KITCHENER -- Officials with the Ministry of Labour said businesses inspected in Waterloo Region had a 42 per cent compliance rate with COVID-19 protocols in their latest round of inspections.
Provincial enforcement officers visited 523 businesses in Waterloo Region between March 11 and 16.
The ministry said 42 per cent of businesses were complying with the rules. They also handed out 65 orders and 21 tickets, but officials said they were focused on education.
According to the ministry, the most common problems were inadequate screening and improper PPE.
Enforcement teams visited 288 restaurants, 122 retail stores, 60 fitness and recreation facilities and 49 personal care services.
An inspection blitz at the end of January in Waterloo Region found 55 per cent compliance among big box stores. At that time, officials said the biggest concerns were screening, face coverings and maintaining physical distancing.
"It's a little bit disappointing to see that there's businesses that are struggling to have the right protocols and do the right thing," said Greg Durocher with the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce.
Durocher said some small businesses are struggling to keep up with costs associated with COVID-19.
"I can't underestimate the difficulty that businesses, small businesses are doing to try to keep up and provide that on very limited revenue coming in," he said.
A spokesperson with the Ministry of Labour said the enforcement officers visited businesses were identified as areas of concern by local public health officials.
They will discuss these enforcement actions at the regional COVID-19 update scheduled for Friday.
With reporting by CTV News Kitchener's Nicole Lampa
