Proof of vaccination: Social media video shows customer arguing with staff, other customers at B.C. restaurant
Social media video appears to show a woman arguing with staff and other customers at a B.C. restaurant about the province's proof of vaccination requirements, describing the enforcement as "tyranny."
The undated video was uploaded to TikTok Saturday night with the caption “Anti-vaxxers harassing White Spot staff.” The user says the video was captured at the Coquitlam location.
The two-minute clip shows three women, all unmasked, inside the restaurant. One woman is speaking to a staff member while holding her phone out recording. She can be heard telling a staff member that businesses are “trying to get away with this tyranny.”
Another customer then intervenes and also starts recording on her phone. She says to the woman: “If you don’t have your vaccine passport it’s time to leave.”
The woman replies: “Is this communist China?”
When asked to stop recording, the woman responds: “No, this is the evidence for when I take action against White Spot for their tyranny.”
Industry groups have long voiced concerns for front-of-house staff having to enforce the health orders requiring people to show proof of vaccination in order to dine in at restaurants. Some businesses have taken to hiring private security.
George Moschonas owns Spartan Security and says in the past 10 days he’s increased his staff from five people to 15.
“In the last, probably, 10 days, we’ve seen an increase in the demand for security at non-essential businesses such as restaurants and theatres,” Moschonas said, adding that his staff have been subject to arguments and verbal harassment.
“We’re used to being yelled at; there’s no reason for any restaurant staff to be yelled at,” he said. “I never thought in my wildest dreams that we would be at the front entrance of a restaurant asking people to prove their vaccine.”
In some instances, people have been calling 911 to deal with unruly customers. Kaila Butler, a spokesperson for the emergency dispatch company E-Comm, says there have been “a couple dozen” calls in the last week.
“Primarily the type of calls we have received are more along the lines of businesses looking to report individuals who are unwilling to provide their vaccine card or immunization records,” Butler said. “Every time that we’ve seen a new restriction or a new COVID requirement come into place, very understandably the public can be unsure about where to call, who's the best resource to reach out to. So, it is something that we were prepared for.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Disability Benefit needs to safeguarded from clawbacks, MPs unanimously agree
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
BREAKING Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during UK trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
Six Canadian children repatriated from detention in Syria, Global Affairs Canada says
The Global Affairs Department says six Canadian children have been repatriated from detention in northeastern Syria.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Quebec to limit sperm donations per donor after 3 men from same family father hundreds of children
Quebec is looking at tightening the regulations around sperm donation in the province following the release of a documentary that revealed three men from the same family fathered hundreds of children.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.