The Quebec government has issued tens of thousands of fines to residents who did not comply with its pandemic restrictions, but a new study finds that this “punitive” approach does not necessarily slow down the spread of COVID-19. Released on March 10, the study, conducted by four researchers from the University of Montreal’s Profiling Observatory (l’Observatoire des profilages), concluded that “Québec chose to turn the public health crisis into a public safety crisis, managed with 46,563 police interventions.” “Our report shows that 46,563 statements of offence were issued with regard to the health measures between September 21, 2020, and October 3, 2021. This means that on average, more than 123 statements of offence were issued per day in Québec by police forces during this period,” the study said. Specifically, the study analyzed infractions related to COVID-19 measures, including gathering limits, curfews, mask mandates, and proof of vaccination. The authors noted …