A multimillionaire couple 'posed as motel workers to get a coronavirus vaccine' intended for locals.
Canadian casino mogul Rodney Baker, 55, and his 32-year-old wife, Ekaterina Baker, allegedly flew on a private plane more than 1,000 miles, to a community in Yukon where the Moderna jab was being delivered.
The couple were stopped on their return to Vancouver, by police officers who had been tipped off by suspicious clinic staff, who were confused at their request for lift to the airport.
Police slapped the Bakers with two charges each under Yukon’s Civil Emergency Measures Act, one for failing to self-isolate and the other for failing to follow a travel declaration on January 21.
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The maximum penalty they each face is a fine of up to $1,150 and/or up to six months in jail, New York Post reports.
On Sunday, Mr Baker stepped down from his position as CEO of the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation which reportedly earned him $10.6 million in 2019.
Yukon Community Services Minister John Streicker told CBC on Monday: “Effectively what they did was they put our community and our isolation team at risk, I’m pretty angry at the whole thing.”
Staff at a mobile clinic in Beaver Creek had been administering the vaccine to about 100 of the local residents, most of whom are members of the White River First Nation.
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The wealthy couple allegedly lied to workers at the clinic about where they lived and worked, according to the Yukon News.
But the pair raised suspicions when they asked for a ride to the airport after receiving their shots, Streicker said.
Officers searching for the couple, first went to nearby Whitehorse where they were meant to quarantine but eventually found them at the airport, preparing to fly back to Vancouver, the reports said.
Streicker added: “We just didn’t anticipate that anyone would go to this length to effectively deceive the team to get vaccinated, and I think we all felt pretty offended at the whole thing”.
The White River First Nation condemned the couple’s actions in a statement on Saturday.
Chief Angela Demit said: “We are deeply concerned by the actions of individuals who put our elders and vulnerable people at risk to jump the line for selfish purposes.
“While we understand many want to have a vaccination immediately, it is not appropriate to skirt the rules put in place and approach our community in this way.”
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