About 30 protestors opposing the public health orders imposed by the Provincial Health Office and the Federal Government gathered outside of Cranbrook City Hall on Saturday, with some claiming COVID-19 is a hoax.
“The rights and freedoms of Canadians and people worldwide have been stripped and decayed over a fictitious health crisis,” said Sean Rae, one of the attendees at the protest.
The BC Centre for Disease Control, however, said the virus has infected 30,884 British Columbians as of Friday, November 27th. The illness has also been attributed to 395 deaths, according to data released on Friday.
The protests come after B.C. ramped up its efforts to combat the virus by introducing a number of new measures and fines to go along with them.
The protesters were not wearing masks or physically distanced. The demonstration itself was a violation of public health orders, as the Province has banned all public gatherings.
More: Masks mandated and non-essential travel discouraged in B.C. (Nov 19, 2020)
Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer said she is opposed to the idea of people not wearing a mask to prove a point.
“I have no time for people who are belligerent and are trying to make a statement about anti-vax, and think that this is not a truly challenging pandemic. I have no time for people who believe that wearing a mask somehow makes them ill or is a sign of a lack of freedom,” said Henry. “To me, it’s a sign of respect for our fellow people who are suffering through this with us and about making sure we’re doing our piece in solidarity to get us through this really challenging time.”
As of Thursday, November 19th, the East Kootenay region has reported a total of 68 cases of COVID-19. The vast majority of Provincial cases have been focused in the Fraser Health area, with 19,428 cases.
Rae and the Cranbrook protestors deny the existence of COVID-19.
“There isn’t a virus we can label COVID-19, but there is plenty of sources to show that the virus hasn’t been isolated genetically, they have no way to accurately test for this virus, they’re testing for immune system stress and a general coronavirus, which is a group of viruses,” said Rae.
According to the CDC, the virus, otherwise known as SARS-CoV-2, was in fact isolated in a lab and is available for laboratory research. The isolated virus can be used by researchers to develop tests, vaccines, and used in antiviral and pathogen research.
Currently, there are three variants of testing approved by Health Canada: nucleic acid testing or PCR testing, which detects the virus’ genetic material; antigen-based testing or rapid tests, which detects the proteins on the surface of the virus; and serological testing, this does not detect the virus itself, but it looks for the antibody response to fight COVID-19.
Rae also claimed that one of the goals of the regulations is to devalue Canada’s currency.
“The government is using this money to prop up financial systems at the same time, there’s this facade of success taking place here. Every dollar that is printed and given away willy-nilly is devaluing the money you already have. Anything that you’ve saved is declining by the day, as you print more monopoly money,” said Rae.
While there is no denying the economic impacts of the COVID-19 campaign, as the region has seen a steep decline in tourism revenue due to travel restrictions, the idea that damaging the economy was done deliberately has no official sources.
“During this pandemic, businesses have been hit really hard, and tourism is a sector that has been hit especially hard. In the south-east corner of our province, in Kootenay East, tourism is a big deal, and we’re a destination spot for a lot of folks,” said Tom Shypitka, Kootenay East MLA.
More: Global Economy to See Worst Year Since 1930s (April 14, 2020)
The BCCDC said the virus is very much a real threat, and is asking people to wear mask indoors, wash your hands often, and keep your distance from others.
