Anti-mask sentiment got a little louder this past weekend with a rally in Vancouver and a disturbance on a BC Ferries vessel, and the B.C. premier said heѻýs always worried when misinformation is being spread.
NDP leader John Horgan, in a phone interview, was asked about recent anti-mask protests including Saturdayѻýs incident on a ferry sailing from Nanaimo to West Vancouver. Horgan said he thinks the vast majority of British Columbians understand what it means to be a good citizen.
ѻýIf people arenѻýt prepared to live by the rules in a civil society, they donѻýt have to participate,ѻý he said. ѻýIf you donѻýt want to take a B.C. ferry, get a water taxi, buy a boat, but do not put people at risk because you donѻýt believe that COVID-19 exists. It does, hundreds of people have died in British Columbia ѻý and Iѻým personally not prepared to accept people disregarding facts and science.ѻý
READ ALSO:
He said one only needs to look to the United States to see consequences of misinformation about COVID-19. He contrasted the U.S. experience with B.C., which he said has led the continent ѻýif not the worldѻý in keeping mortality rates and cases per capita low.
Horgan said British Columbians need to continue to depend on one another. Health officials donѻýt want people to think that masks are ѻýshields of invincibility,ѻý he said, but have repeatedly advised that masks can help protect others from the spread of the virus.
Horgan said talking to people during the election campaign, ѻýitѻýs all about getting through COVID-19,ѻý but that comes with unknowns ѻý he said there will still be a pandemic in the spring, likely next fall as well and maybe into 2022.
He said ѻýhealing will happenѻý in B.C. politics after the election and he hopes that whatever the next government looks like, there will be the kind of co-operation that he saw early on in the pandemic ѻýso that we could get to that place we were in March and April where we were all focused on making sure our communities were safe, healthy and secure.ѻý
To read the full interview, .
Anti-mask protesters cause disturbance on ferry from
ѻý Nanaimo Bulletin (@NanaimoBulletin)
READ ALSO:
READ ALSO:
READ ALSO:
editor@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on and follow us on