OLDS — The MC at a Feb. 21 rally opposing COVID-19 lockdown measures says his father died of starvation due to pandemic restrictions.
During an interview, Doug Mantai said his father Reuben passed away last May.
“He died alone in May. You know how he died? He starved himself to death because he said ‘my family isn’t coming to see me,’” Mantai said.
“And I tried to explain to my dad that ‘I love you dad, your family loves you, but they won’t allow us to see you,’” “I said ‘dad, you have to eat or you’ll die.’ He said ‘I know,’ and he starved himself to death.”
Mantai was asked if as a result, of his father’s passing, he empathizes with families that have lost loved ones to the pandemic.
“All deaths are sad. All deaths are tragic. But these people in these senior homes; I watch them," he said.
“They stare out their windows, they want to see people. And if you give them a chance, they would rather take the chance of catching COVID and still see their families than die alone like they’re in a prison.
“My dad would have gladly – if I would have let him sign a paper, he would have gladly signed a paper that (said) ‘I want my family here.’ But they wouldn’t let us come.
“And I understand it if you’ve immune compromised or you’ve got co-morbidities that you’re worried about then yes, keep those people protected, obviously.
“We don’t want people to die unnecessarily but we also have to make sure that these people in these homes have some social interaction too. They’re dying in there; I watched it.”
