Editor's Note: Police have also charged three local residents under the EMCPA after a weekend traffic stop. More details on that are available here.
Two teens from the Toronto area have been charged for breaking the protocols in place to curb the spread of COVID-19.
It is the second time this week Timmins Police officers have laid charges for people breaking the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA).
Yesterday's charges stem from a wellness check on Cedar Street North that police received April 21 during the noon hour.
While confirming the wellbeing of a tenant at the residence, officers interviewed two people in the building and discovered one person is from Toronto and the other from North York, according to a Timmins Police news release.
Police say both people — an 18-year-old male and a 17-year-old male — were in breach of COVID-19 protocols under the EMCPA and charged. If convicted, the offence carries a fine of $880, said police.
Last Saturday, five people from the Brantford area were charged by Timmins Police for breaching the EMCPA protocol as well.
"As stated in previous public notices, the educational approach and generous use of discretion originally adopted by the Timmins Police has come to an end, especially in light of recent distressing numbers related to COVID positivity in our area," reads the Timmins Police news release.
"The Timmins Police has adopted a firmer approach when confronting such violations as it is deemed to be necessary and appropriate to do so in order to better protect people from their own lack of good judgment and the indulgence in unsafe behaviours."
There is a provincial shutdown and stay-at-home order in effect until further notice. For more details on the latest regulations, visit the Ontario website here.
