BC will be "beefing up" enforcement of COVID-19 orders and restrictions: Horgan

BC Premier John Horgan pulled no punches about his plans to deal with people who defy the province’s COVID-19 public health orders.

“There are those who are not prepared to bend a little bit in their personal lives for the benefit of all of us collectively,” he said during a press conference on Tuesday.

Consequently, “we’re going to be beefing up enforcement on public health orders, over the next couple of weeks,” he furthered. “Those who do not want to obey the rules that the rest of us are following will have to pay the consequences.”

Horgan said this means holding rule-breakers accountable, and “ensuring that the fines we levy are collected.”

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And while he said he recognizes that everyone has a right to appeal and to fair process, for those who are still made to pay the fines and refuse, “we will send collections after you.”

The premier said he wants people to know that getting the epidemic under control “depends on the goodwill and the focus” of British Columbians.

And although BC’s case numbers are “unacceptably” high, Horgan said he’s hopeful that if people continue to abide by public health orders over the weeks ahead, the province will be in a much better position come the new year.

But in order to get to that point, he said, it’s up to everyone in the province to make sure public health orders are being adhered to.