The Premier says it is unacceptable that people continue to flout the rules put in place in restaurants and bars aimed at keeping people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff at a Mr. Mikes restaurant in Langford say a group of people ‘verbally attacked two young staff members to the point of tears’ on Wednesday night after they were told they have to be seated in groups of six, as per public health orders.

As the area MLA, John Horgan was asked about that incident which was described in a since deleted facebook post.

“You’ve got employees that are doing their level best to provide an opportunity for people to come together, to share a meal in a safe comfortable place and to have idiots come in and be idiots is quite frankly is not acceptable,” Horgan said on Thursday, adding he is disappointed by the incident.

He is asking people to be kind to one another, especially since there have been a number of similar stories about bad behaviour during the pandemic.

“And unfortunately, they over shadow the extraordinary stories of kindness that are emerging in every part of British Columbia as well,” Horgan noted. “I’d like to focus on those moments when people’s better angels are shining forward rather than those moments like the Mr. Mikes incident when people are just being stupid.”

“We all have to up our game. We have to behave with other people as we would want them to behave with us, and it’s not acceptable to abuse people when you’re going out to have a meal, or when you’re doing anything quite frankly.”

B.C. health officials also want young people to stop partying as more COVID-19 cases are being linked to large gatherings, first in Kelowna over Canada Day, and then in Vancouver over the BC Day long weekend.

“The goal of public health officials isn’t to ruin anybody’s summer or limit their chances to party. That’s the work of COVID-19,” Health Minister Adrian Dix said on Thursday.