How the long-awaited Covid-19 inquiry will work and what it means for Boris Johnson

The government figures who have led the UK through the Covid crisis will be questioned at length in public in what are likely to be uncomfortable hearings for Boris Johnson.

Details have been released of the Covid-19 inquiry, which the Prime Minister has previously been accused of trying to block, has been released.

The government formally launched the investigation late last month, days after bereaved families threatened legal action over delay.

Former High Court judge Baroness Heather Hallett, who will lead the inquiry into the UK's response to the pandemic, warned key witnesses and organizations this week that she would not hold back s 'they were trying to "get in the way".< /p>

Families who have lost loved ones to Covid are hoping the inquest can be closed, while Baroness Hallett expressed hope it will help the UK better prepare for future pandemics.

But she warned that it will be some time before the full findings are released, due to the scope of the inquiry's mandate.

The UK death toll has passed 200,000, according to the Office for National Statistics (file image) (

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Getty Images) What is the investigation about?

It will be far-reaching. As Lady Hallett observed, every person in the UK has been affected by the pandemic in different ways, and many aspects are going to be examined.

First, the survey will examine how well the risk of a pandemic has been identified and planned for.

Basic political and administrative response and decision-making – such as decisions about lockdowns, use of scientific expertise, modeling and public health data and messaging – will also be examined.< /p>

This will be done UK-wide, as well as looking at what happened in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The impact of the coronavirus on health services, public services, education, children and young people, the care sector, the test and trace system and the purchase of PPE will also be examined .

The focus will also be on inequalities, the survey team said.