Newfoundland police receive powers to enter homes, stop vehicles, detain citizens during pandemic

The government of Newfoundland and Labrador has given police new powers to enforce public health orders amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Public Health Protection and Promotion act authorizes police officers to enter any premises, stop vehicles and detain people. They can also bring people that are not following public health measures to the border, according to CBC News.

"You can be put on the Marine Atlantic ferry and sent back to Nova Scotia," Premier Dwight Ball said to reporters on Tuesday

Bill 38 allows inspectors to go to any premises, collect samples for testing, make copies and also take photo or video evidence. They can inspect books and records as well.

The law protects inspectors, lawmakers, the chief medical officer, peace officers and more from personal liability.

Ball noted that these new changes will only stay in effect while there is still a public health emergency and the orders can be used if someone who shows up "needs to be sent back where they came from."

"It's extreme, by some people's estimation," Ball said. "Yet [it] was a requirement to make sure that the RCMP and the RNC would be able to enforce the special measures orders that were put in place by the chief medical officer."

Bill 38 was introduced after tourists started travelling to the province from other jurisdictions and increasing the chances of spreading coronavirus. This brought on stricter enforcement at the borders.

On Tuesday, Conservative leader Ches Crosbie said, "The enforcement at the points of entry was just not there. It was leaky as a sieve. Then the government decided, very quickly, to tighten up on that."

He added that they had to remove categories of people that a lot felt had a right to enter the province.

"What we negotiated today is a softening of that, I think overly strict and somewhat unbalanced approach, which may in fact well be in contradiction of aspects of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms," said Crosbie.

People who are still allowed to enter the province include retirees, students, temporary workers, people taking care of family and those relocating for work.

The House of Assembly held a sitting for the first time since March 26 on Tuesday.

On Monday’s daily coronavirus briefing, Ball noted that there is uncertainty surrounding the release of the new provincial budget.

"I speak to premiers on a weekly basis and sometimes twice a week, and the budgets that they would have put in place before this pandemic is not really worth the paper that it was written on," he said.

Ball said he expects to see the House of Assembly open more throughout the pandemic to go over more items of legislation.