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Boris Johnson admitted that the government did not understand the coronavirus during the “first weeks and months” of the outbreak in the United Kingdom.
The prime minister told BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg that there were “very open questions” about whether the shutdown had started too late.
Johnson also spoke of “lessons to be learned” and said ministers could have done some things “differently.”
Labor accused the government of “mishandling” the crisis.
More than 45,000 people in the UK have died after testing positive for coronavirus, according to government figures, with almost 300,000 confirmed cases.
Last week, Johnson promised an “independent” investigation into the pandemic, but details of its scope or timing have not been released.
Previously, the prime minister said he made “the right decisions at the right time,” based on the advice of scientists.
But, in an interview with Laura Kuenssberg to mark the first anniversary of her entry into Downing Street, she said: “We did not understand [the virus] the way we would have liked in the first weeks and months.
“And I think probably the only thing we didn’t see at first was the degree of asymptomatic transmission from person to person.”
The prime minister added: “I think it is fair to say that there are things we need to learn about how we dealt with it in the early stages … There will be many opportunities to learn the lessons of what happened.”
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Boris Johnson was diagnosed with coronavirus in March
England, whose healthcare system is run by the UK government, went into full closure in late March, which critics say was too late and cost lives.
Johnson said, “Maybe there were things we could have done differently, and of course there will be time to understand exactly what we could have done or done differently.”
He added that they were still “very open questions regarding [scientists] they are concerned, and there will obviously be a time to consider all of those issues. “
On Friday, the government announced that 30 million people in England would be offered a flu shot this year, to reduce pressure on the NHS in the event of an increase in coronavirus infections during the fall and winter.
Johnson said this was in addition to increased testing and tracing and the acquisition of more personal protective equipment, adding: “What people really want to focus on now is what we are doing to prepare for the next phase.” .
He said: “We mourn each of those who lost their lives and our thoughts are very much with them with their families. And I take full responsibility for everything the government did.”
The prime minister, who was placed in intensive care in April after contracting the coronavirus, said that “very soon” he will establish new measures to treat obesity, seen as an additional risk factor for patients.
‘Doubling’
In December, Johnson’s Conservative Party won a convincing general election victory over Jeremy Corbyn’s Labor, after promising to “level out” all parts of the UK.
And despite the economic damage caused by the coronavirus in the past four months, the Prime Minister promised to create more nurses, doctors, hospitals and police, saying that his government’s priorities were “exactly what they have always been, except more . U.S”. re fold. “
“The schedule is what it was when I was on the Downing Street steps a year ago, but we want to go further and we want to go faster.”
Johnson recalled the first inning at No. 10 as Prime Minister on July 24, 2019, saying “it was very exciting, and everyone seemed to be in a very good mood” and “happy, optimistic.” He added that the coronavirus had caused many “difficulties” since then.
“Psychologically it has been an extraordinary moment for the country,” said Johnson,
“But I also know that this is a nation with incredible natural resilience, strength and imagination. And I think we will recover much stronger than ever.”
For Labor, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “Boris Johnson has finally admitted that the government has mishandled its response to the coronavirus.”
“It was too slow to recognize the virus threat, too slow to get into the blockade, and too slow to take this crisis seriously.”
The threat of a second wave of infections was “still very real,” he added, while it was “imperative that the government learn the lessons of its mistakes so that we can help save lives.”
