casino news Public Outrage As Casino Boss Jumps Queue For Vaccine
The CEO of a leading casino company valued close to $2 billion has quit after being charged with lying to officials to get a vaccine.
The man in question is Rod Baker of the Great Canadian Gaming Corp. He traveled with his wife to a remote northern Yukon region to get the coronavirus jabs. The region is one of the areas with a high vaccination rate in comparison to other places in Canada.
Rod Baker and his wife posed as lowly motel workers in order to get ahead of the queue and get the vaccination faster. Despite their disguise, they were quickly spotted by local residents.
They were identified after looking for ways to get to the airport immediately after the vaccination. They had previously flown into the territory by private plane after coming in from the city of Whitehorse from Vancouver.
“I am outraged by this selfish behavior,” said Yukon’s Community Services Minister John Streicker. “We had not imagined that someone would go to this sort of length to mislead or deceive,” he added.
In a statement, the Great Canadian Gaming Corp (GCGC) said that Mr. Baker “is no longer affiliated in any way with the company.”
The statement also said that “no tolerance for actions that run counter to the company’s objectives and values.”
“Any such actions whatsoever that run contrary to the company’s core values, that do not comply with GCGC’s strict compliance policies in regards to travel, and ensure that the company and its employees follow all health guidance and directions, will not be tolerated,” the statement continued.
Calls For Sentencing
There are several calls for Rod Baker and his wife to face harsh punishment for their acts.
“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. It’s clear to me that because we are a predominantly indigenous community, that they assumed we were naïve,” said White River First Nation Chief Angela Demit, leader of the local indigenous nation,
Janet Vander Meer, part of the White River First Nation’s coronavirus response team, said, “this is another example of ongoing acts of oppression against indigenous communities by wealthy individuals that thought they would get away with it. Our oldest resident of Beaver Creek, who is 88-years-old, was in the same room as this couple.”
“That’s got to be jail time. I can’t see anything less. For what our community has been through the last few days. The exhaustion. It’s just mind-boggling.”
The community is more than 4 hours drive from the closest hospital, putting locals at a higher risk of fatality should they contract the virus.
According to local reports, the couple had to walk back to the airport after the residents refused to offer them a ride out of town.
