Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized for supposedly underestimating the coronavirus and for handling the health crisis.
Johnson's remarks on Wednesday also noted that the government was too complacent and did not take the COVID-19 crisis too seriously, along with its risks. The former prime minister appeared before an official inquiry into the region's handling of the health crisis.
Boris Johnson Apologizes During COVID Inquiry
He said that he was taking responsibility for all of the decisions made and noted that he understood the public's anger after the inquiry heard of government incompetence, backstabbing, and misogyny during the pandemic.
Johnson added that COVID-19 first appeared as a "cloud on the horizon" and not the "typhoon" that later caused the death of more than 230,000 people in Britain and the infection of millions of others.
The former prime minister said that he initially did not believe the forecasts of fatalities due to previous health scares. These include the swine flu pandemic and mad cow disease that ended with much lower death tolls than scientists first expected, as per Reuters.
However, Johnson, who served as prime minister from 2019 to 2022, resigned in disgrace following a series of scandals. These include reports that he and other officials had been present at alcohol-fuelled gatherings in Downing Street during 2020 and 2021. It was when most people in Britain were forced to stay at home.
The COVID inquiry has already heard damaging testimony regarding Johnson's reluctance to lock down and how he was confused by the science of the virus that nearly killed him. The former prime minister was said to have, at one point, asked if blowing a hair dryer up his nose could kill the virus.
He allegedly added that he should be injected with it on live TV and has admitted that he was "bewildered" by data that showed the health service could be overwhelmed by the health crisis. The inquiry has given Johnson a platform to map out his history of the pandemic.
The Handling of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Johnson also told the UK COVID inquiry that he had "no other tool" than lockdown in controlling the coronavirus in March 2020. According to BBC, his remark was made as an answer to a question by the inquiry chair on whether he considered anti-lockdown arguments.
The British lawmaker added that he should not have shaken the hands of COVID patients at the time and should have canceled mass gatherings like the Cheltenham Festival. He also regretted not having "twigged" the seriousness of the virus sooner than he did.
As he was apologizing for handling the pandemic, he cited the pain, loss, and suffering of the people of the region. He was at one point seen holding back tears as he talked about that "tragic, tragic year."
Johnson also singled out difficulties in coordinating England's public health messages with the authorities in Scotland and Wales. He then noted that he did not want to prejudge the conclusions that would unfold from his evidence, said the New York Times.
