B.C. health officer encourages use of social media to ‘call out’ people breaking the rules

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said people should be "called out" for ignoring social distancing behaviour and encouraged people to take to social media to let others know hanging out with friends and gathering in groups was not OK.

"I would encourage people to use social media, to call people out," Henry told a media conference today, March 20.

While the province has made clear the steps people are required to take — and said they could become orders — it appears the message has been lost on some, with reports of people gathering in parks and people still out socializing. 

She had been asked what people could do to convince their friends and family to adhere to social distancing rules.

"(Tell people) this is what we need to do now," she said. "We need to keep our germs to ourselves."

"Young people feel like they're immune to this… more info is coming out that young people are not immune," she said. "People in their 20s and 30s do get pneumonia with this and sometimes do get seriously ill."

"The people that we are going to bring it home to are the people that are closest to us," she said. "Our grandparents… our parents… somebody in our life whose immune system is comprised."

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