New fines for party organizers and party goers and it will will hit partiers where it hurts... in the pocketbook

New in this update:The province will hit partiers where it hurts... in the pocketbook. The Minister of Public Safety has announced new fines for party organizers and party-goers who violate health orders on mass gatherings and social distancing. Party organizers can be fined $2000 for hosting a private party or public event in excess of 50 people, failing to provide hand sanitation and washrooms failing to ensure physical distancing, failing to obtain a list of names and contacts or having more than five guests gathered in a vacation accommodation. Partygoers can be fined $200 for refusing to leave a gathering or who bully or abuse restaurant staff who are trying to enforce COVID safety plans. Minister Mike Farnworth says it's time for a crackdown."There is a small minority of selfish individuals across the province who are disregarding the public health measures in place. Large house parties, unsanctioned events on our streets, on our beaches. Enough is enough."—Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth.Farnworth says along with police, the power to ticket will be given to municipal bylaw officers, conservation officers, and provincial liquor, cannabis, community safety unit, gaming and Worksafe BC inspectors. He says people who want to report a violation should call local bylaw first, then local police non-emergency lines.Although the new provincial fines are meant to flatten the curve that's been driven by large private gatherings, the source of COVID-19 transmissions in the Island Health region are a mystery. Currently, there are ten active cases of the virus in Island Health, which is considered low, all but one has been labelled a "community exposure." Those types of exposures are a concern because they are not linked to a known case, so the chain of transmission is unknown. However, BC's Deputy Provincial Health Officer Dr. Reka Gustafson says she's not worried about the mysterious source of infection among the cases in Island Health."As the investigation proceeds, in the vast majority of cases, the source of the infection is identified. so we do monitor that and that number changes and often early in the investigation it's higher and as we speak to more contacts we have been able to identify the vast majority of the sources of infection"—Deputy Provincial Health Officer Dr. Reka Gustafson.Gustafson says finding the sources of infection is important because it helps contain an outbreak by ensuring those who may be infected are self-isolating.