BORIS Johnson believed the best course of action would be to “ignore” Covid-19 during the early stages of the pandemic, it has emerged.

There was also a “genuine argument” in the UK Government that would see some kind of herd immunity strategy pursued, according to the BBC. 

Nearly a year on from the start of the UK’s lockdown, the broadcaster has revealed what was going on in Westminster during those early days.

Between the end of January, when coronavirus first arrived in the UK, and the end of February, there was a “lack of concern” about the infection.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon update: Where and when to watch today's Covid lockdown update

Insiders described early meetings with the Prime Minister as “dreadful”, as staff feared how the Government would respond to the threat of the virus.

There was talk of “chicken pox parties” and people being encouraged to spread the virus.

Johnson was told ahead of a March 3 coronavirus briefing that people should not be shaking hands, before going on to tell the nation that he had “shaken hands with everybody” after visiting a hospital with Covid patients present.

Despite having met to discuss the virus, senior Government members viewed it as “hysteria”, sources said.

The National:

According to one person who attended the Downing Street meetings about coronavirus, “it became clear that there was no proper ‘emergency break-the-glass plan'”.

The change in tactic came in late February when northern Italy saw an outbreak. One minister said after reading reports from Lombardy, they “thought that will be us if we don't move”.

Even after that the Government argued over the right response, with the Prime Minister and several Cabinet ministers not wanting to pursue a lockdown.

The Tory Government has been heavily criticised for failing to enter lockdown until March 23. It was 10 days earlier, on March 13, when Sage realised the virus was spreading more quickly than anticipated.

The morning after, sources said, Johnson was shown “simple graphs” highlighting the reality of the situation – and this changed his attitude towards imposing restrictions.

The report also reveals that insiders “knew there was going to be a second wave” of the virus during the summer, around the time Johnson encouraged workers back to the office and the Chancellor pushed his Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

One senior figure described a feeling of over-optimistic messaging during the summer months – and said this was “the biggest mistake”.

"The policy objective in the summer and the autumn was - do the minimum possible,” one insider said. Another said on some days the Prime Minister was concerned, and on others he was in “let-it-rip mode”.

READ MORE: Covid update Scotland: Reassurance from Nicola Sturgeon over vaccine clot concerns

Later in the autumn, data showed that failing to act and impose restrictions would result in “something worse than the first wave”.

But Johnson was not persuaded by the idea of a “circuit breaker” and despite a concerted effort to change his mind he would not cave.

The Tory leader had apparently privately told groups of MPs there would be no further restrictions and he was under “ideological pressure”. In September he ended up making tweaks to the rules – Tory backbenchers were thrilled.

Failing to act at this moment has been heavily criticised by scientific experts.

Some 125,580 people have now died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus. Separate figures, where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate, shows 147,000 lives lost.

In January the UK took the grim title of worst daily death rate in the world, according to Oxford University research.

Last week England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty also predicted another Covid-19 surge would hit the UK, with Sage anticipating another 30,000 more deaths still to come.

Despite the UK’s many failings, the Tory Government is currently enjoying a lead in the polls – which pollsters attribute to the so-called vaccine bounce.