Fines of $6.9K dished out to woman who allegedly broke quarantine rules twice

Police in West Vancouver have fined a woman $6,900 for allegedly flouting pandemic quarantine rules twice — including visiting a hospital right after coming into Canada.

In a statement, police said the Public Health Agency of Canada alerted them to a 59-year-old woman who entered Canada from the U.S. via the Pacific Highway Border Crossing on March 4.

Public health, police said, alleged the woman had not provided an adequate negative COVID-19 test and visited someone at Lions Gate Hospital shortly after entering Canada.

As the information came in late Thursday evening, a police spokesperson said, officers went to her quarantine address early the next afternoon. There they were greeted by someone who was not the quarantining border crosser.

"This person at the door did say that the other person was out and not home at the time," said Const. Kevin Goodmurphy, a spokesperson for the West Vancouver Police Department.

"When the officer was still in the area, they did actually encounter this woman as she returned from a walk."

The woman claimed she was exempt from quarantine requirements but had no evidence to prove that claim, Goodmurphy said.

She was issued two separate violation tickets: one for the alleged public health violations and one for the quarantine breach witnessed by the officer. Each fine was for $3,450.

"We're all adjusting to new rules and regulations.

"Crossing a land border does ... require that person to quarantine for 14 days if they don't meet the exemption criteria," Goodmurphy said. "We need to take that seriously."

Goodmurphy added the woman had a Canadian passport but he did not know if she was a resident of West Vancouver. He said these are the largest quarantine-related fines West Vancouver police have issued during the pandemic.

After receiving the fines, Goodmurphy said, the woman was told to quarantine at a West Vancouver address.