The Covid Enquiry

[Ray B]

The Covid enquiry gets underway today asking questions on how the pandemic was handled.
The first part will ask if and how prepared the country was should a major pandemic breaking out amongst the population.
Alarm bells should have started ringing in January 2020.
By the February reports that it was in Europe started to emerge and Italy in paticularly.
The news reports supermarket's stocks running out due to panic buying.
We had a back to back last four weeks on Azura in the Caribbean in March which we were looking forward to, and I said to the missus, "this is going to hit us soon and if it came whilst we were on holiday, there wod be nothing in the shop on our return.
During February we increased our shopping trips, gradually building a stock of non perishable food items stored in the garage for our return.
We noticed the covid outbreak coming and took that decision to be ready long before panic buying broke out.
On the surface, we did not notice much happening in this country to prepare what was coming our way. By the time the government had taken action, plane loads of skiers were returning from Italy with the infection and melting away into the community. My question is, if I could see covid coming and took early action, why didn't those in power seem to notice and do something earlier.
And by the way, not thinking about going to the toilet at the time of stocking up, we only purchased one big bag of toilet rolls.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I'm waiting to see what the enquiry concludes. It was a once in a lifetime event. If we put the country into lockdown every time there was toilet roll panic buying we'd never get out of the house.

[Manoverboard]

We had received a fortuitous early heads up from chums who's son was working as a teacher in China so we stocked up with non perishables including toilet paper well before any UK official announcements.

I suspect everybody in Government was waiting for everybody else and that the EU wanted a common approach. Covid had taken a hold before the powers that be got a grip ... basically.

After a slow start we made excellent progress regarding jabs and should be very proud of that achievement.

[david63]

What I want to know is - why is it going to take at leat three years (and £x million) just to hear the evidence? Surely if they were to "pull their finger out" and work a minimum of eight hours a day, five days a week it could be done in a fraction of the time.

By the time this inquiry has published its conclusions we will be deep into the next pandemic!

As a side note - Covid was in the UK in December 2019

[towny44]

Whilst hindsight suggests that the country should have acted sooner, if the lockdown had been proposed in February there would have been uproar from all sides, and there is plenty of evidence that the necessary movement of goods into the UK, especially of fresh produce, would have still allowed fresh outbreaks of covid into the country, but no one will ever know if that would have resulted in a lower death rate.

[Meg 50]

wasn't there a dummy run some years ago which suggested an action plan which could be implemented if they put stuff in place then - ready (just in case) --



Twas ignored....

[david63]

The question that I would like to hear the answer to is - How do you prepare for the unknown?

[paultheagle]

The government were warned that covid was coming but they chose to ignore it. Instead a European football n match went ahead against a team from Italy and a horse racing festival was allowed to carry on. We were to slow to shut down and that is on the government. Their response when we did lock down was was commendable and they deserve a lot of credit for that............and then it all went wrong.

[Ray B]

Whilst hindsight suggests that the country should have acted sooner, if the lockdown had been proposed in February there would have been uproar from all sides,

I don't think a lock down in February was necessary, but entry controls into the country should have been put in place.
No way that we could have prevented covid, but having control and checking those coming into the UK may have given us a chance to slow the spread across the country.
As you say in hindsite. It's a phrase that will crop up a few times I'm sure.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Can't understand why they're bothering with an inquiry when we know all the answers already.

[david63]

I have not been following this closely but the bits that I have read are using hindsight to suggest that we were not fully prepared or there are "experts" saying that before the pandemic things weren't right. If these "experts" knew that then then why did they not do something about it?

Also Brexit is being blamed for not being prepared. Now Labour are getting on the bandwagon and trying to score political points.

[paultheagle]

The government were warned about covid but chose to ignore those warnings. A football match in Liverpool was allowed to take place against a team from Italy and a very popular race meeting went ahead.

Of course Labour are jumping on the bandwagon, they are the opposition, what do you expect them to do. The Tories would do exactly the same.

[david63]

The government were warned about covid but chose to ignore those warnings. A football match in Liverpool was allowed to take place against a team from Italy and a very popular race meeting went ahead.

That's as maybe but that is not what the inquiry is looking at in this module - they are looking at our preparedness which anyone with hindsight can say was not good enough, but the remit of the inquiry is to look at what was in place at the time not what should have been - that comes in recommendations for the future.

Of course Labour are jumping on the bandwagon, they are the opposition, what do you expect them to do.

I expect them to do as asked at the outset and not make this political.

[towny44]

I doubt that any western country was prepared for covid, certainly a full lockdown and extreme social distancing was unlikely to have been on anyone's agenda.
Unfortunately I doubt that whatever the enquiry recommends it is unlikely to be taken on board by any govt, of whatever colour. As a country we have a lousy track record of adopting recomendations from any enquiry, especially when the treasury calculate the cost. So IMO this enquiry will be a total waste of money.

