The government has not paid enough attention to the effect of corona measures on the lives of citizens, says National Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen. In a letter He wrote to Minister Ernst Kuipers (Public Health, D66) that the corona policy can and must be improved. In the past two years, he received a total of 5,248 complaints about the policy.
In addition to public health, the cabinet must also consider fundamental rights such as education and social security, the ombudsman writes. He therefore applauds the establishment of a Social Impact Team that will monitor the effects of corona policy on society. But people should also be able to participate more actively about corona policy, writes Van Zutphen. “Only then will you get a better view of all aspects of citizens’ lives.
The letter also contains three other recommendations to Kuipers. The ombudsman writes that choices must be better substantiated, that the government must be more accessible in a crisis and that more attention must be paid to vulnerable people. “It is essential that everyone should be able to participate.”