- Nick Triggle
- Health Correspondent
Johnson, right, with a medical advisor during a daily health conference during the crisis.
The Public Inquiry into the Corona virus in Britain has requested to see former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s messages on the WhatsApp application during his tenure as prime minister as part of its investigation into the decision-making process during that period.
Lawyer Hugo Keith, legal counsel for the panel, said the letters were requested, along with thousands of other documents.
He noted that this part of the investigation mainly focused on understanding how “critical” decisions were made to impose closures and restrictions during the outbreak of the epidemic.
Keith announced this information while talking about how this “unit” works, as the investigation is divided into different sections, or into “units” as they are called.
The preliminary hearing for the first unit, which is investigating the UK’s preparedness for the pandemic, took place last month.
Monday saw the start of the second unit preliminary hearing, which investigates political decision-making.
This allowed the investigation to take a “meaningful approach,” Keith said.
He noted that the investigation would look at whether lives could be saved by imposing an early closure at the beginning of 2020.
But he also said the investigation would assess the quality of advice the ministers received.
The impact of the Corona virus will continue ‘for decades to come’
In his opening speech, Keith said the crisis had put “extraordinary levels of stress” on UK health, care, financial and educational systems and businesses, as well as individual suffering.
He said that the impact of the epidemic will continue to be felt “for decades to come,” adding: “The epidemic has led to financial and economic turmoil.”
“It has disrupted economies and education systems and put unprecedented pressures on national health systems. Jobs and businesses have been destroyed and livelihoods taken away,” he added.
He continued, “The epidemic has caused the spread of long-term physical and psychological illness, and untold sadness and misery.”
“We will feel its impact all over the world, including the UK, for decades to come,” he warned.
The identity of the main participants in this unit, the individuals and organizations that will have the right to see the documents and make statements, has also been revealed.
Besides government departments, participants will also include a number of groups representing some of the most vulnerable groups in society, including people with special needs, children and women at risk of domestic violence, and those who have suffered from the “long-standing coronavirus”.
Keith said the epidemic had “extended and affected almost everyone”, but its impact had not been felt to the same extent.
He pointed out that it is important to assess whether the risks faced by these sectors have been properly taken into account.
Another initial hearing for the unit will take place in early 2023, with public hearings beginning in the summer. This is scheduled to last for eight weeks.