Province reduces size of public gatherings to five, clamps down on price gougers

“Premier Doug Ford has stiff new penalties for price gougers — including $750 tickets on the spot — and a snitch line to call if consumers see hefty price tags on products needed in the fight against COVID-19.

The province also clamped down on the size of gatherings, reducing them to five from the current 50, effective immediately, with exemptions for essential services like grocery stores, the premier said Saturday.

There are a few exceptions, including for households with more than five people.

Child-care centres looking after the kids of front-line workers will be allowed to have a maximum of 50 people.

There’s also an exception for funerals, which will allow up to 10 people at a time.

The province had previously restricted gatherings to a maximum of 50 people.

“I can assure everyone that we will do everything in our power to stop this virus in its tracks,” Ford said in a statement released late Saturday night.

Ford took aim at rogue retailers as well as people who were “loading up” on hand sanitizers, masks, disinfecting wipes, toilet paper, soap and household cleaners to sell online or in stores with major mark-ups.”