Ottawa Public Health Addressed The Idea That COVID-19 Is A Conspiracy & They Got Sassy

Ottawa’s official health agency isn’t playing around. In a tweet on July 14, Ottawa Public Health addressed the idea that COVID-19 is a global conspiracy. In fact, the agency got pretty sassy about it!

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has been using social media to address concerns about COVID-19 and to share health and wellness advice.

This week, the health agency took aim at the “misinformation” that’s circulating on the internet right now, specifically the idea that the pandemic is a “global conspiracy.”

On Tuesday morning, OPH explained, “The idea that #COVID19 is a global conspiracy involving every nurse, doctor, hospital, health unit & government on Earth shows a rather optimistic view towards Project Management.”

They went on to say that “misinformation is out there,” and urged Canadians to only read and share information from sources that are reliable.

Speaking to Narcity back in April, one Alberta professor explained, "There's just so much uncertainty and when there is a gap in knowledge or understanding, it's often filled with things like conspiracy theories and misinformation.”

He used the 5G myth as an example of a wild COVID-19 conspiracy theory, an idea which became so out of control that even the prime minister was forced to speak out about it.

This isn’t the first time that OPH has used humour and a dash of sass to get their health messages across.

The agency threw some serious shade at Leafs fans last month, in an attempt to express the importance of wearing a face mask in public spaces.

They also trolled those who were stockpiling toilet paper during the early days of the pandemic, joking that absolutely nobody needs “671 rolls.”

That said, OPH also shares some pretty serious messages from time-to-time.

Last week, they had a strong notice for anybody harassing store staff and cashiers, in relation to Ottawa’s new mandatory face mask policy.

“Mandatory masks were NOT ordered by the cashier at your grocery store,” wrote OPH. “We understand some of you are upset, but please direct your feedback towards us & not at businesses/employees."

"Like masks, civility & respect are needed in public places,” they added.

It seems if you don't want to deal with sass from OPH, it's probably best to wear your mask and avoid conspiracy theories at all costs!

*This article's cover is for illustrative purposes only.