Matt Hancock mentioned the UK ought to have gone into lockdown three weeks earlier than it did which might have saved “many, many lives”.
The previous well being secretary instructed the pandemic inquiry he regarded February 28 2020 because the “second that the centre of Authorities, led by the Prime Minister, actually began to return into motion”.
He mentioned “with hindsight” the UK ought to have locked down when Italy did in February however added that at the moment there was nonetheless “huge uncertainty” in regards to the scale of the pandemic.
He mentioned: “The variety of circumstances was nonetheless very low, in truth, there have been solely 12 circumstances reported on March 1, and the prices of what I’m proposing have been identified and big.
“Having clearly thought of this and mirrored on this an enormous deal over the previous couple of years, the primary second we realistically may have actually cracked it was on March 2, three weeks sooner than we did.”
Mr Hancock additionally used his proof to accuse Dominic Cummings of making a “tradition of concern” in Authorities that undermined the pandemic response.
The previous minister painted Boris Johnson’s ex-chief adviser as a “malign actor” who subjected his employees to abuse as they grappled with the emergence of Covid-19.
Mr Cummings sought to seize energy from the then-prime minister whereas shutting out ministers from key conferences, Mr Hancock instructed the UK’s official pandemic inquiry.
Mr Hancock performed a key position within the response to the pandemic however his efficiency has been repeatedly criticised by quite a lot of different witnesses together with Mr Cummings, who has branded him a “confirmed liar”.
Hitting again as he gave proof on Thursday, the previous well being secretary mentioned Mr Cummings had tried to exert affect over decision-making in a approach that was “inappropriate in a democracy”.
“Because the Cobra system was operating in February, the prime minister’s chief adviser determined that he didn’t just like the Cobra system – that’s on the report – and he determined as a substitute to take the entire main each day choices into his workplace and he invited a subset of the individuals who wanted to be there to those conferences,” Mr Hancock mentioned.
