VANCOUVER -- More than 250 tickets were handed out to people who violated B.C.'s COVID-19 public health orders over the past two weeks, the province's data shows.
In a news release Tuesday, which also announced a renewed state of emergency in B.C., the province revealed another 252 tickets were handed out between Jan. 29 and Feb. 12.
In the previous two-week reporting period, 113 tickets were distributed.
In total, since the fines were first introduced on Aug. 21, 1,058 tickets have been issued in the province.
"The vast majority of British Columbians are getting the message that we need to work together and follow public health orders so we can all get through COVID-19 safely," said Mike Farnworth, minister of public safety and solicitor general, said in the news release.
"For the few who aren't getting the message, police departments across B.C. have been doing an excellent job enforcing restrictions and ticketing offenders."
Of the 252 new tickets, the vast majority were $230 fines gives to individuals who didn't comply with direction from law enforcement. The 220 tickets in that category totaled $50,600.
Another 29 $2,300 fines were issued to business owners or event organizers breaking the health order on gatherings and three were $2,300 tickets given for breaking the food and liquor serving premises order.
During that two-week period, four more Quarantine Act violation tickets were issued, totalling $3,766. Since the pandemic began, 94 of those tickets have been handed out across the province.
Current public health orders severely limiting social gatherings in the province were renewed earlier this month with no specific end date in place.
