A man carrying bags of takeout food and wearing a hoodie and dark glasses is being vilified over social media.

This came after video showed him spitting on elevator buttons in a Vancouver building elevator in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The condo is near the corner of Quebec Street and 1st Avenue, not far from the former Olympic Village.

The images below were posted by one of the residents, singer-songwriter Marie Hui.

"He got on at P1, and fobbed his way to the 8th floor," Hui tweeted. "Definitely a resident."

https://twitter.com/mariehui/status/1248796331331608576

Here are just a few of the comments that followed...

"Diabolical. Seriously evil. This guy just bought himself an apartment in Hell."

"There has to be a serious crime in the criminal code of infectious disease terrorism. The penalties have to be extremely harsh with no exceptions."

"Disgusting behaviour at any time but right now, it's truly horrifying. Lots of what ifs...what if an elderly person went down to check their mail, or someone battling cancer. This list could go on!"

"The more I see this the more it infuriates. Spit spray lands top row middle button and trickes down to the second, then third row when he exits. Barf."

"That person obviously has a questionable mental status; but we need to act presumptuous that any surface can be contaminated and continue to wash our hands and not touch our faces any time leaving our front doors."

(The Straight chose not to publish any of the messages that advocated violence.)

Update

Through his lawyer, the unnamed man who spat inside the elevator issued a public apology on Sunday (April 12).

He stated that he does not have symptoms related to the novel coronavirus. And he plans to make a "meaningful donation to the strata council to more than cover the cost of extra sanitation required and to reassure other residents that I never intended to harm anyone".