"Baroness Hallet said Welsh ministers had failed to take "decisive action" against an "entirely foreseeable" Covid variant resulting in the lockdown. Prior to the lockdown, she said ministers had relaxed measures "more quickly than scientists advised". Parts of England also went into lockdown at the same time as Wales. First Minister Eluned Morgan said the government would take time to read the report and consider and act on its recommendations."
"The report said the Welsh government's initial response to Covid was "inadequate", with ministers in Cardiff "overly reliant" on the UK government to take the lead. First minister Eluned Morgan welcomed the report and said the Welsh government "was committed to learning lessons from the pandemic" and would work with the other UK governments over the coming months."
The UK public inquiry concluded that the circumstances prompting the Christmas 2020 Covid lockdown in Wales were inexcusable, citing failures by Welsh ministers to take decisive action against a foreseeable variant. Ministers relaxed controls more quickly than scientific advice recommended, which contributed to the need for a late firebreak lockdown. The report described Wales' initial pandemic response as inadequate and overly reliant on the UK government for leadership. Wales recorded the highest age-standardised mortality rate among the four nations from August to December 2020. First Minister Eluned Morgan committed to considering recommendations and learning lessons; the former first minister defended the government's actions.
Read at www.bbc.com
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