Etches says she gets 'pretty ugly emails' but understands anger
As Ottawa's face of COVID-19 — and the restrictions put in place to fight the pandemic — Dr. Vera Etches has received some nasty messages in her inbox and on social media.
"I've had some pretty ugly emails, but I can handle that," the medical officer of health told reporters Wednesday. "I'm not worried."
Etches' comments came after her counterpart in British Columbia, Dr. Bonnie Henry, spoke Tuesday about receiving death threats and abusive letters during the pandemic, attacks she attributed partly to being a woman in a high-profile position.
While her staff has had to block some messages on Twitter, Etches said that unlike Henry, her life hasn't been threatened.
Etches told reporters Wednesday she understands people's anger.
"People have been harmed by losing their jobs, losing their businesses — those are not small impacts," she said. "It's very serious."
Excessively long lines at testing sites, slow response times for results, complex school set-ups, and physical distancing restrictions have all disrupted people's lives, and fairly or not — Ottawa Public Health (OPH) doesn't directly run the testing, for example — Etches has found herself the object of people's frustrations and fears.
And yet, Etches said it's important to hear how COVID-19 is hurting people, because it helps OPH and its partners make better decisions.
"I think it's important to hear from people who are negatively impacted," she said. "I take in that information and I think about how we can better support people with our social services, with economic recovery."
'Typical cowards'
At the same news conference, which followed Wednesday's council meeting, Mayor Jim Watson was also asked whether he's received any abusive messages over COVID-19 measures.
Watson said he often receives tweets and emails attacking him for policy, or something he's said, but the mayor appeared to have less tolerance for attacks on medical officers of health — public servants that "we're relying on to get us through these difficult times."
He called those sending the messages "typical cowards."
"They do things from behind a computer screen or anonymously send out letters," Watson said. "And [their targets] are people we should be lauding or thanking but not threatening."
