More than a month before Ariis Knight died alone in hospital, disability advocates had been sounding the alarm about the need for people with disabilities to have access to family or support staff despite COVID-19 hospital restrictions. “This case was 100 per cent predictable, 100 per cent preventable,” said Tim Louis, a member of the advocacy group and long-time disability activist. “We put them on notice, the ball was in their court,” he added.
Global News has obtained e-mails between the working group and senior officials from B.C.’s Ministry of Health that show the back-and-forth correspondence spanning a number of weeks.