Rodney and Ekaterina Baker have been charged after flying to the remote Canadian city of Yukon to get Covid-19 vaccine, officials say

Yukon Community Services Minister John Streicker said the couple showed up at a mobile clinic in Beaver Creek, an indigenous community, last Thursday.

One of them presented a health care map in British Columbia, the other one from Ontario, Streicker said in a statement.

The Bakers were not charged with the vaccination. Rather, they were accused of failing to meet quarantine requirements after arriving in Canadian territory.

According to an indictment, the Bakers come from Vancouver, British Columbia, southeast of the Yukon area.

“I am outraged at this selfish behavior and find it disturbing that people would choose to endanger fellow Canadians in this way,” Streicker said. “According to reports, these people were misleading and violated their emergency measures for their own benefit, which is completely unacceptable at any time, but especially during a public health crisis.”

CNN could not reach the Bakers for comment Tuesday.

Some introduce themselves as local motel staff, reports say

Indigenous communities are one of the groups favored for Covid-19 vaccinations according to Canada’s vaccination guidelines. They are also often excessively affected by the new coronavirus, as they may be in areas where access to health care is restricted.
Beaver Creek, the westernmost community in Canada, is home to the White River First Nation. It’s just a few miles from the Alaska border.
The Bakers allegedly rented a plane from the city of Whitehorse in Yukon to Beaver Creek, which has about 125 residents, and claimed they were employees at a local motel, Streicker told CNN’s news partner CBC.

The Bakers arrived in Yukon from Vancouver on January 19 and were supposed to be isolated in Whitehorse for 14 days, according to officials. According to a complaint filed with law enforcement, they traveled to Beaver Creek on Jan. 21. According to officials, the trip was not allowed due to the quarantine requirements.

After the couple shot, they aroused suspicion in the community by asking for a ride to the airport, Streicker told CNN’s news partner CBC.

And people were like, ‘Well, why would you go to the airport? ” Streicker said.

After an investigation, the couple was located at Whitehorse Airport, and Yukon officials told CNN the couple left the area the same day.

Members of the mobile clinic team called the motel and informed that the couple did not work there, Streicker told CBC.

CNN released Streicker for comment Tuesday, but did not hear about it.

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According to Streicker, the health maps of British Columbia and Ontario would not necessarily have prevented the bakers from getting it, as there are many workers outside the area in the region.

Rodney, 55, and Ekaterina Baker, 32, were each charged with failure to isolate themselves for 14 days after entering the area, and that they did not behave in a manner consistent with the statement made at the entrance to the area is not given.

Levies under the Civil Emergency Measures Act (CEMA) can include fines of up to $ 500; up to 6 months imprisonment; or both, according to Yukon’s Covid-19 orders and directions. The Bakers each imposed a $ 500 fine and a $ 75 surcharge for both charges.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are aware of the situation. The RCMP’s Yukon office said on Tuesday it was investigating; it would not answer CNN questions.

The Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, a hotel and casino business with 25 Canadian properties, told CNN that on January 24, Rodney Baker was no longer the president and CEO of Great Canadian and Great Canadian. is “no longer connected to the company.”

“As a company, Great Canadian takes health and safety protocols extremely seriously, and our company follows all instructions and guidance issued by public health authorities in every area of ​​law in which we operate,” it added.

The White River First Nation said it was “particularly concerned about the insensitive nature of these individuals’ actions, as it was a blatant disregard for the rules in which our community is kept safe during this unprecedented global pandemic.”

CNN’s Paula Newton and Carma Hassan contributed to this report.

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