Families who lost loved ones to Covid-19 have vowed to continue their push for “justice and accountability” on the opening day of the independent inquiry into the UK government’s handling of the pandemic.
Members of the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice campaign group formed a solemn line outside Dorland House in west London on Tuesday morning on the opening day of the inquiry, and held up photos of their deceased relatives.
More than 6,500 relatives of Covid victims are represented by the group.
Many of those who turned up were dressed in red, to signify the loss of life that the coronavirus inflicted on the population.
The group expressed frustration at feeling “excluded from sharing key evidence” at the inquiry after their request for people to give testimony in person was rejected on logistics grounds.
“Never did we imagine that on the first day of the Inquiry we would feel as excluded and marginalised as ever. And yet we are,” the group said in a statement on social media.
They said it was “incredibly disappointing” that only one member would be called on to give evidence.
In a message to Baroness Hallett, the inquiry’s chairwoman, they said: “We will never forget the loved ones we lost in the pandemic, and we will do whatever it takes to ensure that their deaths are learnt from so others don’t have to face the same awful and preventable fate.
Charles Persinger, who lost his wife and mother to the virus, said he hoped the inquiry would lead to “justice and accountability for all of us”.
In a series of videos posted on Twitter, he said he and his friend had “fought for [the inquiry] for so long”.
The inquiry is expected to last years and cost more than £100million. It has been split into six modules. Public hearing are set to wrap up by summer 2026, and interim reports will be published before then.
The public hearings opened with Hugo Keith KC, the lead lawyer to the inquiry, saying that the UK may not have been “very well prepared at all” to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
He said that the nation was “taken by surprise” by “significant aspects” of the disease that has been recorded on 226,977 death certificates.
He argued that preparations for Brexit had distracted Boris Johnson’s government from making the improvements required to the strategy on how to tackle a deadly pandemic.
Baroness Hallett, a former Court of Appeal judge, vowed that those who suffered in the pandemic will “always be at the heart of the inquiry” as she launched the first public hearing.
The inquiry on Tuesday heard from bereaved families in a series of moving video interviews, which included harrowing stories of people dying alone from Covid.
Pete Weatherby KC, representing the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, read a press release from 2015 quoting former prime minister David Cameron saying the “world must be far better prepared for future health pandemics” following the ebola outbreak, and particularly respiratory diseases.
Bereaved families want to know what Mr Cameron's administration and subsequent Tory governments did after he raised this, Mr Weatherby said.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
EA Sports FC 24
MATCH INFO
Barcelona v Real Madrid, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
