Possibly. I don't think it'll stop anti-maskers and people from living their day to day activities. Look at Ontario for instance. Ford has a $10k fine for any household who has an event with 10+ people. That comes with an extra $750 fine per visitor too. It has not stopped house parties here.
Then the fines and penalties need to increase in order for a clear message to be sent. High dollar fines and if that doesn’t send the message maybe some mandatory community service or even jail time will.
I agree. The big question is where does the government draw the line? If the penalty is too harsh will there be push back from the people? It's a double edged sword.
But nonetheless simply just acknowledging the virus won't do a whole lot IMO.