The Windsor Essex County Health Unit maintains no public health regulations were violated at a wedding attended by its medical officer of health.
The video circulating online shows Dr. Wajid Ahmed standing apart from everyone else at the event wearing a mask. There are just under 20 people in the room. One table has more than four people seated at it and another table more than six feet away has another four people. There are also few people speaking without masks in the middle of the room. It is not known if the individuals are members of the same household.
Still shot taken from a video of Dr. Wajid Ahmed attending a wedding service on February 20, 2021.
The video was taken on February 20, 2021, when the region was in the Red-Control level of the province's COVID-19 Response Framework.
"Weddings are permitted under the regulations and I made sure I followed all the public health precautions that I normally talk about and I did everything that I am supposed to do," said Dr. Ahmed.
While in the red control level, wedding services are allowed indoors at 30 per cent capacity of the space. However, restaurants and other food and drink establishments are not allowed to sit more than four people at a table and buffet-style service is not permitted. Masks are required at all times except when eating or drinking.
A statement from the Windsor Essex County Health Unit maintains "he [Dr. Ahmed] followed public health guidelines at all times by wearing a mask and maintaining physical distancing" and "the wedding ceremony was in compliance with public health guidelines."
Dr. Ahmed said he followed all of the rules set out by the provincial government.
"It's getting into the territory of using me and then commenting on the different settings or different regulations that are set by the province. I feel that it almost gets into a very personal nature of the things that any of us can do and it's unfair for the people who are involved in this to be used as an example. It's a violation of their privacy of sharing this type of thing on social media," said Dr. Ahmed.
Weddings are allowed under the provincial guidelines. Dr. Ahmed recommends following all regulations set out by the province should you be attending an essential wedding service.
