A Canadian couple has been charged with rape coronavirus guidelines after they allegedly flew from Vancouver to a rural area with a population of less than 125 to be vaccinated.
On January 21, the couple, identified as Rodney and Ekaterina Baker, went to a COVID-19 mobile vaccine clinic in Beaver Creek, Yukon, although they are not from the area, which is near the border. ‘Alaska, Yukon Minister of Community Services John Streicker. he said in a statement to CBS News.
One of them had a British Columbia health card and the other, an Ontario health card, according to the statement.
After their visit to Beaver Creek, home of the White Nation First Nation (WRFN) community, Yukon Civil Emergency Measures Act (CEMA) officials tracked the couple.
Officials determined that the bakers “violated the requirements of isolation from the territory and did not respect the statements they provided upon entering the territory,” Streicker’s statement says.
All of them were accused of not isolating themselves for 14 days after entering the territory and of “not behaving in a manner consistent with the statement provided upon entering the territory.”
In his statement, Streicker said he was “outraged by this selfish behavior” and found it “disturbing that people chose to put their Canadian colleagues at risk in this way.”
“According to reports, these people were misleading and violated emergency measures to their own advantage, which is totally unacceptable at any time, but especially during a public health crisis,” Streicker continued.
The Territory Civil Emergency Measures Act includes several directives to help curb the spread of COVID-19, including the personal isolation of outside visitors. The fine set for each order violation is $ 500.
However, the Bakers received a fine of $ 1,150 each, WRFN chief executive Sid C. Vander Meer told CBS News by email.
In a statement on Saturday, WRFN said the couple’s punishment was “lenient” and called for a harsher sentence.
“These individuals made false statements to Yukon government officials about their intentions in the territory and voluntarily violated self-isolation orders,” WRFN said in the statement. “WRFN is especially concerned about the insensitive nature of these actions taken by individuals, as they were a blatant disgrace to the rules in which our community is kept safe during this unprecedented global pandemic.”
“We are deeply concerned about the actions of people who put our elderly and vulnerable people at risk for skipping the line for selfish purposes,” WRFN chief Angela Demit said in the statement.
“While we understand that many want to have a vaccine right away, it is not appropriate to circumvent established rules and approach our community in this way,” the statement continued. “WRFN was selected for vaccines given our distance, the elderly and the high-risk population, as well as limited access to health care.”
In an emailed statement to CBS News, a representative of Great Canadian Gaming Corporation said that as of Monday, Rodney Baker is no longer the president and CEO of Great Canadian. “It is no longer affiliated in any way with Great Canadian and has left the company without receiving any termination,” the statement said.
“Great Canadian’s board of directors and its management team have no tolerance for actions that go against the company’s core goals and values,” the statement continued.
The company “strictly follows all guidelines and guidelines issued by public health authorities” and “any of the actions that are contrary to the core values of the company, which do not comply with GCGC’s strict compliance policies with respect to travel and ensure that the company and its employees follow all health guidelines and directions, they will not be tolerated, ”the statement says.