A Florida radio host, who referred to himself as “Mr. Anti-Vax,” has died of COVID-19 after a 3-week battle, The Guardian reports.
Marc Bernier, 65, who publicly criticized coronavirus vaccination efforts, died on Saturday night, according to Volusia county sheriff Mike Chitwood.
“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,” a statement from Bernier’s station read. “We kindly ask that privacy is given to Marc’s family during this time of grief.”
Chitwood told the Daytona Beach News-Journal that the passing has made him “numb” and feels like “a death in the family,” while WNDB shared on Facebook that the longtime host “enjoyed a successful 46-year career as a broadcast journalist.”
On his show, Bernier insisted that he wouldn’t take the vaccine, and used the “Mr. Anti-Vax” nickname to state his case, as WNDB operations manager Mark McKinney previously said that “if you’ve listened to his show, you’ve heard him talk about how anti-vaccine he is on the air.”
“He gives all sides,” Justin Gates, a listener and friend, told the News-Journal. “He’s not going to bully and throw punches or do potshots or do things for ratings. That’s why he’s so popular.”
Florida is currently fighting a COVID-19 surge, with the state having just clocked a record-number of coronavirus-related deaths. Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to be actively against mask mandates.
