Johnson apologises to Covid victims' families but defends record
Former British prime minister Boris Johnson has apologised for "the pain and the loss and the suffering" caused by Covid-19 but defended his government at a public inquiry into its handling of the crisis.
Mr Johnson, who has faced a barrage of criticism from ex-aides for alleged indecisiveness and lack of scientific understanding during the pandemic, completed the first of two days in the witness box.
He said that, at the start of 2020, the virus "wasn't really escalated to me as an issue of national concern" as the data emerging from China was misunderstood.
Ministers should have "twigged" about the need for action much sooner, Mr Johnson said, adding that it was only when he saw the "horrors" of the outbreak in Italy in February of that year that he realised the seriousness.
United States
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Cases: 46 252 513
Deaths: 750 423
Recovered: 0
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India
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Cases: 34 321 025
Deaths: 459 652
Recovered: 0
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Brazil
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Cases: 21 835 785
Deaths: 608 235
Recovered: 0
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United Kingdom
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Cases: 9 215 683
Deaths: 141 607
Recovered: 0
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Russia
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Cases: 8 494 589
Deaths: 237 619
Recovered: 0
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