‘No handbook to deal with a pandemic!’ Grant Shapps desperately defends UK Covid response

Grant Shapps: There’s no handbook on how to deal with a pandemic

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps desperately defended the Government’s coronavirus response on Sky News on Wednesday. He explained it is “easy” to be “professors of hindsight” when scrutinising the Government’s decision-making over the pandemic. But he went on to stress Boris Johnson and his Cabinet were dealing with an “unprecedented situation” adding “there is no rulebook” on how to deal with a pandemic. His comments come as the Government faces heavy criticism for the sharp change in rules in eight Covid hotspots across England as the Indian variant takes hold.

The Transport Secretary said: “We were making decisions under unprecedented situations.

“There is no rule book, there is no textbook to open and see how to deal with a pandemic.

“The last time the world faced anything like this was one hundred years ago with the Spanish flu.”

He added: “So it is easy to be professors of hindsight.”

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Shapps defended the government’s decisions (Image: Sky)

Shapps was questioned on the governments decision making (Image: Sky News)

Mr Shapps went on to say: “What I would say is on the very big calls which are things like developing the vaccine and having a programme in place to roll it out faster than any other major equivalent economy.

“And being able to test our entire population twice a week. I think on those big things we got it right.

“But you are right – there is no rulebook and, of course, there will be mistakes made.”

He concluded: “It is easy to be the professor of hindsight and look back on these things.”

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Nicola Sturgeon urges Scots to get coronavirus jabs

The UK has stormed ahead in its vaccine programme (Image: Express.co.uk)

The news comes as the government faced a massive backlash from the public and local leaders after failing to formally announce crucial changes to travel rules within the UK.

The government has now confirmed new guidance on the Gov.uk website that appeared on last Friday afternoon which advises against all but essential travel in eight Covid hotspots, including Bolton and Blackburn, that have seen a significant rise in cases of the Indian variant.

It advises people living in an affected area to “meet outside rather than inside where possible” and “avoid travelling in and out of affected areas unless it is essential”.

The rules apply to Bolton, Leicester, Kirklees, Hounslow, Bedford, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley and North Tyneside.

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Global covid stats as of 25 May (Image: Express.co.uk)

There were 15 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours of people who died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19.

While 2,493 new cases of coronavirus were reported on yesterday (25 May).

122,379 received a first dose of the covid vaccine yesterday while 332,955 second doses were administered.

38,192,417 people have had one dose and 23,228,511 have now had two doses of a coronavirus vaccine.