[barney]

As I said at the time, although one particular poster disagreed with me, it was all driven by international travel.
Had the U.K. restricted international travel sooner, the overall outcome may have been better.
Italy was in chaos and our government allowed thousands to travel to Liverpool for a match.
What could possibly have gone wrong?
We were still allowing people in from China when the obvious thing to do was restrict access.

[oldbluefox]

I agree with you towny. Nobody was expecting what was coming our way nor the severity of the pandemic. It must have been pretty rife in Italy before it reached our shores since those coming back from skiing holidays and the football supporters must have been carrying it. Can you imagine the outcry had we barred them from entry, cancelled the football match or Cheltenham races? The criticism would have been that of panic and over reaction. At that time, well before lockdown was announced we were being warned not to socialise, avoid close contact and to take extra care with hand washing. However despite all of this life as we knew it carried on. People were still going out to pubs and restaurants.

In that situation no government could get it right. It was a case of wait and see what materialises and respond accordingly.

There was much the government did get wrong and it is clear money was wasted especially around PPE equipment for which the relevant parties should be taken to task. But bear in mind this was a world wide pandemic and everybody was trying to access the same gear at the same time so it was not a simple matter of looking on Amazon.

It was very sad that people lost loved ones without being able to be with them in their final hours but had they been allowed into care homes and hospitals and either contracted Covid themselves or carried it into the home can you imagine the outcry? Could it have been handled better? With the benefit of hindsight maybe.

With hindsight we could have done many things differently. I'm not sure we need an enquiry lasting three years to work out what we could have done differently. The relevant departments should be able to report what went wrong and how the situation could have been better handled.

[Ray B]

From Foxy-

It was very sad that people lost loved ones without being able to be with them in their final hours but had they been allowed into care homes and hospitals and either contracted Covid themselves or carried it into the home can you imagine the outcry? Could it have been handled better? With the benefit of hindsight maybe.
¯-----------------_-_-_____------------------------______

Indeed foxy, but why are the protesters outside demanding to be heard by the enquiry and demanding answers.
Is this not what the enquiry aims to do.?
I would hope that the enquiry does not have to sit through lots of sniffling people telling them what happened to thier loved ones, they already have an idea of the suffering family's endured. I can not see what more can be gained by having to go through it again..
These people I hope will get answers at the appropriate time during the proceedings in the up and coming sectors.

[david63]

Had the U.K. restricted international travel sooner, the overall outcome may have been better.

One argument that I have heard was that shutting boarders would have made virtually no difference as the virus was already in the country - whether is true or not is for others to decide.

It was very sad that people lost loved ones without being able to be with them in their final hours

Covid or not there are many people are not with their loved ones in their final hours - there is no divine right that you can/should be.

The relevant departments should be able to report what went wrong and how the situation could have been better handled.

Most probably already have.

I'm not sure we need an enquiry lasting three years to work out what we could have done differently.

For some it is not about what could have been done differently - it is about finding someone to blame. There are some who want to see anyone responsible in jail, as I have said before this has all the makings of another Hillsborough.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I rather assume lack of preparedness goes back a long time before 2010. Or had Labour got all preparations ready during their 13 years in rule and the Tories scrapped it all?

Of course this shouldn't be political. Both parties should listen and learn without chucking their teddies around. Who knows who'll be in charge next time?

[oldbluefox]

For some it is not about what could have been done differently - it is about finding someone to blame. There are some who want to see anyone responsible in jail, as I have said before this has all the makings of another Hillsborough.

Brings to mind Albert and the Lion.......
"Someone's got to be summonsed!" So that was decided upon.

[Stephen]

Typical government, millions to waste on pointless historical exercises as long as it makes them look good, but nothing to spare for those in need.

[Ray B]

Matt Hancock says he wished during his time as health secretary he had spent a bit of time looking, prior to the outbreak, how prepared the country was for a medical outbreak. He and many health secretaries before had the chance but didn't. Why say sorry to each and every death, it's not as though its his fault, the country as a whole had lived many years, over 100 years, with little thought to make proper plans for another mass killer. Maybe blindsided by the progress in medicine.
There are many warnings from the past, but it appears no urgency was put into, what if it happens again, until, that is, it does.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Ironic though that he has criticised the government handling of the pandemic when he was, if I recall, Health Secretary.

[towny44]

It matters not one jot how many ex/ministers apologise for the country not being ready for a pandemic, nor what the enquiry proposes after it is complete, if the cost is considered too expensive by the treasury then whatever is proposed will not see the light of day.
What a waste of time, effort and money.

[david63]

I still want to know how any government plans for the unknown