A Canadian couple was fined by Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in early February after being caught playing Pokémon GO in a church parking lot during the province's stay-at-home order.
Kingsville, Ontario, resident Matthew Steeves and his wife were sitting in their car, after pulling into the empty parking lot, when a police cruiser drove up behind them and asked what they were doing, according to CBC. When Steeves admitted they had stopped to collect some digital monsters, the officer fined the couple for violating lockdown restrictions.
"I was in shock and my mind was blown. I was very angry. I couldn't believe I was being given a $750 ticket for sitting in my van," Steeves said of the infraction. "I don't understand how being inside your vehicle is contributing to the spread of COVID." With taxes, the ticket added up to $880.
Steeves also revealed that he and his wife have been strictly following the COVID-19 regulations in Ontario started playing Pokémon GO with their two teenage children around Christmas because they were all getting bored.
While Steeves told the officer that the outing in question was nothing more than a mental health break, the officer suggested that, if the couple were in an accident, they could potentially expose others to the virus.
Ontario's government declared an emergency stay-at-home order on Jan. 12, amid rising COVID-19 cases. Residents are only permitted to go out for things such as food, medication, work or exercise. On Jan. 15, the OPP issued a statement saying that officers would not go out of their way to stop people or vehicles to check for compliance, but would ask people to identify themselves if they have "reasonable grounds" for violations.
Essex County OPP Const. Amanda Allen confirmed that a ticket was handed out and defended the officer's position that the Steeves' Pokémon GO outing was "non-essential." She added in an email, "We continue to urge everyone to voluntarily comply with the rules and recommendations from health officials." Dr. Wajid Ahmed, the medical officer of health for the nearby town of Windsor-Essex, said, "As long as the people involved are all part of the same household, I don't think there should be any reasons for concerns."
Steeves confirmed that he plans to dispute the fee, while also noting that he'll have to drive to the courthouse in Windsor in order to process the ticket. The drive to the courthouse is a roughly 40-kilometer trip, which is permitted under the current stay-at-home order.
Source: CBC