Southwestern Public Health is warning residents after fake signs appeared at businesses in St. Thomas recently, claiming to be from the health unit and alerting people about an outbreak.
The health unit was informed on Friday afternoon about these signs, which had been displayed in at least three retail locations in the city, said Susan Mac Isaac, director of health protection with the health unit.
“Local businesses (said) that an individual came into their place of work and said that they were a representative of Southwestern Public Health, and wanted to post some outbreak signs in their workplace,” Mac Isaac said.
The person responsible has not been identified, and it’s unclear what their intentions were. It seems that this individual wasn’t wearing anything that indicated they were affiliated with Southwestern Public Health.
The fraudulent signs look similar to those often seen in healthcare environments, featuring messages about good hand hygiene and keeping up with vaccinations.
A handwritten note on one poster claims that an outbreak is caused by the “6I-9 virus” and advises people to “stay in if you can!”
“That doesn’t resonate with me at all,” Mac Isaac said. “I couldn’t find anything when I searched myself for what they could be referring to.”
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“That doesn’t resonate with me at all,” Susan Mac Isaac said of the virus mentioned on the fake poster. “I couldn’t find anything when I searched myself what they could be referring to.” (Southwestern Public Health)
Mac Isaac mentioned that this issue was reported to St. Thomas police. In an email on Tuesday, a police spokesperson stated that the investigation had concluded “as there was no criminal offence committed.”
“The individual’s identity and their reasoning for posting the signage is unknown,” the spokesperson said.
In genuine outbreak situations, Mac Isaac notes that the health unit follows a specific process and collaborates closely with affected sites to communicate information through appropriate channels like their website or media outlets.
“We wouldn’t go door-to-door with posters and target certain businesses,” she said.
“The public, if there’s ever any question in their mind, or they ever question something they see, by all means, they should reach out to the health unit to confirm.”
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