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Chief Manak Urges Community To Follow Social & Physical Distancing Orders After Officers Called To Multiple Gatherings

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Date Published: 30 Mar 2020, Last Updated: 15 May 2025

Files: 20-13436, 20-13431, 20-13423, 20-13417, 20-13291, 20-13498, 20-13428, 20-13421, 20-13417Victoria, BC – Chief Constable Del Manak is urging members of our Victoria and Esquimalt communities to continue to follow social and physical distancing orders from Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry after officers were called to multiple gatherings over the weekend.Officers were called to nine noise complaints, including several parties and other gatherings, as well as to a group at Saxe Point Park over the weekend. Officers spoke with some attendees about the risks that violating Dr. Henry’s orders present to those gathering, to their loved ones and to the wider community.These gatherings also present additional, unnecessary risk of COVID-19 exposure to front-line officers responding to these calls.“We need to do better,” Chief Del Manak said. “The first line of defense against COVID-19 is social and physical distancing. Please, think of the greater good. Think of our officers who are attending these calls. Think of the grocery clerks, the cleaners, the nurses, the doctors, the care workers and all the other front-line and essential service workers who cannot stay home, but who are putting themselves at risk for others.Please, stay home.”

The Province of B.C. is urging the public to stay home and practice social and physical distancing

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu, B.C. Premier John Horgan, B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix, B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth, and B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, along with global health experts and world leaders, have all emphasized the vital need for physical and social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19. Globally, there have been over 750,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, which have resulted in over 36,000 deaths.

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