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Controversial Alberta church that defied COVID-19 guidelines for months shut down by well being officers | CBC Information


Alberta Well being Providers has closed GraceLife Church in Parkland County west of Edmonton.

In an emailed assertion to CBC Information Wednesday morning, RCMP confirmed they have been on scene, helping AHS as they closed the church beneath Part 62.1 of the Alberta Public Well being Act.

As of 8:30 a.m., police autos and unmarked SUVs have been blocking entrances to the church parking zone. 

In a media assertion, AHS stated it “bodily closed” the church and has prevented entry till the church “can show the power to adjust to Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Well being’s restrictions.”

A whole bunch attended companies

The church has been on the centre of a chronic battle over COVID-19 enforcement. 

Since December it has repeatedly defied public orders, with lots of of individuals attending companies. The companies continued regardless of a closure order issued by AHS in January.

Provincial laws to stop the unfold of COVID-19 limit in-person attendance at church buildings to fifteen per cent of capability and name for individuals who do attend to bodily distance and put on masks. 

AHS stated it has tried to work collaboratively with the church for months to handle ongoing public well being considerations.

Steps taken earlier than Wednesday’s bodily closure embody:

  • An order issued by AHS on Dec. 17 requiring the church to adjust to restrictions ordered by Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s chief medical officer of well being.
  • A Court docket of Queen’s Bench order obtained Jan. 21 requiring the church to adjust to the earlier order.
  • A closure order issued Jan. 29 requiring closure till compliance with the restrictions was attained.
  • On March 27, AHS despatched a letter to Pastor James Coates offering him with data on the continued unfold of COVID-19.
  • Final week AHS invited Coates to satisfy just about to debate the dangers introduced by COVID-19, however the church has not supplied any dates to satisfy.

GraceLife Church “has determined to not observe these obligatory restrictions, nor have they tried to work with AHS to scale back the chance of COVID-19 transmission,” AHS stated within the media assertion.

“With COVID-19 circumstances rising and the extra easily-transmitted and doubtlessly extra extreme variants turning into dominant, there’s pressing want to attenuate unfold to guard all Albertans.”

GraceLife Church Pastor James Coates was charged in February with violating COVID-19 public well being orders and spent 35 days in custody earlier than pleading responsible to a cost of breaching bail. He returned to the pulpit on March 28. (GraceLife Church of Edmonton/Youtube)

Pastor beforehand charged, jailed 

Between July 10 final yr and Tuesday of this week, AHS stated it has obtained 105 complaints from the general public in regards to the church.

AHS stated inspectors have carried out 18 inspections on the website since July 10, 2020, and violations have been noticed at every go to. 

Coates was charged in February with violating COVID-19 public well being orders. 

After he was charged, Coates was jailed for refusing to adjust to a bail situation that he solely maintain companies in compliance with public well being orders. In early March, his attorneys appealed with the argument that it might go towards the pastor’s conscience earlier than God to not lead worshippers.

Coates spent 35 days in custody earlier than pleading responsible to a cost of breaching bail and was fined $1,500. He returned to the pulpit on March 28.

The church was additionally charged as an entity for exceeding allowable capability at Sunday companies in February.

‘Keep tuned’ for enforcement adjustments: Kenney 

Requested about repeated enforcement offences by Coates and the church, Premier Jason Kenney stated Wednesday that extra stringent enforcement of restrictions could also be essential to clamp down on surging circumstances of COVID-19. 

He stated Albertans breaking public well being measures are undermining efforts to curb the unfold of the virus, however that adjustments to enforcement wouldn’t be led by political choices. 

“As , in our nation, political officers don’t and shouldn’t direct the operational enforcement choices of police and enforcement businesses,” the premier stated in an interview with CBC radio. “There’s obtained to be a separation there.”

Kenney stated many enforcement officers have taken a “nice deal of abuse” whereas trying to clamp down on rule-breakers.

“I do assume our enforcement people, whether or not it is arrests or bylaw officers, the police forces, they have been very affected person throughout a troublesome time attempting to get compliance by schooling, by voluntary compliance and utilizing sanctions as a final resort.

“However I perceive there could also be motion coming. And in some circumstances and I’d simply say keep tuned on that.” 

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