Toronto police have charged two business owners for allegedly throwing a party on Queen West with 30 to 40 attendees in violation of COVID-19 lockdown orders.
In a news release, police said officers responded to a call regarding a “noisy” party in the Queen West and Portland area in the early morning hours of Sunday.
The officers heard the sound of people and music playing inside a business, but all the doors were locked and the windows were covered, police said.
When officers attempted to enter the building, attendees refused to unlock the doors, police said.
Police noted that no one inside the building was wearing any type of protective gear or face coverings, and said that the Queen West business was operating as a bar during the party.
The two business owners were issued court summonses under the Reopening Ontario Act for failing to comply with regulations. No one else at the party was charged.
A media relations officer for the Toronto Police Service said police will not be releasing the name of the business.
Toronto is one of two regions in Ontario in the lockdown level of the provincial COVID-19 framework. York Region and Windsor-Essex County will enter lockdown on Monday.
Under lockdown protocol, indoor gatherings and dining at restaurants and bars are prohibited. Fines for violating the rules can be as high as $100,000.
The investigation is ongoing, police said.
