generic 'Slap in the face of every health worker’: Canadians, top doctors respond to convoy protest threats, suggestion to avoid scrubs in streets
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, stressed that we need to be "grateful" for healthcare workers, after hospital employees in Toronto were advised to not to wear anything to identify them has health workers this weekend, due to a possible "freedom convoy" protest.
"We need to really be grateful and appreciate our health workers and our public health workers because they’ve been working day and night for over two years to try and keep all of us safe, and it’s unacceptable, any kind of hate, any kind of violence should not be tolerated," Dr. Tam said at a press conference on Friday.
"Protests are one thing and should be done peacefully and these are the very people who are trying to help, not only to protect people against COVID-19 but to support the community and all sorts of health issues. If you had an accident, if you need surgical interventions, if you need cancer treatment, so all these workers need to be able to have a safe passage to work and I think that’s critically important."
Unreal! In advance of convoy protests this weekend, health workers in Toronto are being asked not to wear clothes that may identify them as health workers.
They used to clap & bang pots for us. How'd we get to a place where health workers must hide in public just to be safe? 💔— Naheed Dosani (@NaheedD) February 3, 2022
no no no toronto police — we don’t need the memo: “not to look like health workers to avoid harm.” we will keep doing our job. we need you to do yours to keep us safe and every patient/family who needs care.
— Andrew Baback Boozary MD (@drandrewb) February 3, 2022
Due to a convoy protest this weekend, Toronto health workers are being asked to not wear clothes that identify them as health workers.
These protests aren't about "freedom."
They're a slap in the face of every health worker who has worked to save lives during this pandemic.— Dr. Amit Arya (@AmitAryaMD) February 3, 2022
Make this make sense: Toronto police is suggesting that healthworkers hide from the "freedom" convoy as they head to Toronto this weekend. How ridiculous is that? Why do we have to be the ones to adjust so as to accommodate their protests? What is the role of the police?
— Birgit Umaigba RN, MEd (@birgitomo) February 3, 2022
Email today with @TorontoPolice suggesting we don’t wear “clothing that may identify you as a hospital worker” for our safety as we go into work this weekend in preparation for #FreedomConvoy2022 . How did we get here? 🥲
— Anton Nikouline (@Anikoul) February 3, 2022
There is something wrong with the warning from law enforcement to healthcare workers on University Avenue NOT to wear garb that identifies them as such. Is that caution or capitulation? What right do protesters have to force me to hide the work I do?
— Dr. Brian Goldman (@NightShiftMD) February 3, 2022
HCWs are being told to come to work incognito.
This may be reasonable advice to minimize the potential for confrontation, but Bill C-3 is meant to deter those who would otherwise intimidate HCWs and patients.
Will HCWs be protected?
Will sick/dying patients have peace? pic.twitter.com/QrErBOs66R— Michael Warner (@drmwarner) February 3, 2022
Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada's health minister, urged all healthcare workers to report any incidents of harassment, intimidation and threats to their local police force.
Looking at how Canada should manage COVID-19 moving forward, Canada's chief public health officer indicated that we need to recognize that COVID-19 "is not going to disappear."
"We need to be able to address the ongoing presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a more sustainable way," Dr. Tam said. "The virus will continue to evolve so we need to also continue to evolve our measures, recognizing that further waves will occur."
"Some will actually be quite severe or disruptive and we need to be ready for them, but we do need to have more longer term, sustained approaches and capacity building so that we’re not in crisis mode all the time as we fight this virus."
