Covid news - live: Starmer says PM should apologise over ‘damning’ report on handling of pandemic

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UK 'waited too long' to impose COVID-19 lockdown, costing thousands of lives: report

Sir Keir Starmer has called on Boris Johnson to apologise to bereaved families after a critical report on the government’s Covid response was released.

The Labour leader said the report was a “damning indictment” of the Government and thinks that the public Covid inquiry should begin earlier than the planned date of Spring 2022.

The report said mistakes at the start of the Covid pandemic cost lives and the government’s initial policy “one of the most important public health failures” ever in the UK.

The joint inquiry by the Science and Technology Committee and the  Health and Social Care Committee said the UK’s preparation for a pandemic was far too focused on flu and ministers waited too long to push through lockdown measures in early 2020.

Stephen Barclay, the Cabinet Office minister, refused to apologise and insisted the government “did take decisions to move quickly” in the wake of the report’s publication.

Key Points

• Initial response to Covid cost thousands of lives, report finds
• Minister refuses to apologise for failings that ‘cost thousands of lives'
• ‘We know the service was initially ill-prepared for a pandemic’ - NHS Providers
• ‘We have a joke PM’: Cummings renews attack on Johnson over Covid response
• Starmer calls for PM to bring forward Covid public inquiry

[12 October 2021 15:42 · Joe Middleton]

Starmer calls for PM to apologise to bereaved families and bring forward Covid public inquiry

Sir Keir Starmer has today called for Boris Johnson to apologise to bereaved families and hold an independent inquiry into Covid earlier than the planned date of Spring 2022.

The Labour leader also called the MPs’ report into the crisis a “damning indictment” of the Government.

He told BBC News: “My thoughts are with the families who have lost people because of these failures by the Government.

“But it wasn’t just the slowness to respond, it was running down the NHS before the pandemic arrived and then the chaotic way that trace and trace was set up - far too slow.”

Sir Keir added the Government need to “accept responsibility” and “just go out and apologise to beareaved families” and “bring forward the public inquiry as soon as possible”.

[12 October 2021 15:58 · Joe Middleton]

Covid study linking vaccines to rare side effect was wrong

A research study that linked a very rare side effect to the Covid-19 mRNA vaccines has been withdrawn by researchers after they made a major mathematical error.

The Canadian study attracted headlines after it suggested there was a 1 in 1,000 risk of people developing myocarditis or inflammation of the heart after receiving the Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines.

But the paper’s conclusions were wrong, and the calculation flawed.

The Independent’s health correspondent Shaun Lintern has the details.

[12 October 2021 16:21 · Joe Middleton]

Scottish Labour says Holyrood should launch its own Covid inquiry

Scottish Labour has said Holyrood must launch its own inquiry and accused the Scottish Government of “acting too slowly” in response to the virus.

Nicola Sturgeon announced in August that the Scottish-specific inquiry would kick off before the end of the year, but this will be done as a public inquiry rather than being led by MSPs.

Under Holyrood rules, a committee could be established to head the inquiry - as was the case with the Alex Salmond inquiry earlier this year - or a current committee could take it on.

A report released on Tuesday by the Health and Social Care and Science and Technology Committees at Westminster said decisions made in the early part of the pandemic around lockdowns and social distancing “rank as one of the most important public health failures the United Kingdom has ever experienced”.

In response, Scottish Labour deputy leader, Jackie Baillie, has pushed for a similar investigation in Scotland.

“Nicola Sturgeon ignored the same warnings as UK Ministers and with the same tragic outcome,” she said.

“At crucial points in the pandemic the UK and Scottish Governments were in lockstep - acting too slowly in response to the danger and failing to warn the public of the risk.

“But while England will benefit from the findings of this robust and detailed report, Scotland has been denied early findings of its own.

“Nicola Sturgeon’s own MPs helped deliver this analysis at Westminster while in Scotland they dither and delay on making sure her decisions are put under the microscope.”

[12 October 2021 16:51 · Joe Middleton]

Tory MP claims Jeremy Hunt ‘not willing to take part of the blame’ for Covid crisis

Tory MP Chris Skidmore said Mr Hunt had not taken enough responsibility for lack of preparation prior to the Covid crisis.

“I find it a bit rich to have a report produced today by a former health secretary who’s not willing, necessarily, to take also part of the blame,” he told BBC Politics Live.

“Jeremy Hunt was health secretary for six years, where was the preparation here?”

[12 October 2021 17:17 · Joe Middleton]

London’s New Year’s Eve firework display cancelled due to Covid

The New Year’s Eve firework display over the Thames in London has been cancelled this year because of coronavirus.

The annual event is usually attended by up to 100,000 people and broadcast across the world.

City Hall said it has been cancelled this year due to “uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic”.

However, a spokesman for London Mayor Sadiq Khan promised that the capital’s new year celebrations will still be “spectacular”.

“This year, as always, London will be welcoming the new year in a spectacular way,” he said.

“Due to the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, our world-famous New Year’s Eve display will not be held on the banks of the Thames this year.”

Last year the display was moved to a different area of London, and involved the innovative use of drones.

[12 October 2021 17:41 · Joe Middleton]

Health Secretary urges people to get flu and Covid-19 booster jabs

The Health Secretary has urged people to get their flu jab and Covid-19 booster shot to “give themselves and their loves ones the best possible protection in the months ahead”.

Sajid Javid said he had “done his bit” after having his flu vaccination at a pharmacy in central London.

It comes as the NHS rolls out its biggest ever flu jab campaign amid fears that if the viral infection is left unchecked this winter then thousands of lives could be lost.

Mr Javid said: “Alongside the Covid-19 booster jabs, we are rolling out the biggest flu programme in our history, with a record 35 million people in England eligible for a free flu jab to keep them safe this winter.

“I’ve done my bit by getting my flu vaccine, and it’s vital that all those who are eligible come forward for both their flu and Covid-19 booster vaccines, to give themselves and their loved ones the best possible protection in the months ahead.”

The Government has launched the biggest flu programme in the NHS’s history, with more than 35 million people in England eligible for a free vaccination.

Covid booster jabs are also being rolled out, with around 28 million people in England eligible.

As the weather gets cooler, experts are urging people to take up the offer of a flu and/or Covid booster when the NHS contacts them, and not to delay having either jab.

[12 October 2021 18:06 · Joe Middleton]

Dominic Cummings responds to MPs Covid report

Dominic Cummings has responded to a report by MPs that claims serious errors by government ministers and scientific advisers cost “thousands of lives” during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser also hit out at the prime minister, calling him a “joke”.

“The government system for dealing with crisis is a disaster. The system was bad for many years before Covid,” Mr Cummings told Sky News.

“We have a joke prime minister and a joke leader of the Labour party and we obviously need a new political system,” he added.