For nearly a year in the United Kingdom the association “Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK”, the main association of relatives of coronavirus victims, has called for an independent investigation into the management of the epidemic by the British Conservative government. The country holds a sad European record, with 127,629 dead, taking into account those diagnosed positive in a period of twenty-eight days before their disappearance and even 151,765 missing, taking into account the declarations of deaths. It has also been months since the association of bereaved families has demanded an hearing from Boris Johnson, whom the latter has, until now, always refused.
Faced with these repeated pressures, but also those of all the opposition parties and even the injunctions of the head of the Church of England, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the British Prime Minister finally accepted, Wednesday May 12 from the House of Commons, “The principle of an independent investigation”, but not before “Spring 2022”… “We must be aware of the amount of resources and time that such an investigation will require”, care should not be diverted from their task, “While the threat of variants is still present” and that’“There is a significant risk of a new wave next winter”, argued Boris Johnson.
Who, as if to redeem himself, also promised the creation of a commemoration commission, responsible for thinking about the best way to honor the victims of Covid-19, as well as ” the sacrifice ” caregivers, because this country “Went through a real trauma” during the epidemic, insisted the leader.
The reaction of the Covid 19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK association was immediate. She welcomed “With great relief” the announcement of an independent investigation but lamented that it does not begin until spring 2022: “It’s just too late. “” It sounds like common sense when the Prime Minister explains that the investigation must begin when the pandemic is over, but lives are at stake […] a quick survey in summer 2020 [sur la gestion de la première vague] could have saved our loved ones who died during the second wave. ”
The association took the initiative, in March, of a “wall of memory of the Covid” : its volunteers painted 150,000 red and pink hearts on 500 meters of wall along the right bank of the Thames, just opposite the Palace of Westminster. This popular walking spot for Londoners has already been visited by a number of personalities. Boris Johnson passed by on the sly one evening in April, far from the television cameras. “I was deeply moved” by the wall, said the Prime Minister, Wednesday, without confirming if he would finally meet the representatives of the families in mourning. But ” of course “, they will be consulted on the composition of the future commission of inquiry.
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