The Freedom Rally at J-Rocks Bar & Grill on Saturday. (Screengrab from realchrisskytv/Twitch)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Attendees at Medicine Hat rally asked to book tests after positive COVID-19 result

Apr 26, 2021 | 8:23 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – People who attended a Freedom Rally over the weekend in Medicine Hat outside J-Rocks Bar and Grill are being asked to book a COVID-19 test, as soon as possible after an individual tested positive.

Alberta Health Services confirmed the positive case this afternoon on Twitter.

Video posted on social media shows close to 100 people in attendance Saturday as anti-lockdown activist Chris Sky came through the city.

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According to Sky’s social media pages, he has since appeared at rallies in Maple, Creek, Sask. Regina and Winnipeg.

Attendees at the Freedom Rally. (Screengrab from realchrisskytv/Twitch)

AHS is asking everyone who attended the rally to book an appointment whether symptomatic or not.

UPDATE:

We Choose Freedom organizer Stephen Campbell spoke to CHAT News Monday afternoon. He said he wasn’t notified about the positive case, but he will be contacting AHS to get further confirmation.

“My comment is, is that I’m very curious that it has been a tweet that was given out and nobody has actually been contacted. I don’t think a tweet is an appropriate place for AHS to use their powers to get the word out. I don’t follow Twitter at all. I do not use Twitter,” Campbell said.

The freedom rally was held outside J-rocks Bar and Grill, a restaurant that has been very public about its decision to flaunt restrictions.

On Thursday, AHS issued a closure order after the restaurant was found in contravention of the public health order by offering in-person dining. Not maintaining appropriate separation distances, inadequate cleaning procedures to mitigate transmission risk and lack of adequate PPE were also factors in the closure decision.

Despite the order, the restaurant posted on social media that it was still serving customers and offering live music over the weekend.

The decision made by some businesses to ignore public health restrictions is concerning to business owners who are following the rules.

Chris Hellman, a local business owner, worries their actions will only extend restrictions further.

“I think there definitely needs to be an understanding by them that they are impacting more than just themselves. They are impacting the bottom line of other businesses in the same industry as them. They are impacting the bottom line of the employees that work in the industry at those other restaurants. So I think they need to take a good long look at what they are doing big picture-wise and consider the impacts to the great many rather than themselves.”

AHS said further enforcement action against restaurants that don’t follow the rules could include the suspension of food handling permits or prosecution.