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AprilMillionaire casino CEO and wife fined for violating COVID quarantine
A millionaire Canadian casino CEO and his actress wife have been fined just $817 each and avoided jail time despite violating quarantine and flying to a rural town to get the vaccine early.
Rodney Baker, 55, and his 32-year-old wife Ekaterina Baker pleaded guilty in Whitehorse, Yukon on Wednesday to two counts each of violating the territory's COVID-19 rules, which included a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
They were not charged for getting the vaccine early.
Baker was the CEO of Great Canadian Gaming Corp - a major owner of casinos and race tracks across - but was forced to resign after the couple's actions caused outrage across the country.
The couple, who live in Vancouver, flew into Whitehorse January 19 before chartering a private jet two days later to Beaver Creek - a small community in the country's northwest region near the border.
Canadians Rodney Baker, 55, and his 32-year-old wife Ekaterina Baker pleaded guilty in Whitehorse, Yukon on Wednesday to two counts each of violating the territory's COVID-19 rules, which included a mandatory 14-day quarantine
They received their Moderna vaccines at a mobile clinic in Beaver Creek after lying about working at a local motel.
The couple then flew back to Whitehorse.
Under territory rules, they were supposed to quarantine for 14 days after first arriving in Whitehorse.
The small community, which is home to the White River First Nation, was given priority to receive the vaccine because of its indigenous population, remoteness and limited access to health care.
The local government had announced that anyone living or working in Yukon would be eligible to receive the vaccine, even if they had IDs or health cards from other jurisdictions.
After the couple received their vaccines, suspicious locals called the motel to confirm they worked there.
Territorial enforcement officers later intercepted them at Whitehorse airport where they were in line to fly back to Vancouver.
Ekaterina Baker, 32, married her millionaire husband in 2017.
The actress is pictured above on June 12 in New York attending the Tribeca Film Festival
The couple received the vaccine after they lied about working at this motel in Beaver Creek. In the event you loved this article and you want to receive much more information regarding คาสิโนออนไลน์ assure visit the web site. The small community had been given priority to receive the vaccine because of its remoteness, an elderly population and limited access to health care
The couple flew into Whitehorse on January 19 before chartering a private jet two days later to Beaver Creek. The couple then flew back to Whitehorse after receiving the vaccine. Under territory rules, the couple were meant to quarantine for 14 days after first arriving in Whitehorse
The Bakers were served with violation tickets for not quarantining and also giving a false address in their self-declaration for where they would be isolating.
They both plead guilty to failing to self-isolate for 14 days and failing to act in a manner consistent with their declarations upon arriving in Yukon.
Chief Judge Michael Cozens agreed with a joint sentencing submission, ordering the Bakers to pay the maximum of $408 (C$500) for each charge, plus a victim surcharge.
The Bakers testified they each donated $4,085 (C$5,000) to the global vaccine sharing effort known as COVAX.
The judge encouraged the couple to offer their reparations directly to the Beaver Creek community, which is home to the White River First Nation.
Baker resigned as Great Canadian Gaming Corp.'s president and chief executive after their actions made news.
An information circular published by Great Canadian Gaming in March said Baker earned a total of about $5.5 million in compensation from the company in 2019.
The company owns and operates more than 20 casinos in British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Baker became president in 2010 and CEO the following year.
They received their Moderna vaccine at a mobile clinic set up in Beaver Creek after lying about working at a local motel. Territorial enforcement officers later intercepted the couple at Whitehorse airport where they were in line to fly back to Vancouver
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