The province is keeping its Service BC offices open during the COVID-19 crisis but has cut back on the core services and supports it provides to limit the risk of exposure for customers and staff.
That means you can still visit the office to receive help for a BC Services card, driver's licence, affordable childcare benefit, residential tenancy, Medical Services Plan and forest-worker support programs.
But all other services the province normally fulfills will have to be conducted online.
The list of online services includes: Affordable childcare benefit, B.C. Ambulance Service payments; BC Hydro payments (Community Crisis Fund); BC Online (government services); BC Services card; BC transplant registration; BC vital statistics (birth, marriage and death certificates); BCeID (for online government services); commission for taking affidavits; corporate registry services; court registry services; manufactured home searches, relocation permits and registrations; Medical Services Plan/Health Insurance BC; ICBC/driver's licence services; residential tenancy forms and applications; and rural property tax services.
The downtown Prince George office at 1044 - Fifth Avenue is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
To help protect vulnerable citizens, including seniors and people with existing health conditions and compromised immune systems, they will receive priority service during the first hour of business each day and should call the office at 250-565-4488 to book an appointment.
People should call rather than visit the office if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including cough, sneezing, shortness of breath or fever. That also applies to people who have a sick family member or who have been around someone who is sick, as well as those who have not completed a 14-day isolation period after traveling abroad.
People with any questions should call the provincial contact centre at 1-800-663-7867 on weekdays from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. or go to the website www.gov.bc.ca/servicebc.
A new non-medical COVID-19 phone line at 1-888-268-4319 has been established to help people connect to community supports from the provincial and federal governments and access information for travelers.
