Lessons will have to be learnt from pandemic as Covid inquiry is launched - The Yorkshire Post says

Losing loved ones in circumstances where they couldn’t even say a proper goodbye will still hurt them.

That is one of the reasons why the public inquiry into Covid is much needed and it is reassuring to hear Baroness Heather Hallett, who is chairing the inquiry, say that the bereaved would be “properly consulted”.

“There’s one word that sums up the pandemic for so many, and that is the word ‘loss’,” Baroness Hallet said.

Alongside hearing from those, who have lost loved ones during the pandemic, there will also be an examination of the country’s preparedness and decisions that were made during the crisis.

It should serve as a reminder that pandemic preparedness is not a nice to have but essential to the welfare of the British population.

Pandemic preparedness needs to be treated with the same level of importance as defence and energy security.

Mistakes such as allowing Covid to take root in care homes, leaving the most vulnerable people exposed to the virus, the failure to equip NHS staff with the proper safety equipment in the early days of the pandemic and the efficacy of lockdown rules will all come under the spotlight over the next few months.

Lessons need to be learnt from Covid to ensure the same mistakes are not repeated should the country ever find itself facing another pandemic.