Scots will be asked to share their personal experience of the pandemic with the country’s Covid-19 Inquiry.
According to The BBC:
A new website is being launched to allow members of the public to detail how they thought the Scottish government handled the health crisis.
The project aims to assess the impact Covid had on them or their loved ones, and what lessons should be learned.
Experiences shared will be “at the heart” of the inquiry into the Scottish government’s response to the pandemic from 1 January 2020 to the end of 2022.
The Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry will establish facts and lessons to be learned.
It will also make recommendations to Scottish ministers to ensure the country is better prepared in future.
The main UK Covid inquiry began last August, but the separate Scottish investigation has been beset by delays.
Four members of the inquiry’s legal team stood down last October.
Its chairwoman Lady Poole also quit for personal reasons and was replaced by Lord Brailsford.
The new website – Let’s Be Heard: Sharing Scotland’s Covid Experience – will be launched on Tuesday.
Printed submissions will also be available in GP practices, care homes, pharmacies and libraries.
Dr Alexandra Anderson, head of Let’s Be Heard, said: “Everyone in Scotland has been affected by the pandemic.
“Thousands of people have lost their lives, and many continue to be deeply impacted. Lessons people believe should be drawn from their experiences, both positive and negative, will be at the heart of the inquiry’s investigations.
“Our internal research team will analyse the experiences people share with us and produce a series of reports to help shape the inquiry’s investigations and inform its reporting and recommendations to Scottish ministers.”
According to Scottish government statistics on 18 May, there were 2.1m cases of Covid in Scotland during the pandemic.
Just over 36% of people in Scotland have tested positive for the virus. A total of 17,599 people lost their lives.
The Scottish inquiry has cost taxpayers more than £2m to date.
It was set up to investigate areas such as pre-pandemic planning, the decision to go into lockdown, the supply and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) and how the virus was dealt with in care homes.
The inquiry will begin in July with expert evidence, with full hearings to follow in October.
