Lee Cain, who served as Downing Street's communications director, is giving evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry ahead of Dominic Cummings, who is due to appear later
Boris Johnson did not think coronavirus was a "big deal" as he focused on other concerns just weeks before the first lockdown, Dominic Cummings wrote at the time. Mr Cummings, who was the then-prime minister's chief adviser, messaged colleague Lee Cain saying Mr Johnson thought the main danger was talking the economy into a "slump".
Twenty days later, on March 23, Mr Johnson ordered the UK into lockdown to slow the spread of coronavirus. Mr Cain told the inquiry that, in January and into early February, other things like Brexit, 5G and a Cabinet reshuffle were the focus in Downing Street. He conceded that the Government got the assessment of the virus "wrong" before it arrived in the country in early 2020.
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