Hundreds of businesses visited in double whammy COVID-19 enforcement blitz from city, province

Windsor-Essex was hit with local and provincial bylaw enforcement blitzes over the last week as officials work to keep businesses in line with COVID-19 guidelines amid rising case counts.

City bylaw officers laid 22 charges between Nov. 29 and Dec. 6,while a weekend education-focused blitz by provincial inspectors found onein five localbusiness werenot complying with COVID rules.

Windsor by-law enforcement officers completed 191COVID-19 checks at local businesses, 37 of which were complaints people had filed through 311. Out of the 22 charges laid, four were related to mask usage, two were a result of no signage and 16 were the result of no safety plan in place.

"I encourage the business owners and the public to check out the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit website and/or the Ontario government website to see what colour classification we're in ... to see how that may impact their business and what may or may not be required depending on the colour code we're in," saidBill Tetlerthe city's manager of bylaw enforcement.

This enforcement blitz campaign began on Nov. 23 and is meant to ensure that businesses are following COVID-19 safety plans along with having proper signage and ensuring that masking and physical distancing are being adhered to.

In the first week of the blitz, 23 charges were laid. The charges are typically accompanied with a fine that totals $880.

Provincial COVID-19 blitz

Over the weekend, 17 provincial offences officers visited Windsor-Essex to perform a separate COVID-19 enforcement blitz.

During this visit, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour,Training and Skills Developmenttold CBC News in an email that 240 workplaces were visited and officers found that 79 per cent were in compliance with public health requirements and the province's Reopening Ontario Act.

Officers specifically visited 196 retail businesses,29 of which were inviolation of COVID-19 measures, along with 27 restaurants, 11 of which were in violation.

At this time, it's unclear how many charges were laid as a result of the blitz.