Commenting on the report published by the Covid inquiry on 20 November, Rocio Cifuentes MBE said:
‘When reading these volumes, I can’t help but reflect on how harrowing this must be for children and families who were impacted so deeply by the pandemic. Those effects are still being felt today. Whilst the focus of this particular module was not on children, I’m reassured that this office’s evidence and from others representing children’s experiences has featured and that the devastating effect on children’s lives has been acknowledged. There is no doubt that a generation of childhoods were affected and our Government now owe it to all of them to heed the lessons of this Inquiry and to commit to ensuring that children are prioritised and that adequate contingency planning is in place for any future pandemic.’