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Covid 'denier' dies after hosting two huge events at home

A conspiracy theorist who reportedly believed the pandemic was "fake" has died from Covid-19 following a gathering at his barn.

The death of a man in Norway was confirmed in a press release and several local media outlets have named the deceased as 60-year-old Hans Kristian Gaarder.

"On Tuesday, we were also notified of a Covid-19 death," Gran Municipality said in a statement.

"A man in his 60s, living in Gran, has died after being ill with coronavirus.

"He was not tested for coronavirus before he died, but it has been confirmed afterwards that he was infected with the virus."

Hans Kristian Gaarder is pictured.
Hans Kristian Gaarder, a conspiracy theorist who reportedly did not understand the severity of Covid-19, tested positive for Covid-19 after his death. Source: Facebook

Mr Gaarder had been sick for weeks, but did not seek medical attention, Norway's News in English reported.

The chief medical officer for Gran, Dr Are Løken, said his thoughts were with the man's family.

"We are again reminded of how dangerous the virus can be and how important it is that we endure the strict measures for a while longer," he said.

It appears Gran Municipality urged people to get tested for Covid-19 if they attended two events on an unidentified man's property in late March.

Mr Gaarder hosted two "major" events at his barn in Norway, Avisa Oslo reported.

He had previously downplayed the severity of Covid-19 on social media and had insinuated it was "like a cold or mild flu".

To mark one year since the initial shutdown, Mr Gaarder gave a lecture which was reportedly about the Norwegian authorities' alleged coronavirus lies and abuse of power.

According to his own website, Mr Gaarder was an independent researcher "on what can be called suppressed information".

Speaking to NRK, Dr Løken said authorities had not been able to speak with everyone who was at Mr Gaarder's home.

A barn where a gathering was held despite Covid-19 restrictions in Norway.
Hans Kristian Gaarder reportedly had a gathering in his barn despite Covid-19 restrictions. Source: Facebook

There are restrictions on gatherings in Norway, including the region where Mr Gaarder is from, News in English reported.

Dr Løken also said there had been some opposition when speaking to people in the area who did not believe the pandemic was real.

"We’re not receiving the full information we need, and we’ve also been given incorrect information," he said.

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