Questions are being raised about a Liberal fundraiser for Health Minister and MHA for Gander district, John Haggie.
The $250-a-plate fundraiser was held last night at Bally Haly in St. John’s—organized by the Gander Liberal District Association.
An ad suggested that Premier Andrew Furey was scheduled as the guest speaker, but the Premier’s Office says Furey was not in attendance at the event, which was organized before COVID numbers in the province started to rise.
Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald has repeatedly reminded Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to keep their contacts to a minimum and to limit gatherings to 20 people or less depending on the ability to maintain social distancing.
The 20-person rule does not apply to larger venues where social distancing is possible, but many have raised serious questions about the gathering given rising concern about the potential spread of COVID-19.
“I want to address some information that is circulating on social media. Tonight I attended a small fundraising event in St. John’s at the Bally Haly clubhouse, which has a seating capacity of 220 people. There were 23 people in attendance. The current guidelines for gatherings state that events run by a recognized business or organization can have up to 100 people, depending on the capacity of the venue. We had well below the required limits for gatherings at this time and the large space was chosen to ensure appropriate physical distancing.
All attendees wore masks when not seated at their table for a meal, like at a restaurant. All attendees filled in a COVID-19 screening questionnaire upon entry and names were recorded for contact tracing purposes. Hand sanitizer was placed on every table as well. I know the public health requirements and everything was followed appropriately.
I think it is important that we support our business community that have went (sic) above and beyond to ensure guests are safe. The protocols in place and the service provided at the venue tonight was excellent. I hope this provides some clarification.”
Meanwhile, Haggie has issued a statement on the matter, saying that Bally Haly has a seating capacity of 220 people. There were 23 in attendance well within the current guideline whereby organizations and businesses can have gatherings of up to 100.
Haggie says it’s important to support the business community and that all safety protocols were in place.
Opposition Leader Ches Crosbie is not convinced though. He wonders if it sends the wrong message.