The reality was slow to dawn on us about the full horror of Covid...

Johnson grilled over impact on a generation of kids

- MARTIN BAGOT

BORIS Johnson has finally admitted that the full horror of Covid-19 was slow to dawn on his pandemic government.

The disgraced former Prime Minister told the Covid-19 Inquiry he thinks children “maybe” should have been exempted from lockdowns.

He was questioned about the government's preparations for school closures in the pandemic and harm done to a generation of youngsters.

Mr Johnson said: "I think that looking back on it all, the whole lockdowns, the intricacy of the rules, the rule of six... I think we probably did go too far. Maybe we could have found a way of exempting children."

England was in national lockdown between late March and June 2020. From September 2020 social gatherings of more than six people were banned. Children were included in the six in England but not in Wales.

It was put to Mr Johnson that for children, playing outside was their exercise. He said: "My understanding of the rules was children should have been allowed to exercise outdoors."

The Partygate PM was grilled on why his government was slow to plan for school closures and remote learning. The decision to close schools was announced on March 18 and came into effect two days later.