Latest news with #Covid19Inquiry
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Covid Inquiry: Workmen entered care homes without protective gear
A woman who was refused entry to see her dying mother in a County Armagh care home during the Covid-19 pandemic has expressed her shock at seeing delivery drivers and workmen coming and going freely without any protective McCusker told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry she offered to wear full personal protective equipment (PPE) to visit her mother Bridget Halligan, even from an outside courtyard, but staff denied her April 2020, she made several requests to be with her 95-year-old mother after she contracted Covid-19, only to be later told that she had died alone in her government has said it is committed to learning lessons from the inquiry. Scant information Mrs McCusker, who gave evidence on behalf of the Northern Ireland Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, said she encountered several staff at the home who were not wearing told the inquiry her mother had been relatively active but had to go into the home following several home was closed to visits on 18 March 2020 and Mrs McCusker said she was concerned that her mother "would go downhill" if she did not see her said relatives received scant information from the home and were not allowed to bring Mrs Halligan any food. They had raised concerns that she was a "poor eater" and needed nourishment because she did not eat much of the food served in the McCusker said her mother was confused over why her daughter was only able to see her through a window on Mother's Day and that there was no staff member with her to explain why she could not enter the care home. She also criticised the lack of communication from the care home about her mother's welfare. When Mrs Halligan died, her family were refused permission to see her body or to "say their last goodbyes", Mrs McCusker told the 10 people were permitted at the funeral and there was no wake."To sum it up, if I was trying to think of what my mother would have made of it, she would have been absolutely shocked to think that in her dying days and moments she never saw a family member," said Mrs McCusker."She was totally reliant on the limited number of staff that were there. Try as I might, I can't imagine what went through her mind."She added: "If they (the care home) were following guidelines, I don't understand any guideline that keeps a family member out from a dying parent in their last hours."If they didn't get in during Covid - that was bad enough. But end of life care to me is a human right. It is a right to be able to see your parent, sibling, whoever would be in a nursing home."The inquiry began examining the care sector on Monday as part of its scrutiny into how the response to the pandemic was was launched by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in June 2022, more than a year after he said the government's actions would be put "under the microscope".
RNZ News
27-04-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Last call to share Covid-19 pandemic experience with inquiry
Defence lawyer Grant Illingworth in court. Photo: RNZ/Kim Baker Wilson The chairperson of the Covid-19 inquiry has put out a last-minute call for people to share their experiences of the pandemic. Public submissions close at midnight Sunday, but Grant Illingworth KC said it was important to hear from as many people as possible, as it will provide a fuller picture of how both the pandemic and the government's response to it affected people. "We strongly encourage you. Every single person has their own story to tell. Every single life really matters and we want as many people as possible to share their perspectives of what happened during Covid." The Inquiry was currently reviewing key decisions the Government made in response to the pandemic between February 2021 and October 2022. It said a "key decision" was one made by the government that had a "significant impact on a large number of people or had a significant cost at a national or regional level (or both)". The Inquiry's focus is on three main areas: Illingworth said it means those who previously did not feel heard could have their say. "We have to sift through the evidence and decide which parts of that evidence are reliable and which parts are unreliable, and looking into the issues that are raised by people with an impartial and independent approach. "So people who have been affected by vaccines, people who believe the vaccines were not safe, and people who think perhaps that the lockdowns in Auckland and Northland went on for too long." Illingworth said if the inquiry did not hear from these people, it could not say what the consequences were of the decisions made during the period of the inquiry. Over the coming months, the Inquiry will hold interviews with policy makers and advisors, and meet with some of the communities most affected by the pandemic. It will also collect information and evidence, including from government departments. The Inquiry will hold public hearings later in 2025. Anyone who wants to make a submission can either go to the [ Covid 19 Inquiry website] or call 0800 500 306. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
24-04-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Last-minute call for people to share Covid experiences
The chair of the Covid-19 Inquiry has put out a last-minute call for people to share their experiences during the global pandemic. Public submissions, which opened on February 3, close at midnight this Sunday. More than 7300 submissions had already been received, with vaccine mandates a topic of significant focus for many submitters to date from across the country, an Inquiry spokesperson said. The use of lockdowns was also a frequent topic, particularly among residents of the Auckland and Northland regions, where lockdown was extended in late 2021. Inquiry chair Grant Illingworth KC said it was important to hear from as many people as possible, as everyone experienced the pandemic and its impact in different ways. "[It] was an incredibly difficult time, and many people are still feeling the effects of the pandemic and the response to it, whether those be physical, emotional, or financial." Hearing from the public was "a very important" part of the work of the Inquiry, he added. "By hearing about a wide range of experiences, we can understand the impact the pandemic and New Zealand's response to it had on New Zealanders, as well as what the public think should be done to address future pandemics." Illingworth said he wanted to hear from "everyone from individuals, communities, businesses, iwi, and others on how their lives were affected and changed during the pandemic". These experiences would help the Inquiry "provide careful, considered recommendations" to the government on how New Zealand could be prepared