Doctors, patients and caregivers demand safe access to healthcare on National Day of Mourning
April 26, 2023 (Vancouver, BC) – On Friday, April 28th at 12:00 pm, people in British Columbia will converge on the office of Health Minister Adrian Dix to protest the removal of universal masking in hospitals and long-term care. Echoing calls from BC’s Human Rights Commissioner (and doctors and researchers worldwide), healthcare workers, patients and caregivers are uniting to demand measures that protect the most vulnerable.
The protest comes after government officials announced they were withdrawing both healthcare safety measures and publicly available pandemic data. While PHO claimed this was because “respiratory season” is ending and Covid levels are “stable”, data from the Public Health Agency of Canada, StatsCan and independent analysis shows BC’s Covid-19 hazards remain high, with around 1 in 17 people currently infected. Since mask directives were removed, several BC hospitals have declared Covid outbreaks.
“It’s morally reprehensible for our government to remove universal masking in health care,” says protest speaker Dr. Karina Zeidler, a family physician and co-founder of the independent public health group Protect our Province BC. “Hospitals shouldn’t be a place where you get Covid. More people died of Covid in 2022, the year of Omicron, than any other year of the pandemic. More than 1.4 million Canadians, including healthcare workers, are suffering from the devastating effects of Long Covid. Masking is an easy, cheap, effective measure against so many infectious diseases. It keeps us all safe.”
“Getting rid of masking means I can’t safely get the care I need,” says Michael Coyle, a father of one who received a kidney transplant in 2020. “I need regular follow-up care, and because I’m immunocompromised, getting Covid in hospital is a massive risk. I want to stay healthy and honour the gift I received from my donor – but right now, one of my greatest health risks is accessing medical care.”
With many of the most vulnerable unable to protest in-person, protesters will share statements from those missing, while others will join in on social media with the hashtags #BringBackMasks and #KeepMasksInHealthCare. A petition to return universal masking to hospitals has already garnered over 19,000 signatures. The protest occurs as BC honours the National Day of Mourning, dedicated to remembering lives lost in the workplace – and improving health and safety to prevent further injuries, illness and deaths.
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‘Do No Harm’ protest
When: Friday, April 28th @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Where: Outside the MLA office of Health Minister Adrian Dix (5022 Joyce St, Vancouver, BC V5R 4G7)
Accessibility: : Protesters will be masked; sidewalk is paved and wheelchair accessible. Protest safety personnel will be on site. Digital and remote participation via statement submissions and on Twitter.
About DoNoHarm BC
We are a non-partisan action group of British Columbians advocating for evidence-based safety measures in high-risk settings.
Media kit
Media inquiries: DoNoHarmBC@gmail.com
Download our media kit for photos, alt text, key facts and further quotes.
Follow the story: DoNoHarmBC #MaskUp #BringBackMasks #KeepMasksInHealthcare #CovidIsAirborne #HighRiskCovid19
