BackThe Parliamentary Ombudsman of Denmark issued press releases on the access to files from the health authorities and the monitoring of Prison and Probation Service institutions during the Covid-19 pandemic.
COVID 19 and access to files from the health authorities
In the autumn of 2020, the Ministry of Health expected a ‘significant improvement’ in the processing times in cases about access to files. However, it has gone in the opposite direction, according to an investigation published by the Parliamentary Ombudsman on 18 March 2021. In still more cases, it takes too long for journalists and others to get a response from the health authorities to requests for access to public files. Moreover, contrary to expectations, the challenges have increased in the past months.
COVID 19 monitoring in Prison
During the COVID-19 period, the Ombudsman has monitored the conditions in the institutions of the Prison and Probation Service. The Ombudsman has made recommendations and raised issues with the authorities about testing strategy and isolation of inmates, among other things. In concluding his monitoring, the Ombudsman expressed satisfaction that the Prison and Probation Service has focused a great deal on the area.
“It is important to prevent infection spreading. At the same time, inmates within the Prison and Probation Service continue to live in quite restrictive conditions due to COVID-19, so it is also important that the restrictions are not extended further than necessary. Therefore, it is positive that the Prison and Probation Service has focused on both preventing infection spreading and making a plan for a gradual easing of restrictions for the inmates,” says Ombudsman Niels Fenger.
For more information, please see further down below the press releases from the Parliamentary Ombudsman.
Source: Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman, Denmark
