2 Men Charged After Large Gatherings Held at Ontario Church
Two men have been charged by police over large gatherings in a Wheatley, Ontario, church this past weekend.
Chatham-Kent police said they received reports of large gatherings held at the Old Colony Mennonite Church on Dec. 26 and Dec. 27.
When police arrived on both days, they found over 100 people not wearing masks inside the church. A 50-year old man from Merlin, Ontario, who took responsibility for the gathering, was charged on the first day, and another 43-year old Merlin man was charged on the second day.
Both men were charged for failing to comply with the Reopening Ontario Act, police said. The act prohibits churches from holding services with more than 10 people indoors or outdoors during lockdown, which went into effect on Dec. 26 at 12.01 a.m.
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Chatham-Kent police have again laid a charge after finding more than 100 people at the Old Colony Mennonite Church in Wheatley for a second straight day Sunday.
A church member, a 43-year-old Merlin man, was charged under the Reopening Ontario Act.
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Religious services can have no more than 10 people indoors or outdoors while the province is in lockdown to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. A 28-day lockdown began in southern Ontario at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
December 28, 2020
Photo courtesy of Google Maps.
For the second straight day, Chatham-Kent Police have laid charges for a gathering at the Old Colony Mennonite Church in Wheatley.
Officers were called out again, and found a gathering of more than 100 people not wearing masks on Sunday morning, and have charged a 43-year-old Wheatley man, who claimed responsibility for the service, has been charged under the Reopening Ontario Act and will have to appear in court at a later date.
According to the act, under the Grey-Lockdown level of COVID restrictions, only 10 people are allowed for indoor religious services, and the municipal bylaws requires masks be worn during indoor worship services.