Almost $200,000 worth of fines issued to church-goers, others violating lockdown orders in Manitoba

Officials for the Province of Manitoba have issued a grand total of $181,574 of lockdown fines in the past week, and there may be more coming. The fines have been for such things as attending drive-in church services inside a closed car.

According to CTV News, 48 individuals and 22 different businesses have been fined for several different offences. 23 of those fines were for not wearing a mask indoors, at $298 per instance.  This total doesn't include seven more tickets issued by the Manitoba First Nations Police Service

Among those fined were six individuals who will have to pay $1296 each for attending a church service at the Church of God Restoration on the outskirts of Steinbach, MB last Sunday.

The church itself as an entity was also fined $5000 for their actions attempting to hold the service, in which the entrance to the parking lot was blocked by RCMP officials, and it was decided to have a drive-in service on the highway.

There was also another drive-in service at Spring Church inside of Winnipeg which generated a $1296 fine.

"There is a small minority of people and organizations who are not doing their part and in doing so are putting their health and the health of others at risk. The message is clear – there will be consequences for those who disregard the public health orders, and put the health of others at risk," commented Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister.

Pallister also had something to say about the now-illegal drive-in church services:

"Several tickets are pending, including a business fine of $5,000. Investigations related to these services are ongoing and further tickets are expected to follow,"

"If you can prevent the gathering from happening, that’s probably better than going in and ticketing after it happens,"