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| Boris Johnson Apologizes at U.K. Covid Inquiry for ‘Pain and Suffering’ | Boris Johnson Apologizes at U.K. Covid Inquiry for ‘Pain and Suffering’ |
| (5 days later) | |
| Regretful but unruffled, Boris Johnson acknowledged on Wednesday that as Britain’s prime minister during the pandemic, he had underestimated the emerging threat of the coronavirus in early 2020. But he rejected suggestions that his government’s initially sluggish response had driven up Britain’s death toll. | Regretful but unruffled, Boris Johnson acknowledged on Wednesday that as Britain’s prime minister during the pandemic, he had underestimated the emerging threat of the coronavirus in early 2020. But he rejected suggestions that his government’s initially sluggish response had driven up Britain’s death toll. |
| Speaking before an official inquiry into the government’s handling of the crisis, Mr. Johnson apologized for “the pain and suffering and the loss” of those who died from Covid, and of their families. He said the families deserved answers, as he submitted to two days of grilling about his leadership and judgment during those frantic days. | Speaking before an official inquiry into the government’s handling of the crisis, Mr. Johnson apologized for “the pain and suffering and the loss” of those who died from Covid, and of their families. He said the families deserved answers, as he submitted to two days of grilling about his leadership and judgment during those frantic days. |
| “There are clearly things that we could have done, and should have done, if we’d known and understood how this was spreading,” Mr. Johnson said. “We collectively should have twigged much sooner” to the rapidly looming danger posed by the virus, he added. “I should have twigged.” | “There are clearly things that we could have done, and should have done, if we’d known and understood how this was spreading,” Mr. Johnson said. “We collectively should have twigged much sooner” to the rapidly looming danger posed by the virus, he added. “I should have twigged.” |
| Still, Mr. Johnson said he was doubtful that acting earlier would have made a big difference. He sparred with the committee’s chief counsel, Hugo Keith, over whether Britain’s death toll, currently at 230,193, placed it among the worst-hit European countries, or merely in the middle. (Britain’s per capita death rate is higher than that of France or Germany, and only marginally lower than that of Italy, the European country most ravaged in the first wave of infections.) | Still, Mr. Johnson said he was doubtful that acting earlier would have made a big difference. He sparred with the committee’s chief counsel, Hugo Keith, over whether Britain’s death toll, currently at 230,193, placed it among the worst-hit European countries, or merely in the middle. (Britain’s per capita death rate is higher than that of France or Germany, and only marginally lower than that of Italy, the European country most ravaged in the first wave of infections.) |