She also said the past few weeks has been littered with omissions and failings, including details of underfunding which left departments “ravaged and worn”.

The consequences of Sinn Féin attending the Bobby Storey funeral, as well as the delayed actions in November 2020, led to that “fateful spike in cases in January 2021”, Ms Campbell added.

Northern Ireland first minister, and Sinn Féin deputy leader, Michelle O’Neill apologised to the inquiry for attending the funeral of Mr Storey, a senior republican, during the pandemic, which led to claims she had broken coronavirus guidelines.

Continuing her closing statement, Ms Campbell described the policies surrounding hospital discharges as “reckless” and referred to a failure to stand up NICCMA (Northern Ireland Central Crisis Management Agency) to ensure a cross-governmental approach.

Ms Campbell was also critical of the “apparently boundless power” of chief medical officer Prof Sir Michael McBride, who wore “at least two hats”, and the failure to protect older people and those who were medically vulnerable.