A group of young men shoot off fireworks on Halloween in Vancouver, on Saturday, October 31, 2020.
DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Vancouver police say they are disappointed after social media posts showed downtown streets crowded with partygoers on Halloween night, apparently flouting COVID-19 safety protocols.
Spokesman Const. Jason Doucette says it wasn’t possible to try to disperse the alcohol-fuelled crowd or issue tickets due to a number of factors.
He says the number of people in downtown grew larger than expected and additional resources were brought in from around the city.
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Doucette says police made a number of arrests for minor offences, such as causing a disturbance, but there were no reported injuries.
He says police likely won’t have a clear picture of calls for service on Halloween until later today.
On Thursday, B.C.’s chief medical officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, said the province was in a “danger zone” with more than 2,300 active cases of COVID-19 being reported.