'Pandemic mistakes must not be made again'

A civic official said "terrible mistakes" made during the Covid-19 pandemic must not be repeated.

Kurshida Mirza, the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, said society must learn from the experiences of the bereaved.

She was speaking at an event staged in Milton Keynes to mark the fifth anniversary of the pandemic.

About 100 people attended the "day of reflection" - one of many staged around Britain on Sunday.

"It's important that we learn from the experiences of the bereaved and that the terrible mistakes made during the pandemic are never repeated again," said Ms Mirza in an address at the event.

"The Covid inquiry has gone some way to documenting the pain of loss, it is, however, important that the learning and the evidence presented are translated into tangible actions."

The Covid-19 Day of Reflection was organised by Covid-19 Families UK.

Charity founder, Deborah Lewis, whose father died during the pandemic, told the BBC that people were "still struggling" with grief.

She added: "It is not only important to remember the losses, which is primarily what we do, but to remember that even though the pandemic has moved on, people are still struggling with grief."

The Covid public inquiry is ongoing and earlier this month started four weeks of hearings, looking into the purchase and distribution of billions of pounds' worth of medical equipment during the pandemic.

Bereaved people also reflected on the pandemic at events in Stevenage, Harlow, Peterborough and King's Lynn.

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