LONDON (Reuters) – Britain on Thursday outlined the terms of reference of its planned inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic, looking into the preparedness of the country as well as the public health and economic response to the coronavirus.
Britain has recorded 19.3 million COVID-19 infections and 162,000 deaths – the seventh highest fatality total globally – and Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been criticised for mishandling England’s three national lockdowns.
He has promised an inquiry into the pandemic, chaired by judge Heather Hallett.
On Thursday the government said that the inquiry would “examine the COVID-19 response and the impact of the pandemic in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and produce a factual narrative account.”
The four nations set their own health policies, though they have co-ordinated their actions on issues like travel rules and the vaccine roll-out.
The terms of reference for the inquiry also aim to “identify the lessons to be learned from the above, thereby to inform the UK’s preparations for future pandemics.”
The government said there would be public engagement and consultation on the inquiry’s terms of reference, which would last four weeks and could lead to changes before the terms are finalised.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)
