Covid-19 inquiry: Brexit blamed for diverting focus away from pandemic planning

Last week’s covid-19 inquiry hearings picked up where they left off, with politicians shirking any connection between their policies and the UK’s failings during the pandemic which has so far caused more than 220 000 deaths.Former prime minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, told the inquiry that Brexit and the UK government had limited the ability of her government to stem the spread of the coronavirus and manage its health impact. It was “deeply regrettable” that the threat of a “no deal Brexit” forced the government to “divert resources” away from emergency planning on potential pandemics, Sturgeon said. Instead, Scottish ministers had to focus on the UK government’s Operation Yellowhammer report which mapped out the worst case Brexit scenarios, including major disruption to transport, medicine, and food and water supplies, she said.Emma Reed, director of emergency preparedness and health protection at the Department of Health and Social Care, also said that…
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