Another staunchly anti-vaccination radio host has died of Covid-19.
Marc Bernier, 65, a conservative talk show radio host from Daytona Beach, Florida, died after a three-week battle with the virus, the Daytona Beach News-Journalreported.
This makes Bernier the third right-wing radio host who publicly condemned vaccination to die from the coronavirus, with Dick Farrel, a fellow Florida native who called Covid-19 a “scamdemic,” dying from complications last month. Conservative radio host Phil Valentine, who questioned the necessity of vaccinations, passed away from the virus last week, as well.
Bernier wasn’t just any anti-vaxxer, though, he proudly dubbed himself “Mr. Anti Vax” live on-air, as noted by the newspaper.
It’s with great sadness that WNDB and Southern Stone Communications announce the passing of Marc Bernier, who informed and entertained listeners on WNDB for over 30 years. We kindly ask that privacy is given to Marc’s family during this time of grief. pic.twitter.com/vXQIAtVN9e
— News Daytona Beach (@NewsDaytonaBch) August 29, 2021
When co-host Justin Gates asked Bernier he would get the vaccine in December, Bernier said “I’m not taking it. Are you kidding me? Mr. Anti-Vax? Jeepers.” When Gates then queried, “ever?” Bernier asserted: “No.” His last tweet also compared the U.S. Government to “Nazis” for promoting “the shot.”
Earlier this month, when Bernier was first hospitalised, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported that while they “did not have specific knowledge of Bernier’s vaccination status,” he was well known for his ardent anti-vaccination opinions on the air.
“If you’ve listened to his show, you’ve heard him talk about how anti-vaccine he is on the air,” Mark McKinney, Bernier’s station’s operations director, told the newspaper.
I think the real great sadness is that Marc Bernier who "informed" listeners - may be responsible for the deaths of dozens of others who died of Covid-19, if not more. https://t.co/genwdNAvqX
— JEN KIRKMAN (@JenKirkman) August 29, 2021
“We will be airing announcements several times an hour that he is recovering from Covid-induced pneumonia and that we hope to have him back on the air soon,” McKinney continued, not realising the extent of Bernier’s virus at the time.
Florida has experienced a surge in Covid-19 cases, and doctors in the area are urging residents to get the vaccine. On August 26, the state saw increase in Covid deaths in pandemic history, with 901 people dying from the virus that day.
