Waterloo region Old Order Mennonites ordered to close churches, schools as COVID-19 spreads

Mennonite churches and schools in Waterloo region have been ordered to close under a new order from the medical officer of health.

Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang says the Section 22 class order under the Health Protection and Promotion Act is necessary because public health has "encountered insufficient co-operation among a number of individuals with public health requirements."

According to public health, some people are not following requirements to self-isolate, they're still attending work when sick and they are not helping identify high-risk contacts to public health.

Churches and schools must close by Wednesday and can only be opened for funerals, and then only a small number of people can be in attendance.

Effective immediately, people in the Mennonite communities cannot have any social gatherings in or on a private residence with people outside of a person's immediate household.

"[The] orders are being issued as the risk to the community as a whole, as well as to other people with whom community members interact, has become too high," Wang said in a release about the order.

Wang said the rapid rise in cases in the Mennonite communities is concerning and public health is working with community leaders to ensure people follow the rules.

Uptake initially 'low' 

Under the order, people who don't comply could be handed a ticket of $750 or a court summons with fines up to $5,000 per day.

The order comes just over two weeks after Dr. Nicola Mercer, the medical officer of health for Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, made a similar order for Mennonite communities in Wellington County.

Mercer said there had been outbreaks and "the uptake of public health measures has been low."

Mercer said in a later interview that after the order, behaviours in the Mennonite community "actually changed rapidly" and testing increased.