The final day of witness testimony in the UK's Covid-19 inquiry has concluded, with bereaved families stating that government 'incompetence, chaos and callousness is now on the public record'. The inquiry, the most expensive in history with costs reaching £203.98 million, heard from 381 witnesses over 238 public hearing days.
Matt Fowler, co-founder of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK (CBFFJ), urged officials to use the inquiry as a blueprint for urgent action, warning the country remains unprepared for future crises. He said the group would fight against conspiracy theorists who seek to ignore evidence.
The inquiry's chair, Lady Hallett, has published findings on the first two of ten modules. Her first report cited 'fatal strategic flaws' in pandemic planning, while the second accused former Prime Minister Boris Johnson of a 'toxic and chaotic' government culture, suggesting 20,000 lives could have been saved with an earlier lockdown.
Naomi Fulop, whose mother died after contracting Covid from a care worker without adequate PPE, described the day as 'bittersweet'. She said the inquiry 'absolutely has been worth it', despite the cost, adding that preparedness is essential.
The CBFFJ continues to campaign for the Hillsborough Law, which would enforce a legal duty of candour on public authorities, and for full implementation of the inquiry's recommendations. They also await results of Exercise Pegasus, a pandemic simulation to identify remaining gaps.
