(C) OpenDemocracy This story was originally published by OpenDemocracy and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Covid inquiry: Did Wales confuse public by going it alone on lockdowns? [1] [] Date: 2024-03 Wales’s decision to go it alone with the timing of lockdowns and other Covid restrictions confused the public and may have been a mistake, the Welsh government’s top doctor said today. The Welsh chief medical officer and chief scientific adviser were quizzed at the UK Covid-19 inquiry about the impact of Wales’ ‘firebreak’ lockdown and the Welsh government’s delay in issuing guidance on face coverings, and concerns that NHS Wales would be overwhelmed by the virus. Wales’ chief medical officer (CMO) Frank Atherton, chief scientific adviser (CSA) Rob Orford and former permanent secretary to the Welsh government Shan Morgan appeared as part of module 2B, which is focusing on the Welsh government’s response to the pandemic. Here’s what you need to know from the day’s proceedings. Delay on face coverings Atherton said the Welsh government’s delay on face coverings guidance in 2020 weakened public messaging about Covid-19. Get our free Daily Email Get one whole story, direct to your inbox every weekday. Sign up now Wales was the last of the four UK nations to recommend wearing face coverings in public spaces, issuing guidance to that effect on 9 June 2020. Scotland recommended people wear face coverings in indoor public spaces and on public transport from 28 April 2020, Northern Ireland introduced similar guidance on 7 May and England on 11 May. Face coverings in public did not become mandatory in Wales until 27 July, when rules were introduced for public transport. This was, again, later than the other three UK nations. “It became confusing for the public that we were not aligned and that we were doing something slightly different on face coverings,” said Atherton. Referring to his notebooks from June 2020, Wales’ chief medical officer (CMO) said he didn’t feel there was strong enough medical evidence to make face coverings mandatory, but that he had advised the Welsh government that there was a “political choice” to make. The choice was between taking a different stance from other CMOs and UK nations on face coverings, as ultimately happened, or aligning Wales’ response to the pandemic with the rest of the UK. “When I look back at all the time and energy spent in Wales thinking about face coverings, I do wonder whether it would have been a better decision to simply align,” said Atherton. The inquiry saw meeting notes from 10 August 2020 in which first minister Mark Drakeford claimed the public were “completely mystified” over why face masks were not mandatory in Welsh supermarkets. Banning mass gatherings in early March would have provided the public with clearer messaging about the severity of Covid-19, Atherton said. In hindsight, banning events in March 2020, such as a Six Nations rugby match due to be held in Cardiff that was eventually cancelled with 24 hours’ notice, would have been a pragmatic response to the emerging pandemic. But, he said: “We were following SAGE advice.” Firebreak impact Orford, told the inquiry that with the benefit of hindsight, Wales should have implemented its October 2020 ‘firebreak’ lockdown earlier. He said while it pushed the epidemic back and slowed the growth of the virus, an earlier firebreak could have “got the prevalence lower”. Wales entered a lockdown on 23 October until 9 November 2020 – a fortnight before England, where a second national lockdown came into force from 5 November to 2 December 2020. In written evidence, Orford suggested that the different approach in England meant Wales “accrued significant harm”. Westminster did not follow SAGE’s advice to intervene early when it came to policymaking for England, and did not support Wales to do so financially, his written evidence said. ‘Omnishambles’ The inquiry was shown pages of CMO Atherton’s notebooks from August 2020, including one entry with a spider diagram featuring the word “omnishambles” at the centre. When questioned about its meaning, Atherton said it represented “a degree of frustration” with the UK’s pandemic response. “Sometimes information came from the UK level into Wales very late and left us on the back foot on some issues,” he said. There was a “sense of frustration”, he added, when some restrictions were lifted in parts of the UK while others were being put into place – such as more mandating of face coverings in indoor settings in Scotland even as other settings across Britain were being reopened to the public. NHS Wales ‘overwhelmed’ The inquiry was also shown an email from Orford dated 27 February 2020 – more than three weeks before the first full national lockdown – in which he wrote to Atherton raising concerns about the impact of Covid-19 on NHS hospitals in Wales. “If we estimate the numbers [of people requiring hospital support and ventilation] for Wales as being 5% of UK totals we will see very significant impacts for NHS Wales that would far outstrip capacity for a number of weeks,” the email reads. Orford confirmed when questioned that he was clear by 27 February 2020 that “unless action was taken” the NHS in Wales would be overwhelmed by Covid-19. The inquiry continues. openDemocracy is fundraising to pay reporters to cover every day of the public hearings. Please support us by donating here. 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