BC Liberal Leadership candidate Renee Merrifield repeatedly undermined public health experts at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Dec. 18, Merrifield apologized for amplifying personal attacks on Dr. Bonnie Henry. Merrifield liked tweets that said:

• “Going against Bonnie Henry’s “guidelines” when it comes to LTC & schools is the smart thing to do. She has little regard for the health & safety of BC’s vulnerable populations”
• “Schools/workplaces are being used to slowly spread the virus”
• “DBH’s stance on rapid testing (and almost everything else) is at odds with the widely accepted science”
• “[Dix] just opens up his head, lets Bonnie pour in her BS of the week”

On Jan. 20, Merrifield accused Dr. Henry of spreading “false information” about the effectiveness of first doses and opposed Dr. Henry’s decision to delay the second dose interval.

On April 30, she falsely claimed that taking Vitamin D would help cure COVID.

On June 11, she presented a petition to the Legislature claiming that masks cause “irreversible damage, emotionally, mentally and physically to children”.

On July 29, she questioned why provincial health orders aimed at slowing COVID in the Interior were necessary, saying it “seems the goalposts have now moved.”

Jinny Sims, MLA for Surrey-Panorama:

“Since becoming BC Liberal Health Critic, Renee Merrifield has continually attacked and undermined B.C.’s public health experts. Her anti-science views should have no place in our politics, let alone with the leader of a political party.”