Washington Health Commission inundated with threats, 25,000 emails about COVID ‘Isolation Camp’ Misinfo

Washington State’s health board received tens of thousands of emails about an agenda item that sparked misinformation accusing board officials of conspiring to create quarantine and isolation camps for people infected with COVID-19.

Leaflets that began circulating online in right-wing circles last week emphasized that the health council plans to discuss or vote on the implementation of the mandatory isolation law for people infected with COVID after the board of directors posted an agenda for January 12 meeting.

Some versions of the leaflet said the board would discuss immunization requirements for school-age children against certain diseases that could be prevented by vaccines in addition to rules regarding infectious and other diseases.

“Really clear, our board meeting on Wednesday — there was no conversation about quarantine and quarantine camps.” President of the Washington State Board of Health Keith told KREM. “There are no existing or ongoing rules for creating quarantine and isolation camps.”

Grellner says the state’s health board has received more than 25,000 emails about these bogus claims, with some turning into threats.

“Our Health Board members and our Medical Council staff, we are really under threat,” Grellner said. “And it’s just, it’s not okay.”

Before the meeting, conservative experts fanned the flames of false claims.

“Northwest governments have done a lot of scary things in the nearly two years since Covid first came from China,” Written Portland-based conservative radio host Lars Larson added that some of those efforts are “scary” like the board’s plan to add COVID-19 to its list of illnesses. allowing law enforcement to arrest and quarantine people in Washingtonians.

In one statement, the council stated that their agenda for the meeting “does not include changes to the isolation and quarantine policy nor does it recommend that law enforcement be used to enforce any request.” any vaccinations.” Instead, the discussion will follow a November 2021 rules hearing that governs the Washington Administrative Code based on new changes from the 2020 House Bill – including the removal of drop language targeted at people living with HIV/AIDS.

That law sought to modernize the state’s communicable disease law by “ending HIV/AIDS statutory exceptionalism, reducing HIV-related stigma, eliminating HIV exposure, and eliminating HIV/AIDS.” barriers to HIV testing”. according to a statement of the Medical Council.

The council also clarified that it will briefly notify a technical advisory group that is meeting to consider whether the COVID-19 vaccine should be included in the mandatory vaccine group but “will not take action on with this agenda item at the meeting.”

The panel said the advisory group was tasked with evaluating the vaccine “based on established criteria to develop and make recommendations”.

“The Board, at its discretion, may or may not approve the TAG recommendation,” the statement said, adding that exemptions in the state’s current immunization law state for “medical, religious, philosophical, or personal exemptions” will be complied with in the event of a childhood vaccine request.

The controversy comes as states are weighing whether to enact vaccine requirements for children in schools and as health boards continue to consider them a target.