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WOR L D E U R OPE COR ONAV IR U S PA NDE M IC

British government on the defensive over

claims Boris Johnson skipped coronavirus
meetings

For our free coronavirus pandemic coverage, learn more here.

By Latika Bourke
April 20, 2020 — 7.11am

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London: The British government is facing growing questions about its

preparedness for the pandemic after it was revealed Prime Minister Boris
Johnson did not attend five security (COBR) meetings on the issue, as the
virus ravaged Italy and other countries around the world.

Current and former cabinet ministers rushed to defend Johnson in the wake
of the Sunday Times investigation, saying it was rare for prime ministers to
attend every COBR meeting. Johnson is still recovering from the coronavirus
infection that led to him being admitted to intensive care.
The UK government has defended Prime Minister Boris Johnson after he was accused of missing five key
crisis meetings.

Responding to the criticisms, Michael Gove, one of the four cabinet ministers
overseeing the government's response, said any suggestion Johnson had not
cared about the government response was "grotesque".

Gove and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson both denied the claims that
Britain had failed to prepare properly for the pandemic both in the long term
and in the weeks running up to the lockdown.

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Downing Street later accused the newspaper of "falsehoods" and "errors" in

the report.

Cabinet minister Michael Gove, left, was forced to defend British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, right,
following a report critical of the government's preparation for the coronavirus. BLOOMBERG
"This article contains a series of falsehoods and errors and actively
misrepresents the enormous amount of work which was going on in
government at the earliest stages of the coronavirus outbreak," a
government spokesman said.

"This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we have taken the right steps
at the right time to combat it, guided at all times by the best scientific
advice."

The report also claimed the Prime Minister had been distracted by his
personal life, spending 12 days of the month out of London, as his divorce
went through a crucial stage and he informed his children of his plans to
marry his pregnant girlfriend.

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It also reported that pandemic preparations had been neglected for years as
the government cut spending and focused on Brexit; Britain exported some
of its protective equipment stocks to China in late February; and offers from
companies offering to make protective equipment and help with testing
weren't taken up until April.

R ELATED A RTI CLE

COR ONAV IR U S PA NDE M IC

Boris Johnson starts to take back control as Britain prepares to ease

lockdown
In the wake of the criticisms, Britain's Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny
Harries warned against using national death tolls as a way of judging whether
government responses have been effective.

The UK's death toll stood at 16,000 on Sunday, despite a significant decline in
the latest daily count, the fifth-highest in the world. But Harries said national
death tolls were a reflection of a combination of factors.

"We need to be very, very careful about our comparisons and take into
account the age population in a different country," Harries said.

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R ELATED A RTI CLE

COR ONAV IR U S PA NDE M IC

As the day unfolded: Global COVID-19 cases surpass 2.3 million, US death
toll approaching 40,000, Australia's death toll stands at 71

"So Italy, for example, appears to have been extremely badly affected in
terms of death rates, but there are very different family dynamics, for
example, potentially more multi-generational unit, potentially a higher
proportion of the elderly," she said.

She said culture, as well as demographics, needed to be "taken into account"

alongside the public health response.

Harries also said obesity was emerging as a risk factor in the most serious
coronavirus cases.
The UK has pledged to conduct 100,000 tests per day but is conducting only
one-fifth of that with 11 days to go until its deadline.

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Nurses and doctors have complained they do not have enough protective
equipment, like gowns and aprons.

With wires

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Latika Bourke

Latika Bourke is a journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based in London.

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