A sign in Windsor, Ontario, about COVID vaccines has been removed at a local cemetery after it sparked controversy and public outcry.
A Windsor Memorial Gardens sign read, "Not vaccinated yet? You may be here soon." General manager Ed Shabsove said he posted the message on Wednesday to educate the public on the importance of getting vaccinated, reported CTV News.
"I heard that 98 percent of the people in Toronto hospital with COVID are not vaccinated," said Shabsove, "so I thought, well you know what, maybe if I put something out on the sign, people will read it, and maybe they’ll decide to get vaccinated."
Pictures of the sign circulated on social media, and by Friday night, Shabsove said the cemetery started to get emails and calls – both positive and negative. He said he was surprised by the public's response to the sign.
Shabsove added that as a local, non-profit organization, they did not intend to offend anyone. While he hoped people understood the message, he decided to remove the sign.
He clarified that the sign wasn't placed there for political reasons or to promote the cemetery gain. "If one person sees it and gets vaccinated, I guess the sign was worth it," he said.