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The changes blindsided the Retail of Council of Canada which have been in discussions for six weeks with the province on supply-chain issues resulting from the pandemic with no mention of the new ticketing measure.

Retail Council of Canada spokesman Greg Wilson said Sunday they were “deeply disappointed” by the move and would be communicating such to the province.

Even as British Columbia’s social distancing and extraordinary restrictions, including school and business closures, have slowed the rate of the spread of the virus, some people are taking advantage of demand for sought — after supplies, including items such as medical masks.

Consumer Protection B.C. has received almost 1,500 price-gouging complaints to date.

“There are always those who seek to take advantage of people’s fears and those who prey on the collective anxieties of our communities … In the past month, many of us have heard cases of price gouging or someone selling essential supplies illegally,” said Farnworth. “I can assure you we will not allow these practices to continue.”

The new enforcement powers come into place as B.C. has begun to get control of the pandemic by reducing the rate of increase of virus cases. Hospitalizations have dropped as well.

By Saturday, the last day for which figures were available, 29 new cases brought the total to 1,647 in B.C.

The death toll had reached 81.

In British Columbia, reports of price gouging have surfaced in Port Coquitlam, Richmond, Delta and Langley.