Ex-UK PM Johnson Acknowledges Huge Price Children Paid During Covid School Closures

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed regret over the impact of Covid-19 policies on children, particularly regarding the school closures, which he described as a "nightmare" and a "personal horror." Johnson defended the government's handling of the school closures, arguing that planning was in place and that it was "obvious" there would need to be consideration of closing schools, with the Department for Education preparing accordingly. He acknowledged that children, who were not particularly vulnerable to Covid, paid a "huge price" to protect the rest of society and wished there had been an alternative solution. Johnson also noted the challenges of planning due to the rapidly evolving situation and limited knowledge about Covid at the time, emphasizing the focus was on avoiding a severe public health crisis. The inquiry revealed disagreements between Johnson and former Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, who said the government erred in initially trying to keep schools open and admitted that formal planning only began shortly before the closure announcement. Johnson supported the idea of "mass testing" in schools as a means to keep them open but acknowledged it was never fully implemented.