Hamilton names businesses with COVID-19 infractions after Krown Kafe didn't comply

Hamilton has started to release the names of businesses that infringe on pandemic protocols after the director of the city's emergency operations centre described a Stoney Creek business whose disregard for COVID-19 procedures was "beyond the pale."

Paul Johnson said in a media briefingon Monday that even thoughthat pub KrownKafe had four infractions under the Reopening Ontario Act (ROA), it won't be included on the city's website because it isn't naming businesses retroactively.

A week ago, Johnson said there were "people getting up and singing and playing music and dancing and having the crowd dance, no masks, no physical distancing ... [without] any contact tracing information being collected.It's a disappointing example, not of businesses trying hard and missing one of the many, many things they needed to do, but a few businesses just don't care ... This was just 'Let's open up and whatever happens, happens.'"

The list includes four businesses that have faced charges under the ROA, but not all of them have been charged because they ignored the rules.

"A lot of people said somehow I 'just don't feel it's important to be transparent' or something and it's just the way we've been doing it throughout the pandemic and so we've changed that," Johnson said.

"It's a go-forward piece."

The site shows there have been a total of 20 charges laid under the ROA. It's unclear how many of the charges were the results of complaints.

Johnson said thewebpagewill beupdated on a weekly basis.