VICTORIA — Concerns about COVID-19 policies and services dominated complaints to the office of British Columbia’s ombudsperson.
Jay Chalke says in his annual report that of the more than 7,700 complaints received by his office last year, 650 were related to COVID-19.
He says his report highlights the wide range of impacts the pandemic has had on people receiving public services.
Chalke says in a statement the most common COVID-19-related complaints to his office involved issues at long-term care facilities, correctional centres and government pandemic benefits.
He says the most complained-about public bodies were the Insurance Corporation of B.C., the Ministry of Children and Family Development and the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
Chalke says one of the several pandemic-related complaints his office managed to solve was expediting a woman’s long-term care essential visitor status to allow her to support and care for her husband.
The Canadian Press
The Canadian Press
