Boris Johnson admits ‘underestimating’ threat of Covid in early days of pandemic
by PA Reporters
Dec 06, 2023
4 minutes
Boris Johnson has admitted his government “underestimated” the threat posed by the coronavirus in the early days of the pandemic, as he apologised to the victims at the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
The former prime minister said that at the start of 2020, coronavirus “wasn’t really escalated to me as an issue of national concern” as the data emerging from China was misunderstood.
He rejected suggestions he had shown poor leadership by oscillating over whether or back tough restrictions.
Former aides have blamed Mr Johnson’s tendency to veer on key decisions in March 2020 for delaying the response.
But he argued it was his job to “test” the “completely
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