The Covid inquiry in the UK has heard its final evidence, with Rivka Gottlieb among the last to testify. She spoke about her father, Michael, who died alone in hospital in April 2020 at the age of 73.
According to the BBC, the inquiry has taken oral evidence from 381 witnesses and reviewed 600,000 documents since public hearings began in June 2023. The total cost of the inquiry has risen to £204m so far.
Rivka Gottlieb said she still felt "haunted" by the fact that her father died alone. Her story was one of the last to be told at the inquiry, which also heard from other bereaved relatives, including Glen Grundle from Northern Ireland.
Police and Authority Response
The inquiry, chaired by former judge Baroness Hallett, was announced by then prime minister Boris Johnson in 2021. It has been split into 10 separate topics, covering subjects from political decision-making to the vaccine rollout and the impact on children.
Baroness Hallett said she hoped that all 10 of her reports would "prove the value of this inquiry and justify the costs". The inquiry has already published two final reports, with the remaining eight sets of findings due by summer 2027.
Investigation and Findings
Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK described the reports published so far as damning and said it will continue to push the government to implement the recommendations made by Baroness Hallett. The group has around 7,000 members.
Katherine Poole was the last person to give evidence at the UK inquiry, speaking about her father John, who died from Covid in March 2020. The story of Katherine's father was the last to be told, after 238 days of hearings.
Next Steps
The inquiry chair will continue writing up her findings and recommendations for ministers. Bereaved families in Wales say they will continue to press for an independent inquiry, a call now supported by opposition parties in the Senedd.
In Scotland, a separate public inquiry into the pandemic has been taking evidence and is expected to publish its first findings this year. More than 227,000 people died with Covid as a cause on their death certificate between March 2020 and May 2023.
