Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson He admitted this Thursday before the official inquiry into the management of the epidemic: Not sure there’s concrete evidence of the administration’s plan to encourage people to eat out after 2020’s lockdown It caused an increase in covid-19 cases.
Johnson, who was in power when the pandemic broke out at the beginning of 2020, began testifying this Thursday on the second day of the inquiry, which aims to evaluate the measures taken by the Government to control the virus.
One of the measures implemented by the government in the summer of 2020 after the quarantine was the so-called ‘Eating Out to Help Out’ measure. encouraged people to eat in bars and restaurantsWith the help of discounts to stimulate the economy, but it was later questioned whether this had helped increase Covid cases.
“I don’t think I thought of the plan itself as a particular gamble at the time, and it certainly wasn’t presented to me that way, nor am I sure there’s very significant evidence that it actually increases the R (reproductive count) of the virus,” he said.
“The country has made a huge effort, we have reduced the R to below one so that the disease no longer spreads as it did before.” “It was possible to open up” the hotel industry.
When ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ was introduced it made sense: restaurants “had some customers”There was stress.
The inquiry, chaired by former judge Heather Hallett, aims to assess the decisions the Conservative Government made to confront the crisis between January 2020 and February 2022, when the last restrictions were lifted.
Johnson began giving evidence at the inquest yesterday and expressed regret about it. “pain, loss and pain” What Covid-19 victims experience.
The former Conservative leader resigned as head of Government in 2022 following rows between parties at the official residence at 10 Downing Street during the pandemic.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will appear this Monday ahead of this inquiry to answer questions about the measures taken while he was in charge of the Economy during the pandemic.