Covid inquiry to hear of impact on the East

The team overseeing the Covid-19 inquiry wants people to share their stories

A team from the Covid inquiry has come to the East to hear about people's experiences during the pandemic.

The inquiry - chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett - was set up to examine the country's response to the pandemic, and to see if lessons could be learnt.

Drop-in events, called 'Every Story Matters', will take place in Ipswich on Monday and Tuesday, and in Norwich on Wednesday.

People will be able to speak with inquiry staff, as well as fill out online forms detailing their experiences.

The Ipswich sessions will take place from 10:00 BST to 16:30 BST at Ipswich Town Hall, in Cornhill.

Wednesday's event in Norwich will be held between the same times at The Forum, in Millennium Plain.

Ben Connah, secretary to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, said: “Anyone can come and share their story - the more the better.

“We know Covid affected people differently in different parts of the country and everyone has a different story to tell.”

He said people in Ipswich had shared "some awful experiences of bereavement" and the way Covid "continues to affect their lives, through long Covid, financial and business loss".

He added: “We’ve also had some really positive stories.

"I was talking to a woman earlier who was part of a community group, and had been part of it for years, but was really struck by the way other members of the community rallied around to help her, an elderly person, when having a connection was the hardest thing to come by."

He said people's stories were key to sharing the "human impact" of the pandemic.

“People overwhelmingly want to talk about what happened to them, especially if they’ve not had the opportunity to before now," he added.

Inquiry secretary Ben Connah says people sharing their stories is key to showing the "human impact" of the pandemic

The inquiry has published its first report into the UK's preparedness of pandemics following hearings with experts and politicians.

The 217-page report said significant flaws in planning meant Covid caused more deaths and economic costs than it should have.

It is expected about eight other reports will be published.