Britain's COVID-19 response inquiry enters a second phase with political decisions in the spotlight

abcnews.go.com:

Britain's inquiry into the response to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the nation has entered the second phase with political decision-making taking center stage

LONDON — Britain’s inquiry into the response to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the nation entered its second phase Tuesday, with political decision-making around major developments, such as the timing of lockdowns, taking center stage.

For the first time, the inquiry heard emotional WhatsApp messages and diary entries from key participants during the crucial stages of the pandemic starting in January 2020, when the virus started to spread around the world.

But families whose loved ones died during the pandemic voiced their concern that the new stage of the investigation — the so-called Module 2, the second of four planned phases — is ignoring how they were failed by politicians and policymakers.

Many held a silent protest outside the inquiry in London holding portraits of their deceased loved ones, and stood beside a banner which read “Stop silencing the bereaved.” The U.K. had one of the world’s deadliest outbreaks, with around 230,000 coronavirus-related deaths up to Sept. 28, according to government statistics.

«I hope the inquiry has access to evidence it needs which includes evidence from the bereaved,» said Lorelei King, 69, who lost her actor husband Vincent Marzello, 72, in March 2020. “They have taken impact statements, but we have much more to provide. Many of us were eyewitnesses to what went on during that time.”

Chair Judge Heather Hallett insisted that the voices of the bereaved won't be ignored during this stage of the inquiry, which will focus on the U.K. government’s actions during the crisis. The first phase, which