The Chair of the Inquiry, Baroness Heather Hallett, has announced that the UK Covid-19 Inquiry will commence its first investigation into the UK's pandemic preparedness on Tuesday, June 13. 

This initial phase, known as Module 1, will span six weeks - concluding on Friday, July 21.

The hearings were initially set to begin in early May. However, after a preliminary hearing on February 14 where Core Participants made submissions, the Chair decided to reschedule the commencement to June. This adjustment allows for an additional two weeks of evidence gathering and more comprehensive preparation for the hearings.

A third preliminary hearing for Module 1 is tentatively scheduled for April 25. This session will focus on discussing the logistics of the upcoming hearings, without taking any evidence. Instead, there will be submissions from the Inquiry's Counsel and Core Participants to ensure a smooth process when evidence is presented during the public hearings.

At present, the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice (CBFFJ) group is scheduled to speak on the morning of July 18th.

For those unable to attend in person, the hearings will be streamed on the Inquiry’s YouTube channel with a three-minute delay. Additionally, transcripts of each day's proceedings will be available at the end of each day, and recordings will be uploaded to the Inquiry’s website afterwards.