There are bad choices during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then there are REALLY bad choices.
This is the latter.
Quebec police are investigating after a whopping 83 students disobeyed literally every piece of COVID-19 messaging out there by partying in an Airbnb in one of the province’s hardest hit areas this past weekend.
According to the Police MRC des Collines Twitter account, the students were fined $1,000 each.
“83 people identified in an Airbnb in Chelsea having a party. All students. $1,000 fine for each. The investigation continues,” the tweet in French said.
That’s $83,000 in total fines for one party, if you’re keeping track.
The party took place in Chelsea, a small municipality just north of Gatineau near the Quebec-Ontario border. Police responded around 2 a.m. after calls from neighbours, and while 83 people were fined inside the Airbnb, they reported other individuals fleeing the scene.
Airbnb has also said they will crack down on partying in the company’s rentals. The company announced a “global party ban” on Aug. 20, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy limits occupancy to 16 people maximum in a single home.
WATCH: Quebec premier says some measures will stay longer. Story continues below.
“Guests will be informed about Airbnb’s party rules and informed that they may be legally pursued by Airbnb if they violate our policy,” the ban states.
Of course, that number is even higher than the current regulations in the Gatineau area. The city and surrounding region are currently under level four (red) alert, Quebec’s maximum COVID-19 alert level. That means private gatherings are banned both in and outdoors, and visitors from outside the household are prohibited, with a few exceptions.
The City of Gatineau and the surrounding area were moved to the red alert level on Oct. 11. There have been 2,264 total cases of COVID-19 and 40 deaths in the region as of Oct. 26.
So, definitely not a party zone at the moment.