A man from Whitby who broke COVID-19 The quarantine rules have been fined $ 5,000 after pleading guilty to a violation that the justice of the peace said has “serious ramifications for the general public,” during a brief guilty plea hearing in a felony court. Durham province on Wednesday.
Brian Weir, who was working for Toronto Paramedic Services as a programmer at the time of the infraction, told Justice of the Peace Allison Forestall that he was making the statement voluntarily and admitted his guilt for lying to a public health nurse about who visited his residence. and with whom he had contact during his period of transmissibility for COVID-19.
As a result of Weir’s guilty plea, the prosecutor noted that all charges against his wife, Dr. Martina Weir, who, at the time of the crime, was working at the Lakeridge Health sites in Bowmanville, Oshawa and Whitby, will be dropped. , and was also facing similar charges.
At the time, The Star reported that the Weirs were charged with failing to disclose information to local public health officials about everyone they may have had contact with during their contagion period, as well as contact they had with a UK visitor in light of the spread. of a new highly transmissible variant of the COVID-19 virus that was present in Britain.
Public health alleges that the crimes occurred over a period of time, last December, when the province publicly announced that the first two cases of the variant had been found in a Durham couple.
At the time, the province said the cases “had no history of known travel, exposure, or high-risk contacts. Both people have been informed and are now in self-isolation according to public health protocols. “
Arguing for the courts to be lenient and potentially reduce the fine against his client, Weir’s attorney, Ian Kasper, said this case “was quite weak” for a “minor offense.”
He said the fine was on the “high end” and is “the product of the unique circumstances of this case and the compromises that have been made, both by the Crown and by the defense.”
Kasper said the settlement was reached because the trial could have taken five to six days, “which can place exceptional limitations on someone’s mental strength and energy to do so.”
In response, Justice of the Peace Forestall said: “I do not consider this to be a minor transgression. These issues have serious ramifications for the general public. ”
She said the legislation is in effect, not only to protect Weir, but to protect “other members of the community, particularly those who might unknowingly be involved with or in contact with you and not know of any of the associated risks. with this”.
He said that the fine imposed in the joint presentation of both attorneys will be $ 5,000, plus the applicable surcharge. Forestall allowed Weir to pay 90 days.
The court heard that on December 21, 2020, he was indicted in Whitby for failing to comply with an order related to self-isolation and instructions for people being monitored for COVID-19.
The Whitby-based Durham Region Provincial Crime Court heard that Weir did not provide accurate information on all the people he may have come in contact with during his COVID-19 transmission period, contrary to the Promotion Act. and Health Protection.
“I agree with that, thank you, your adoration,” said Weir, who attended the hearing via Zoom’s video conference.
Reading a short statement of fact supported by Weir’s defense attorney, prosecutor Thomas McKinnon said that “during a phone call with a public health nurse on December 21, 2020, the defendant was asked to reveal who lived in his home and who visited her home during her transmissibility period and the information provided was not accurate. “
The non-criminal charges were established under the province’s Health Promotion and Protection Act and are related to a Section 22 order issued by Robert Kyle, the health commissioner and medical officer of the Region Health Department. of Durham.
Local public health officials were empowered to enact orders that require companies or individuals to adhere to certain restrictions to curb the pandemic.
Reference-www.thestar.com