The first fines in the region have been issued for people not following mandatory COVID-19 protocols.

Bylaw services have issued two citations – one for not following the public health act, which could be from holding a public gathering to having too many people in a business and more, while the other was for not wearing a mask.

According to a post on Facebook, the YMM Barber Shop claims one of their employees received a fine for not wearing a mask.

They allege there were only two individuals in the building at the time, both workers and standing 35 feet apart, with the worker deciding to take off their mask.

These are the first fines handed out in the RMWB as the municipality has focused on an educational approach.

Since March 2020, the RMWB has responded to over 100 calls of people not following the measures.

Wood Buffalo RCMP also states they haven’t issued any fines, while they’ve responded to several potential situations.

Meanwhile, the municipality is encouraging residents who know of anyone failing to follow any measures to file a complaint.

Residents can file online where it will be assigned to a Health Inspector. They will then assess the complaint and determine the appropriate response.

People can also contact the Pulse Line at 780-743-7000. In this case, a Peace Officer would follow up on the complaint, while also filing an Incident Report with Alberta Health.