The chief of police in Toronto is urging the public to obey provincial stay-at-home orders.
The order, which went into effect on Wednesday, will remain in effect for the next four weeks as Ontario attempts to reduce the number of cases. On Friday, Ontario reported 4,227 new COVID-19 cases, the second-highest number on a single day during the pandemic.
“I urge all Torontonians to please comply,” Chief James Ramer said in a news release on Saturday. “Do not leave the house unless absolutely necessary.”
Despite the stay-at-home order, Police in Toronto are not allowed to stop cars or enter homes to check if a person is complying with the order, they are also not allowed to force someone who is outside to explain why they’re not home.
If officers have “probable grounds to suspect” that someone has violated a public health order, they can ask for identification, and anyone who refuses can be arrested or charged with obstructing a police officer.
News and picture source: CBC
