PM insists he did not blame care workers

BORIS JOHNSON has said he did not intend to blame care workers when he said “too many” care homes had not properly followed procedures, but refused to apologise for the remarks.

The Prime Minister told the Commons that understanding of coronavirus had “changed dramatically” over recent months.

He said the Government now knows aspects about how the virus is passed between people without symptoms “that we just didn’t know” before.

However, minutes from a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies on Jan 28 referenced asymptomatic transmission, saying “early indications imply some is occurring”.

The Daily Telegraph disclosed yesterday how dozens of care homes were inspected during lockdown over reports of “poor care”, including concerns that staff and residents had been left dangerously exposed to Covid-19.

At Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, repeatedly called on Mr Johnson to apologise for his comments on Monday which drew criticism from the social care sector, unions and opposition MPS.

Sir Keir said: “On Monday, the Prime Minister said, ‘Too many care homes didn’t really follow the procedures in the way that they could have’… Will the Prime Minister apologise to care workers?”

Mr Johnson replied: “He keeps saying I blamed or try to blame care workers, and that is simply not the case. We now know things about the way coronavirus is passed from person to person without symptoms that we just didn’t know [before].”