PM admits Britain ‘failed to learn lessons of SARS’ and nation was totally unprepared for huge testing programme

Speaking to MPs this afternoon he said that the country was not ready enough for coronavirus to hit the UK, and Britain was late in sorting kits and enzymes needed to stop the spread.

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The Government has repeatedly been attacked for being slow to respond to the virus, and for stopping track and trace systems across the country.

Boris confirmed today that would restart again tomorrow, more than two months after it stopped.

He told MPs earlier: "Our testing operation as you know, began much earlier, we did have test track and trace operating.
"But unfortunately we did not have capacity in PHE, to be absolutely blunt, we didn't have the enzymes we just didn't have the test kits, we didn’t have the volume.

"Nor did we have enough experienced trackers ready to mount the kind of operation that they did in some other eastern Asian countries, for instance.

"The brutal reality is that this country did not learn the lessons of SARS or MERS, and we did not have a test operation ready to go on the scale that we needed.

"We now have that."

But he defended stopping the programme, saying the system would "not have been appropriate" when cases were so high.

And he now said Britain was testing more people than nearly any other country in Europe.

The PM has aimed to get up to 200,000 a day by the end of the month - today marked more than 150,000 tests.

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And Britain wants to do all tests within 24 hours too, the PM added.

However, he has not set a deadline for that.

"I have been forbidden from announcing any more targets or deadlines," he said.

"It's going to be as soon as possible."

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Elsewhere in the committee hearing, Boris Johnson again defended his adviser, Dominic Cummings, who has faced accusations that he broke lockdown rules.

The PM this afternoon faced a heated 90 minute grilling from politicians on the virus, lockdown rules, and whether he was right to keep his top aide in post.

He has stood by Mr Cummings despite a flurry of public anger, and condemnation from MPs.

But the aide insists he acted legally and reasonably by driving 260 miles up to Durham while he was sick with coronavirus, to make sure that he was near family in case they needed to look after his young son.

Boris told MPs this afternoon: "What we need to do now, as politicians, as leaders, is to set aside this row because I'm afraid a lot of allegations turned out to be totally false, and to move on.

"I have said what I have to say about that matter."

And he ruled out an inquiry into the matter, saying  it was not a good use of time when the country was focused on coronavirus.
He told the SNP MP Pete Wishart, who lashed out at the PM: "You're making a political point and a piece of political advice.

"I consider that what this Government needs to do is focus on the needs of the nation, and sorting out the problems, and on getting our message across, and that is what we are going to do."

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