Hamilton salons, restaurants fined for flouting COVID-19 protocols

Hamilton | Ontario | COVID | Health |

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Published November 1, 2021 at 6:41 pm

Hamilton restaurants got a harsh tip that the pandemic is still with us, and some hairdressers and nail salons got clipped for violating COVID-19 protocols last weekend.

City of Hamilton bylaw officers issued 35 fines to 22 businesses during the week of Oct. 25 to Oct. 31. Twenty-one of the infractions fell under the Reopening Ontario Act (ROA), which entails heftier fines than violation of the city’s face covering bylaw.

Wearing masks, which is expected to stay in place in Ontario until at least next spring, is one of the best ways to reduce aerosol tranmission of the COVID-19 virus.

Five Hamilton restaurants received multiple ROA fines last week.

  • Rankin’s Bar and Grill on Main St. E. was fined thrice on Oct. 27. It was not verifying customers’ vaccination status and was neither performing active screening nor contact tracing, in the eyes of a bylaw officer.

    Since Sept. 22, restaurants have been required to ask patrons who are dining or drinking indoors for proof they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The province began making digital downloads of vaccination status available on Oct. 22.

  • Waas Ethopian Restaurant on James Street S. also received three fines under the Reopening Ontario Act. One was failing to conduct required screening of customers and/or employees, and the others were for COVID-19 safety plan violations and for failing to post a mandatory face covering sign at the restaurant’s entrance.
  • Venice Beach Pizza & Wings in Stoney Creek was fined twice, for failing to conduct required screening of customers and/or employees, and for face coverings violations.
  • Chuck’s Roadhouse on Centennial Pkwy. N. was fined for not verifying vaccinations and for face coverings violations.
  • Osmow’s Shawarma on Hwy. 8 in Stoney Creek was also fined for not verifying vaccinations. It received a second fine under the ROA for failing to determine its indoor capacity limit.

In one stretch on Saturday, four different personal grooming businesses received multiple fines from Hamilton bylaw officers.

  • Monaco Cuts on Concession St. was fined twice under the ROA for COVID-19 safety plan violations and for face covering violations. It was also fined under the city’s masking bylaw.
  • Splashon Nail Salon & Spa on Mud St. W. received an ROA fine for inadequate contact tracing, along with a face-covering fine.
  • AmoriCuts on Concession St. received three face-covering fines from the city.
  • Capelli Salon, also on Concession St., received two face-covering fines, both from the city.

The City of Hamilton typically publishes a list of violators on Monday.

A fine for an ROA violation ranges from $750 to $1,500. A fine for failing to wear face coverings ranges from $200 to $500.

(Cover photo via Facebook.)

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