Matt Hancock: I was warned 820,000 in UK could die of Covid

Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock says helium was warned 820,000 radical successful the UK could dice from Covid 2 months earlier the state went into lockdown.

In his caller diaries connected the pandemic, the MP says successful January 2020 helium was told by England's main aesculapian serviceman the toll was "a tenable lawsuit scenario" if restrictions were not introduced.

In his caller book, Mr Hancock says that erstwhile helium mentioned the projected decease toll to different furniture ministers, their absorption was "somewhat 'shrug shrug' - fundamentally due to the fact that they didn't truly judge it".

He wrote: "I americium perpetually feeling that others, who aren't focused connected this each day, are weeks down what's going on."

He said that 11 days later, England's main aesculapian serviceman Sir Chris Whitty besides warned transmission would beryllium truthful precocious that "almost everyone would drawback it".

Mr Hancock wrote: "In his characteristically understated way, sitting astatine the backmost peeling a tangerine, Chris Whitty softly informed everyone that successful the tenable worst-case script arsenic galore arsenic 820,000 radical successful the UK whitethorn die.... The full country froze. We are looking astatine a quality catastrophe connected a standard not seen present for a century."

Mr Hancock's Pandemic Diaries: The Inside Story Of Britain's Battle Against Covid, is being serialised successful the Daily Mail, with the West Suffolk MP acceptable to donate each proceeds to NHS charities and causes supporting dyslexia.

The archetypal extract was published successful the insubstantial connected Saturday and comes soon aft Mr Hancock reappeared successful Westminster pursuing his controversial quality connected ITV's world show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here.

Mr Hancock was criticised by MPs for his three-week stint successful the jungle, wherever helium placed third.

In the book, the erstwhile wellness caput besides defended his handling of 1 of the astir arguable episodes of the pandemic - the determination to merchandise attraction location residents from infirmary without testing, which was blamed for thousands of deaths.

A diary introduction connected 2 April 2020, notes: "The tragic but honorable information is we don't person capable investigating capableness to cheque anyway. It's an utter nightmare, but it's the reality."