The Official Gazette of the Canary Islands (BOC) has published a new scale of fines enabling the General Directorate of Public Health of the Canary Islands Health Service, to further sanction people up to 600,000 euros for serious infraction of the health measures for the prevention of Covid-19.
The law was approved by the Parliament of the Canary Islands on April 29th, but was only published this weekend, and come into effect now that the state of alarm has ended.
This decree now empowers city councils in the Canary Islands to sanction minor infractions with current fines of 100 to 3,000 euros, and Public Health to impose penalties of 3,001 to 60,000 euros to perpetrators of serious infractions, and from 60,001 to 600,000 euros to those responsible for very serious infractions, including those who repeat a serious offense within a year.
Fines of 100 to 3,000 euros:
Minor infractions, for example, are not wearing a mask when it is mandatory to do so, or wearing it incorrectly, skipping smoking restrictions, ‘botellons’ or meeting and drinking on public roads of up to 10 people, refusing to take a diagnostic test for Covid-19 if prescribed by a health worker, or not respecting curfew hours without just cause.
It is also considered a minor offense to violate a quarantine order for having been in close contact of a patient with Covid-19, exceeding the opening and closing hours of public establishments imposed because of the pandemic, or infringing the capacity limits of public or private places.
Fines of 3,001 to 60,000 euros:
It is a serious offense to participate in a “botellon” of more than ten people, skipping quarantine you have been diagnosed with Covid-19, organize unauthorized events/acts in public or private spaces with the attendance of 20 to 200 people and without respecting the safety regulations, or that a leisure establishment does not respect the order to have the dance floor disabled.
It is also serious to keep a worker in his position in any establishment or centre attached to social services if he has symptoms compatible with Covid-19, breaches of the capacity limits above 20 people, or obstructing an inspection by the health authorities or security forces.
Fines of 60,001 to 600,000 euros:
Finally, very serious infractions are promoting unauthorized events or those that seriously violate the security measures that were set when more than 200 people are participating, exceeding the authorized capacity of a local by more than 100% and if the number of people gathered exceeds 150, or incur in any action or omission that poses a risk of direct contagion for more than 100 people.
In the case of premises and establishments open to the public, the penalty for serious infringement may entail a closure of two months and, in the case of very serious offenses, it may lead to a closure of three months.
During the appeal by the Canary Islands Government to the Superior Court regarding curfew, it is not clear whether fines can be processed or not for this one infraction. Subsequently you can still receive a fine, but it will either be processed or cancelled depending on the outcome of the appeal.
