inside a one-bedroom suite.
Saanich police have given out multiple tickets, including a $2,300 fine to a homeowner who hosted a poker party with 10 guests in mid-November, when the limit on guests in a private home was six people, and another $2,300 ticket on Nov. 1 for a large Halloween party with about 30 people.
On Saturday, a Central Saanich officer was in a local business and noticed that a man was not wearing a mask. The man was also ignoring signs directing traffic flow and standing too close to other people in the store. When the officer reminded him to wear a mask, the man became belligerent. The officer wrote him a $230 ticket.
Campbell River RCMP have also given out two $2,300 fines to one nightspot for having too many people at tables, placing tables too close together and serving after hours. Restaurants and pubs must stop serving liquor at 10 p.m. under a provincial health officer order.
Public health orders announced last week prohibit indoor and outdoor gatherings with anyone outside your household. The province-wide order is in place until at least Dec. 7 and failure to comply can result in a fine up to $2,300.
regan-elliott@timescolonist.com
— With a file from Louise Dickson
