BackJohnson takes 'full responsibility on what govt has done' as UK COVID-19 deaths top 1-lakh mark
UK was the first country in Europe to surpass the 1-lakh COVID-19 death toll markJohnson said his government had done everything it could to minimise loss of life in the coronavirus pandemic
PremiumUnited Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday said he was "deeply sorry for every life lost" as the coronavirus death toll in the country crossed 100,000. The UK is the first country in Europe to surpass the threshold.
Johnson said his government had done everything it could to minimise loss of life in the coronavirus pandemic after the country's death toll exceeded 100,000.
"I take full responsibility for everything that the government has done," Johnson said on Tuesday. "What I can tell you is that we truly did everything we could, and continue to do everything we can, to minimise loss of life and to minimise suffering."
Also Read | The Indian-Americans driving Biden’s agenda
"It’s hard to compute the sorrow contained in that grim statistic. I am deeply sorry for every life lost," he added.
The government has faced criticism for its management of the pandemic from experts who said that it waited too long to impose lockdowns and failed to get sufficient stocks of protective equipment for health workers.
“Mistakes have been made," said Richard Murray, chief executive at The King’s Fund, a think tank focused on health and social care. “Decisions to enter lockdown have consistently come late, with the government failing to learn from past mistakes or the experiences of other countries."
Meanwhile, England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty said on Tuesday that the country will see more deaths from coronavirus before a vaccination programme takes effect.
"Unfortunately we're going to see quite a lot more deaths over the next few weeks before the effects of the vaccines begin to be felt," he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
