Horgan says jumping vaccine line 'un-Canadian'

Premier John Horgan says most people in British Columbia are doing their best to follow public health guidelines during COVID-19 pandemic, but some are acting badly.

The premier called a B.C. couple "un-Canadian" for travelling to Yukon where they're alleged to have jumped the queue to get an early COVID-19 vaccine shot.

The couple accused of flying to a remote Yukon community to get the COVID-19 vaccine will have to answer for their alleged actions in a courtroom.

Great Canadian Gaming CEO Rod Baker and his wife, Ekaterina Baker, were given summary tickets last week for violating the territory's Civil Emergency Measures Act, which carried fines of up to $1,000, plus fees.

Yukon Community Services Minister John Streicker says those tickets have been stayed and the same charges are being served upon the couple with a notice to appear in court in Whitehorse.

The distinction means that if they are convicted, they could also serve up to six months in jail. A request for comment from the couple sent to Ekaterina Baker's email was not immediately returned.

The registry in Whitehorse said the couple had not yet been served with the new documents, but their court date is scheduled for May 4. They are each charged with one count of failing to self-isolate for 14 days and one count of failing to act in a manner consistent with their declarations upon arriving in Yukon.

Watch live: As we mark one year since the first lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 becoming known in BC, I'm providing an update on our government's work to keep people healthy, safe and secure.https://t.co/g4H4zdoFca

— John Horgan (@jjhorgan) January 27, 2021

Horgan says it's disconcerting that some people are holding large gatherings in Vancouver penthouses and others are looking for parties in Whistler despite health restrictions.

But he says while a few people are looking for loopholes, most are sticking to the rules and contributing to keeping everybody safe during the pandemic.

Horgan says provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry's call for people to do more to fight COVID-19 was her plea to get everybody to adhere to public health restrictions.

The province reported 485 new cases of COVID-19 today, and four additional deaths.