VANCOUVER -- A Surrey city councillor is calling for a crackdown on COVID-19 rule breakers.
Recent modelling data revealed that the city has seen the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the province.
Coun. Jack Hundial says enforcement needs to be stepped up before the caseload gets even worse.
“I think there's an opportunity to do more enhanced enforcement and I'm a firm believer that it's only going to take maybe a few examples of dropping some heavy fines for people to wake up and start getting realistic about what's going on here,” Hundial said.
The former Mountie would also like the attitude about holding each other accountable to change.
“This isn’t necessarily snitching on your neighbours. It’s actual community health primarily and it’s been about community health from the beginning and certainly if people are not prepared to do the right thing, there needs to be a level of intervention into that,” Hundial told CTV News.
The Fraser Health region reported 484 infections, accounting for 68 per cent of all the new cases Tuesday.
Dr. Bonnie Henry has said the virus is spreading at private gatherings like weddings and funerals and that the South Asian community has been disproportionately impacted.
Hundial says he believes officials may have to make an example of rule breakers in order for them to take the situation seriously.
The councillor also wants community leaders to set a better example, pointing out that two elected officials in Surrey have already been spotted not following the rules.
Hundial says mask compliance in the city is also an issue with many still going bare faced in public spaces.
