File photo of a Woodstock police cruiser. (Photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn News.)File photo of a Woodstock police cruiser. (Photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn News.)
London

Woman charged after Woodstock church gathering exceeds limits

A 48-year-old woman is charged after a Woodstock church allegedly exceeded the crowd limits for religious gatherings.

According to Woodstock police, officers saw "well over the allowed limit" inside the downtown place of worship on Sunday, with many not physically distancing or wearing masks.

Under Ontario's current lockdown restrictions, which took effect on Boxing Day, religious services are capped at ten people both indoors and outdoors. Penalties for anyone convicted of violating the lockdown rules include fines between $10,000 and $100,000 and up to one year in jail.

The 48-year-old is charged with organizing an event exceeding the number of permitted people under the Reopening Ontario Act.

Similar charges relating to weekend religious gatherings exceeding crowd limits in Aylmer and Wheatley have also led to charges against two people - a 37-year-old Malahide man and a 50-year-old Merlin man.

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