Covid: Boris Johnson WhatsApp messages requested by inquiry

The Covid nationalist enquiry has asked to spot Boris Johnson's WhatsApp messages during his clip arsenic premier curate arsenic portion of its probe into decision-making.

Counsel for the inquiry, Hugo Keith KC, said the messages had been requested alongside thousands of different documents.

He said a large absorption of this portion of the enquiry was knowing however the "momentous" decisions to enforce lockdowns and restrictions were taken.

The revelations came arsenic helium acceptable retired the details of however this module volition work.

The enquiry is being breached down into antithetic sections - oregon modules arsenic they are being called.

The preliminary proceeding for module one, looking astatine however good prepared the UK was, took spot past month.

Monday marked the commencement of the preliminary proceeding for module two, which is looking astatine the governmental decision-making.

Mr Keith said this allowed the enquiry to instrumentality a "targeted approach".

He said it would look astatine whether lives could person been saved by introducing an earlier lockdown astatine the commencement of 2020.

But helium besides said it would measure the prime of proposal ministers received, and whether excessively overmuch value was fixed to modelling.

In his opening address, Mr Keith said the situation placed "extraordinary levels of strain" connected the UK's health, care, fiscal and acquisition systems and businesses, connected apical of idiosyncratic bereavements.

He said its interaction volition beryllium felt for "decades to come", adding: "The pandemic has led to fiscal and economical turmoil.

"It has disrupted economies and acquisition systems, and enactment unprecedented unit connected nationalist wellness systems. Jobs and businesses person been destroyed and livelihoods taken away.

"The illness has caused wide and semipermanent carnal and intelligence illness, grief and untold misery.

"Its interaction volition beryllium felt worldwide, including successful the United Kingdom, for decades to come."

The individuality of the halfway participants for this module were besides unveiled.

These are the individuals and organisations which volition person enhanced rights to spot documents and marque submissions.

Alongside authorities departments, they volition besides see a big of groups representing immoderate of the astir susceptible successful society, including radical with disabilities, children, women astatine hazard of home unit and those who developed "long Covid".

Mr Keith said the pandemic "reached retired and affected astir each person" but its interaction was not arsenic felt.

He said it was important to measure whether the risks these groups faced was decently taken into account.

A further preliminary proceeding for the module volition instrumentality spot successful aboriginal 2023, with nationalist hearings starting successful the summer. These are scheduled to past for astir 8 weeks.