Donna Coleman, 45yo died after Covid ran riot at Burnley College. Should it have been open?

Donna was not the only person linked to the Dec Covid outbreak at Burnley College to die. Her head of department’s husband also died of Covid, on the same day. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/apr/27/donna-coleman-died-after-covid-ran-riot-at-burnley-college-should-it-have-been-open?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

The joke went: it was impossible to get Covid at Burnley College. The virus didn’t exist there. All through Sept, Oct, Nov and Dec 2020, as more and more people came down with Covid yet the further education (FE) college stayed open, Donna would make this gag to her sisters

Extraordinarily. When Donna was dying, and many colleagues had tested positive, the Burnley College staff Xmas party went ahead.

A video shows c40 people dancing, jumping up and down, waving arms. One man played the sax.

Just 2 women wore masks.

Who the hell is the head?

It wasn’t as if Covid was new to the college. By 2nd October one member of staff, who had only days before taken her terminally ill father to hospital, another staff member tested positive. She heard, casually from another member of staff. Even managers were not told promptly.

She wanted to self isolate as she had supported the test positive colleague.

She was told she should not unless she had been face to face & 1 metre from that colleague.

She was also told not to share that email.

This is shocking, negligent.

No contact from Test & Trace.

The class were not told to self isolate and classes continued..

She tested positive, as did her mother and terminally ill father.

Another colleague raised concerns with HSE. The lack of mask wearing. Poor mask discipline being evident amongst pupils too, unsurprisingly given Gavin Williamson had made it clear they should not be turned away if no mask

Donna was too fearful of repercussions if she did.

What did HSE do?
Raised concerns with the FE college & from records satisfied itself that all guidance was being followed

Well that isn’t going to bring Donna back to life, nor her colleague’s husband.

If they & the college had acted effectively they could still be living

Meanwhile Carlile’s Mum was taken into hospital.

She was there for 3 weeks and Carlisle said her mum nearly died.

All this time the Government were putting pressure on schools and colleges to stay open with a mixture of cajoling, financial sweeteners and legal threats.

Johnson apparently raging against lockdowns :

“Let the bodies pile high in their thousands” .

They did. Due to his and his ministerial colleagues actions and inactions.

45 year old Donna’s “body” was one leaving grieving sisters and parents.