of the pandemic in england from people involved in key decisions at the time. now, in this joint report, they criticise that early response. instead of locking down quickly like some other countries, they say the government s scientific advisers felt there was no choice but to bring in social distancing rules gradually, letting sporting events go ahead and keeping borders open, and they say ministers did not do enough to challenge that advice. what we conclude in this report is that the national response to covid was a bit like a football game with two very different halves, and in the first half, we had some serious errors, we could have avoided a lockdown, but having got into a position where we had to have one, we should have locked down earlier, but in the second half, we had the vaccine rollout, which we describe as the most effective initiative in the history of uk science and public administration. some of the relatives of those who have died responded angrily to that comparison
report does not name names science was wrong as well. tte: report does not name names but science was wrong as well. t te: report does not name names but it talks about a mindset and within thatis talks about a mindset and within that is the scientific and medical advisors that are part of the government are notjust advisors that are part of the government are not just the advisors that are part of the government are notjust the senior ministers, and if you look back to the start of the pandemic, ministers are saying it is all well and good at saying this with the benefit of hindsight but there were scientific voices very early in march last year who said we need to lock down and we need to go much further, and ultimately they had to heed that. the report points out other countries did things differently, may be doing things better, certainly in the first half of the pandemic, asjeremy hunt said, and it references taiwan and south korea for their efforts in getting a functioning test
bbc news in terms of labour shortages and the fuel price, that kind of thing. to see that report today, 150 pages, laying bare the various mistakes that were made over the last 18 months, it is, i think, quite something, especially given it has the names of two former conservative cabinet ministers on it, on the front cover, who carried out the inquiry. no surprise that the political opponents of the government will continue to attack on this. but i don t think this report gives them any fresh ammunition. report gives them any fresh ammunition. ., ,. ammunition. the government will say, but look at the ammunition. the government will say, but look at the vaccine ammunition. the government will say, but look at the vaccine roll-out, - but look at the vaccine roll out, that has been massively successful, especially compared with other parts of the world, but in terms of the science, we heard that the science was what politicians were following an at times people would not believe i