Boris Johnson Faces Tough Questions at Covid Inquiry, Says He Wasn't Properly Informed About The Pandemic
Boris Johnson faced intense scrutiny over his handling of the early stages of the pandemic in an appearance before the Covid inquiry in London.
Johnson insisted that he was not adequately warned about the severity of Covid-19 in early 2020, attributing the lack of urgency to a prevailing sense of complacency within the government. He expressed regret for mistakes made but argued that some errors were unavoidable given the prevailing mindset at the time.
‘A Victim of Global Perception’
Responding to questions about delayed actions in January and February 2020, Johnson portrayed himself as a victim of the global perception that previous viral outbreaks like SARS and MERS had not led to significant consequences.
He argued that the information he received did not convey the urgent and immediate action required to address the impending crisis.
Despite evidence presented during the inquiry, including a WhatsApp message from his chief adviser Dominic Cummings warning of the virus being «probably out of control,» Johnson maintained that the entire Whitehall establishment and scientific community underestimated the scale and pace of the challenge.
Johnson's decision to let the then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock chair the initial Cobra emergency committee meetings on Covid was questioned. He justified this by stating that, at the time, the virus had not become a significant political concern and had not been raised during prime minister's questions.
“The dead can’t hear your apologies”
The inquiry also revealed that approximately 5,000 WhatsApp messages from Johnson's old phone, covering the crucial period from January to June 2020, were irretrievable, possibly due to a factory reset.
Protesters disrupted the proceedings,
