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B.C. Government Slammed For ‘Utterly Ignorant’ COVID-19 Self-Care Bingo Card

The province suggested people build pillow forts or drink tea to deal with pandemic stress. Twitter was not impressed.

The B.C. government is getting heat for a “tone deaf” self-care bingo card that recommends people build a blanket fort, drink tea or dance to manage pandemic stress.

The province tweeted out the game on Friday, encouraging people to complete a row, column or diagonal to make sure they’re taking care of their mental health.

Twitter users were quick to criticize the government for minimizing and trivializing the devastating impact of the nearly yearlong pandemic. COVID-19 has killed nearly 22,000 people across the country and infected 843,000. Millions of Canadians lost or gave up their jobs amid lockdowns, particularly women and low-paid workers. Kids have missed months of in-class learning.

People are upset because this graphic is ableist, dismissive,” said one person.

“You turned a neverending crisis and prolonged suffering into a game! Fun!” said another.

Some users shared their personal struggles during the pandemic, including not being able to see friends or family in person.

The province subsequently acknowledged feedback it had “missed the mark” but still appeared committed to the idea of the game and connecting people to free or low-cost supports.

A few people voiced their appreciation for the bingo card.

That didn’t stop some Twitter users from suggesting what the province could do to ease their anxiety and stress, from mandating paid sick days to expanding mental health services and addressing the opioid crisis.

Others called for more to be done to address the housing affordability crisis and homelessness. Some pointed to more COVID-19 screening for essential workers.

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