The
inquiry is proven a briefing that PHW ready on 11 March
making the case for the Welsh authorities to declare a significant incident.
It outlined predictions that Wales would see 1.5 million symptomatic instances, 200,000 requiring hospital admission, an estimated 18,000 needing mechanical air flow and 25,000 predicted deaths.
The
briefing additionally stated {that a} “recurring theme of classes discovered” from previous
conditions was that “main incidents should not declared quickly sufficient”.
Sandifer tells the listening to: “I
simply felt we wanted to put our playing cards on the desk and say to Welsh authorities
‘that is how we see it, are you going to make use of emergency laws’?”
He confirms that the response relayed to him from Welsh authorities was that such
a declaration “wouldn’t be useful”.
The primary demise from Covid in Wales was recorded on 15 March.
