On 23rd March 2020, as hundreds of people were dying daily from the Coronavirus, the UK entered a nationwide, Government mandated lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Two years on, and over 180,000 lives lost to Covid-19, we are still seeing hundreds of lives lost to this virus every week, and thousands of new cases every single day. You’d be forgiven for thinking that there was no right way to respond to the pandemic, but the truth is pandemics have been a part of our history. Not only was a new pandemic to be expected; it was also overdue.
Today acts as a reminder of something we should never lose sight of, namely that those lost to the pandemic must be remembered, and those they’ve left behind must have their questions answered.
In 2020, shortly after the pandemic took hold in the UK, the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group asked if I could help them seek justice for their lost loved ones through a public inquiry. Having witnessed the immense impact of the pandemic across the world and our Government’s frustratingly slow response, I knew I had to do everything I could to help.
Over the last two years, the Government has made questionable decision after questionable decision, and we are still waiting for the Covid Inquiry to be set up to find out exactly how the Government’s preparedness and response contributed to the lives lost.
While progress has been incredibly slow, a Chair has now been appointed, and the draft Terms of Reference are now open to public consultation.
It is astounding that, after two years, we are still losing hundreds of lives to this virus. While it is up to the Inquiry to discover how exactly the Government’s handling contributed to these losses, it is reasonable to say that better choices could, and should, have been made to prevent such loss of life.
We will continue to campaign for the start of the Inquiry alongside the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group until the Inquiry is officially setup and the Government are answering our questions.
We’d strongly advise anyone who has suffered a bereavement due to Covid-19 to join the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, as we know that pressure of numbers will be a significant factor in causing the Government to bring the Inquiry forward. Visit our Covid Inquiry FAQ page for answers to some of our commonly asked questions surrounding the Inquiry, next steps, how to instruct legal representation and more.
We would also encourage people to take part in the UK Covid-19 Inquiry consultation. The online consultation is open until 7th April 2022, and you can find it here.
Learn more about the Covid Inquiry