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Lockdowns not considered in UK’s emergency plans, Covid inquiry hears

A senior civil servant said the government's planning was focused on a no-deal Brexit and flu pandemics

By Ruby Lott-Lavigna
Lockdowns not considered in UK’s emergency plans, Covid inquiry hears
The government failed to consider lockdowns in its classified risk assessment | Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images
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The UK’s national risk assessment contained no plans for lockdowns or economic collapse, a senior civil servant has told the Covid-19 Inquiry.

Speaking on Friday, Katharine Hammond, the former director of the civil contingencies secretariat in the Cabinet Office, said the National Security Risk Assessment (NSRA) contained no details to help the country prepare for lockdowns or a massive economic shock, such as that seen during the pandemic.

The inquiry heard how the UK’s preparation for a flu pandemic – which was deemed more likely than a coronavirus pandemic – had massively hindered the ability of the country to prepare for the effects of Covid, which has killed more than 200,000 people in the UK.

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