A 59-year-old woman has been issued two separate fines of $3,450 each after the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) passed along information to West Vancouver Police with concerns regarding a breach of quarantine requirements. 

On March 4 at 10:25 p.m., PHAC notified West Vancouver Police that they had reason to believe that a woman, who had entered Canada via the Pacific Highway Border Crossing earlier that day, had breached Canada quarantine requirements.  The PHAC alleged that the woman had not provided an adequate negative COVID-19 test upon arrival, and had visited someone at Lions Gate Hospital shortly after.

On March 5 at 1:20 p.m., an officer attended a residence in West Vancouver that had been provided by PHAC as the woman’s quarantine address and located her as she was returning home from a walk. 

The woman was issued two separate violation tickets, one for the allegations made by PHAC, and one for the breach of quarantine requirements as observed by the officer. Both fines totaled $6,900.

“This is a stark reminder that we all have a responsibility to slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Constable Kevin Goodmurphy. “There are strict government guidelines that specify how a person must quarantine upon entry to Canada, which includes a requirement to travel directly to their address of quarantine and to remain there for 14 days.”

The woman claimed to have been exempt from the required quarantine, but was unable to produce any official documents to support this. 

PHAC was updated as to the action taken, and the woman was directed back to quarantine at an address in West Vancouver.