The Victoria Day long weekend in May is customarily a short, travelling or camping holiday for many across the country, including Saskatchewan.
The RCMP hoped residents in the province would continue to respect the current orders issued by the Saskatchewan Health Authority in relation to public health. Residents were told to be mindful of the temporary laws put in place to flatten the curve, by avoiding non-essential travel and to keep following social distancing regulations.
Moreover, the RCMP reminded the public of the province’s dangerous driving laws, which encompassed distracted driving, failing to wear seatbelts and impaired driving. The RCMP’s traffic services said they were patrolling Saskatchewan’s roads over the weekend to keep motorists, their families and communities safe from the harms triggered by dangerous driving.
A summary from the past week of COVID-19-related calls from May 8 to May 14 revealed there were 103 appeals for police-related services in Saskatchewan.
The calls included 18 complaints of social gatherings of over 10 people, 20 grievances against people who failed to self-isolate when purportedly required to do so and 65 other COVID-19 related investigations. Altogether, nine charges were laid in the province between May 8-14.
In Assiniboia, from May 4-10, the local detachment reported that one individual had been charged with disobeying the Quarantine Act. The Quarantine Act had given the federal health minister the power to screen travellers entering and exiting Canada for communicable diseases.
The RCMP said they were working closely with the Saskatchewan Health Authority. Further, the police service promised to investigate any future violations of the laws issued to retain public health until the pandemic had eased.
For non-health related enquiries related to COVID-19, or to report public health violations, concerned citizens were asked to call the Government of Saskatchewan’s 24-hour toll-free line at 1-855-559-5502.
