Premier Doug Ford also announced harsh penalties for selling "necessary goods" at an inflated rate Saturday
The province is following through on a promise to end price gouging in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Premier Doug Ford warned those who are taking advantage of the crisis Thursday. The Ontario PC announced penalties for selling "necessary goods" at an inflated rate at his daily briefing Saturday afternoon.
Those goods include:
- Masks and gloves used as personal protective equipment in relation to infections.
- Non-prescription medications for the treatment of the symptoms of the coronavirus.
- Disinfecting agents intended for cleaning and disinfecting objects or humans.
- Personal hygiene products, including soap products and paper products.
Under the order individual offenders can face a ticket of $750; If summoned to court and convicted, they could also face up to $100,000 in fines and one year in jail.
A company director or officer could face a fine of up to $500,000 and up to a year in jail if convicted and a corporation could face a fine of up to $10-million.
If the measures work, Essex MPP Taras Natyshak says it will ease a lot of worried minds.
"I think it's an important message to retailers and it's one that I think gives consumers some comfort," says the New Democrat. "Folks are worried about how they're going to make ends meet and provide for their families."
He hopes the province keeps focused on another major issue when it comes to supplying essential products.
"Let's not take our eyes off the ball and make sure our hospitals and our first responders are well resourced and can do the job that we need them to do right now," added Natyshak.
Residents can report suspected price gouging at 1-800-889-9768 Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or through the provinces online reporting tool.