Leading doctors have said it is “vital that lessons are learned” from the pandemic as the UK’s official coronavirus death toll exceeded 50,000.
The British Medical Association (BMA) said the figures were a “terrible indictment” of the Government’s lack of preparation and organisation with regard to handling the virus.
The latest Government data showed 50,365 people had died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, making it the first country in Europe to exceed 50,000 deaths.
Responding to the news, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chairman, said: “This is a point that should never have been reached.
“In March, Professor Steve Powis said that if the public adhered to the nationwide lockdown the total toll could be kept below 20,000.
“Today’s figure is a terrible indictment of poor preparation, poor organisation by the Government, insufficient infection control measures, coupled with late and often confusing messaging for the public.”
He added: “As we look towards the hope of a vaccine, it’s vital that lessons are learned from the last nine months to ensure that nothing on this scale ever happens again.”
The reaction to the grim milestone has been quite explosive so far.
We’ve picked out the best bits:
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