A Belfast woman with cerebral palsy has told the Covid-19 Inquiry that living alone in sheltered accommodation during the pandemic without direct contact with family was “really frightening”.
Giving evidence on behalf of Disability Action, Joanne Sansome said staff shortages in the care sector meant many of her friends were stuck in bed for days without direct care.
Ms Sansome, who campaigns on behalf of those with disabilities, said she stopped counting the days when she reached 700.
She described how no one really explained to those with disabilities what was happening and how their lives would be impacted by the virus.
The inquiry heard how Fridays soon became known as fabulous Fridays when her dad left treats for her and all those living within her sheltered accommodation including the staff.
However, she said the care sector was not treated the same as other areas of health care, which became visible with the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE).
At one point, Ms Sansome reached out to contacts at Queen’s University Belfast to access PPE when staff in her home did not have enough.
“It was crazy at that time. I kept thinking of my friends who lived by themselves in their own homes and how they were stuck in bed for days because of the shortages,” Ms Sansome told the Inquiry.
“There were days that you weren’t guaranteed a shower or full care. Staff did their best but going forward things like that need to be planned for.”
Ms Sansome, who flew to London to attend the inquiry in person, described how her laptop became her visual window to the world and how it allowed her to communicate with family and friends.
During the summer of 2020, she attended a daily virtual summer camp for disabled people located in America which she said she had always wanted to go to and, albeit virtually, the pandemic let her do that.
She said ensuring those with disabilities could communicate was essential and providing people with tools such as laptops should become part of any future preparation for another pandemic.
When asked by counsel to the inquiry how disabled people were treated differently Ms Sansome said when care staff tested positive it affected the entire sheltered dwelling with everyone told to isolate, even if they tested negative.
When that happened at Christmas and Ms Sansome was told by the Public Health Agency that she would have to stay alone in her apartment she rang an MLA who intervened.
As a result, most of her neighbours were allowed to go home to their families to eat Christmas dinner.
Freedom Day 2022 (the end of lockdown rules on 19 July 2022) according to Ms Sansome was not freedom day for all as restrictions were not lifted for those who were clinically vulnerable, which Ms Sansome said was unfair.
Ms Sansome said she felt the announcement was made as an election was approaching.
“The cynical side of me felt it was only announced by politicians to look good,” she told the inquiry.
“They always said they were following the science, but I was never too sure what was science and what was political spin.”