to respond to future pandemics, he added. The inquiry was currently reviewing key decisions the government made in response to the pandemic between February 2021 and October 2022. It said a "key decision" was one made by the government that had a "significant impact on a large number of people or had a significant cost at a national or regional level (or both)". The Inquiry's focus is on three main areas: - Vaccines, including the use of mandates, the approval of vaccines, and vaccine safety - Lockdowns, especially the national lockdown in August and September 2021 and the Auckland/Northland extended lockdown late 2021. - Testing, tracing, and other public health tools. Over the coming months, the inquiry will hold interviews with policy makers and advisors, and meet with some of the communities most affected by the pandemic. It will also collect information and evidence, including from government departments. The inquiry will hold public hearings later in 2025. Anyone who wants to make a submission can either go to the [ Covid 19 Inquiry website] or call 0800 500 306. Submissions close on at midnight on 27 April 2025. To find out more about the Inquiry go to:
Otago Daily Times
24-04-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Last-minute call for people to share pandemic experiences
Covid-19 Inquiry chair Grant Illingworth KC . Photo: RNZ The chair of the Covid-19 Inquiry has put out a last-minute call for people to share their experiences during the global pandemic. Public submissions, which opened on February 3, close at midnight this Sunday. More than 7300 submissions had already been received, with vaccine mandates a topic of significant focus for many submitters to date from across the country, an Inquiry spokesperson said. The use of lockdowns was also a frequent topic, particularly among residents of the Auckland and Northland regions, where lockdown was extended in late 2021. Inquiry chair Grant Illingworth KC said it was important to hear from as many people as possible, as everyone experienced the pandemic and its impact in different ways. "[It] was an incredibly difficult time, and many people are still feeling the effects of the pandemic and the response to it, whether those be physical, emotional, or financial." Hearing from the public was "a very important" part of the work of the Inquiry, he added. "By hearing about a wide range of experiences, we can understand the impact the pandemic and New Zealand's response to it had on New Zealanders, as well as what the public think should be done to address future pandemics." Illingworth said he wanted to hear from "everyone from individuals, communities, businesses, iwi, and others on how their lives were affected and changed during the pandemic". These experiences would help the Inquiry "provide careful, considered recommendations" to the government on how New Zealand could be prepared to respond to future pandemics, he added. The inquiry was currently reviewing key decisions the government made in response to the pandemic between February 2021 and October 2022. It said a "key decision" was one made by the government that had a "significant impact on a large number of people or had a significant cost at a national or regional level (or both)". The Inquiry's focus is on three main areas: - Vaccines, including the use of mandates, the approval of vaccines, and vaccine safety - Lockdowns, especially the national lockdown in August and September 2021 and the Auckland/Northland extended lockdown late 2021. - Testing, tracing, and other public health tools. Over the coming months, the inquiry will hold interviews with policy makers and advisors, and meet with some of the communities most affected by the pandemic. It will also collect information and evidence, including from government departments. The inquiry will hold public hearings later in 2025. Anyone who wants to make a submission can either go to the [ Covid 19 Inquiry website] or call 0800 500 306. Submissions close on at midnight on 27 April 2025. To find out more about the Inquiry go to:
Otago Daily Times
24-04-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Covid inquiry public submissions closing this weekend
The chair of the Covid-19 Inquiry has put out a last-minute call for people to share their experiences during the global pandemic. Public submissions, which opened on February 3, close at midnight this Sunday. More than 7300 submissions had already been received, with vaccine mandates a topic of significant focus for many submitters to date from across the country, an Inquiry spokesperson said. The use of lockdowns was also a frequent topic, particularly among residents of the Auckland and Northland regions, where lockdown was extended in late 2021. Inquiry chair Grant Illingworth KC said it was important to hear from as many people as possible, as everyone experienced the pandemic and its impact in different ways. "[It] was an incredibly difficult time, and many people are still feeling the effects of the pandemic and the response to it, whether those be physical, emotional, or financial." Hearing from the public was "a very important" part of the work of the Inquiry, he added. "By hearing about a wide range of experiences, we can understand the impact the pandemic and New Zealand's response to it had on New Zealanders, as well as what the public think should be done to address future pandemics." Illingworth said he wanted to hear from "everyone from individuals, communities, businesses, iwi, and others on how their lives were affected and changed during the pandemic". These experiences would help the Inquiry "provide careful, considered recommendations" to the government on how New Zealand could be prepared to respond to future pandemics, he added. The inquiry was currently reviewing key decisions the government made in response to the pandemic between February 2021 and October 2022. It said a "key decision" was one made by the government that had a "significant impact on a large number of people or had a significant cost at a national or regional level (or both)". The Inquiry's focus is on three main areas: - Vaccines, including the use of mandates, the approval of vaccines, and vaccine safety - Lockdowns, especially the national lockdown in August and September 2021 and the Auckland/Northland extended lockdown late 2021. - Testing, tracing, and other public health tools. Over the coming months, the inquiry will hold interviews with policy makers and advisors, and meet with some of the communities most affected by the pandemic. It will also collect information and evidence, including from government departments. The inquiry will hold public hearings later in 2025. Anyone who wants to make a submission can either go to the [ Covid 19 Inquiry website] or call 0800 500 306. Submissions close on at midnight on 27 April 2025. To find out more about the Inquiry go to:
