SASKATOON -- Mayor Charlie Clark is welcoming the province’s introduction of harsher fines for people who break COVID-19 rules.

The maximum fine for a person who violates COVID-19 public health orders was raised to $10,000 from $2,800 on Monday.

Clark has criticized a series of anti-COVID restriction "freedom rallies" held in the city.

"I think that there has been a feeling in the province for some time and in our city that there was a lot of people who were organizing these protests and gathering in these protests and not seeing many consequences," Clark told CTV Morning Live.

"To see people out there bragging about organizing people to break health orders, it undermines the whole system," Clark said.

Clark most recently spoke out against a children's "freedom rally" held in the city in April.

Saskatoon police say they handed out tickets to 11 attendees for violating public health orders.