"ready for lockdown 10-14 days before it was utilised. "
We decided to leave Portugal on or around 15 March as it was pretty close to full lockdown and it seemed borders might close for an indeterminate period. The state of emergency was announced there on 18 March but by 15th the bars and restaurants had been shut for some days and we weren't allowed to drive anywhere for pleasure and the shops had restrictions. So I'd guess lockdown started there around 10th/11th.
It didn't start here until March 23. However it's easy to say with hindsight that the govt took a bad decision (herd immunity) but I'm not sure how much you can fault them without the benefit of hindsight.
Another matter they raise in the article id PPE. This is a global shortage which still exists (500 dead Russian doctors announced this week due to shortage) and I'm not sure how the govt/NHS could have done much better. It's easy to say they should have had more in stock but if the govt had announced last summer they were spending £xm on PPE just in case, the Mail and it's readership would have gone apoplectic. There are any number of unlikely disasters they could provide for but they all take resources (also remember some complained when they were given out of date masks).
I'm not sure Boris is the man he was before he was ill and I wasn't keen on him then, but I don't think overall they have done so badly in the circumstances. I don;'t really get why our numbers are quite so bad though.
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