British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attends an official investigation into the way the coronavirus outbreak has been handled. He expressed "deep apologies" for the families who lost loved ones during the pandemic and expressed hope that the UK would learn from the outbreak.
The UK is investigating its response to the pandemic. "First of all, I would like to express my deep apologies to those who have lost loved ones and family members in the pandemic, as well as those who have suffered in various ways as a result of the actions taken throughout the pandemic," Sunak said in testimony to the investigation on Monday (11 December). He also stressed that the most important thing now is to "learn lessons so that we can be better prepared in the future".
Sunak is a Conservative and has risen through the ranks in recent years. In July 2019, he served as Principal Secretary to the Treasury to then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and as Finance Minister from February 2020 to July 2022 before becoming Prime Minister in October 2022.
The coronavirus investigation also focused on some of Johnson's problems. According to the report, the investigation has recently heard testimony related to the chaos that often occurred during Johnson's tenure, including lack of ability, stabbing in the back and misogyny.
Sunak has earned praise for his handling of the aftermath of the pandemic, and he has been robust in setting out hundreds of billions of pounds of spending to support companies and people's livelihoods. However, some ** and scientists have questioned whether his efforts to restart the economy after the pandemic may have taken a toll on the country's public health.
According to reports, a former adviser said Sunak had said they should "just let people die".
The survey will also cover Sunak's "eat out to help out" scheme, which was launched in August 2020. The program encourages people to eat out, thereby boosting consumption in restaurants, cafes and bars.
After the policy was introduced, some scientists suspected that it may have created a wave of coronavirus infections in the UK; At the time, it was also known in the Ministry of Health as the "Outside Food" program. Matt Hancock, the former health minister, has said that Sunak did not consult the scientific community or Hancock before launching the plan.