Responding to questions about the UK's actions in handling the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chris Whitty told a public inquiry he felt he was more wary than others about the negative impacts of shielding, or isolation policies, school closures and lockdowns.
But he rejected suggestions by the inquiry's lawyer, Huge Keith, that he had warned the government against overreacting. "Rather, he said he made it clear to policymakers that without action, very serious things would occur."
Whitty became a household name during the pandemic, when he often appeared alongside Johnson and senior officials at daily televised government briefings on COVID-19. The UK has one of the highest COVID-19 death tolls in Europe, with the virus recorded as a cause of death for more than 232,000 people.
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