British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing heat over his government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, nearly two weeks after his battle with the highly contagious virus.
Calls within the U.K. for a formal investigation into the country’s handling of the health crisis within its borders are growing among the opposition party, which said there have been “shocking failures” in the distribution of protective gear and a slow government response.
“Once we are through this crisis, there will of course need to be an independent inquiry to officially review the government’s response to the pandemic,” said Ed Davey, the acting leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats, in a statement Wednesday.
“The inquiry must have the strongest possible powers given the shocking failures on protective equipment for staff and the slow response of the government - to get to the truth and to give Boris Johnson the opportunity to answer the increasingly serious question,” he continued.
Mr. Johnson was diagnosed and hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms that sent him to the intensive care unit. After being discharged last week, he has begun to make some phone calls and participate in virtual meetings.
The statement from Mr. Davey comes just days after Culture Minister Oliver Dowden said that the British government will launch a review into its handling of the coronavirus outbreak once the crisis has passed.
Britain has one of the highest infection and death rates from the coronavirus, behind the U.S. and several other European nations. As of Wednesday, the U.K. has reported 130,184 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, 17,337 deaths and 640 recoveries, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. Britain has a population of 66 million.
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