Boris Johnson's Controversial Apologies and Moral Reflections on COVID-19 Handling

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson rejected claims that he wanted to let COVID-19 "rip" through the population as he defended his handling of the pandemic during a public inquiry. Johnson denied advocating for a strategy of allowing the virus to spread rapidly to increase immunity, stating that he was pushing scientists to explain why such a strategy wouldn't work. He emphasized that his public statements and actions should be considered when assessing the government's response. Johnson also defended his efforts to balance health and economic impacts, including the "Eat Out to Help Out" program. The inquiry aims to uncover lessons from the pandemic but could further damage Johnson's reputation.