HOME Secretary Priti Patel has said now is not the time to talk about whether the Tory Government has mismanaged the pandemic.
It comes as the UK recorded a further 1610 coronavirus deaths yesterday – the highest number reported on a single day since the outbreak began – bringing the country’s total to 91,470.
The UK now also has the worst Covid-19 death rate in the world, according to Oxford University research.
The UK has a rate of 16.54 per 1,000,000, followed by the Czech Republic on 16.32, Portugal on 14.82 and Slovakia with 14.55.
READ MORE: Covid Scotland LIVE: NHS health boards fighting capacity as virus toll rises
The Home Secretary told BBC Breakfast: “I don’t think this is the time to talk about mismanagement.
“We have been with this virus, this pandemic, for about a year now and it is a global pandemic across the world.
“Governments respond very differently – we’ve seen that across the world, but based on the facts, the science, the evidence that has been presented to us as decision-makers. We have seen harrowing death tolls around the world.”
She said there were a “range of reasons” for the UK’s “appalling” death toll, mentioning how people with “comorbidities” are “more susceptible to this virus”.
READ MORE: First Minister accuses Tories of ‘spinning misleading’ Covid jag numbers
Speaking to Good Morning Britain yesterday Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis also downplayed the significance. "You can't do a direct comparison of that type with this virus in terms of death rates," he said.
Presenter Piers Morgan then asked why ministers are so happy to compare vaccination rates.
He told the minister: "You can't bat the question away by saying you don't want to get into international comparisons, because you do when it suits you.
"I am just asking you for the one reason why we have the worst death rate in the world right now."
Lewis said the Government "can't answer that question at the moment" and added comparisons can only be made after the pandemic.
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