• The UK inquiry criticized former PM Boris Johnson for a delayed COVID-19 response.
• Approximately 23,000 deaths could have been prevented with earlier lockdown measures.
• Chaired by Heather Hallett, the inquiry highlights a "toxic and chaotic" government culture.
• Johnson’s indecisiveness and his adviser’s inappropriate conduct were also criticized.
• The inquiry emphasizes the need for better pandemic preparedness in the future.

A public inquiry has condemned the former UK government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as a "chaotic" and "toxic" response, stating that the failure to implement an early lockdown led to approximately 23,000 preventable deaths. The report, chaired by Heather Hallett, detailed how indecisiveness from then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his administration's culture contributed significantly to the crisis. Specifically, the inquiry found that a lockdown delay meant the country was not prepared for the scale of the emerging pandemic, resulting in an unacceptable loss of life, according to SCMP, Al Jazeera, and Reuters.

The inquiry emphasized that had the UK entered a lockdown on March 16, instead of March 23 in 2020, the death toll from the pandemic's first wave could have been reduced by nearly 48 percent. The report criticized the government for a lack of urgency that characterized the early response to the pandemic, highlighting that Johnson was distracted by other governmental priorities and failed to take the virus seriously. This resulted in a death count exceeding 240,000, with the UK facing one of Europe's deadliest outbreaks, as stated by SCMP, Al Jazeera, and Reuters.

Chair Heather Hallett noted a pervasive culture of distrust and indecision at the heart of the government, where crucial decisions were often delayed or poorly executed. The report called out Johnson’s top adviser, Dominic Cummings, for contributing to this chaos with his inappropriate conduct. Hallett's inquiry also pointed out the need for significant reforms in how the UK prepares for future pandemics, indicating that a better-prepared response could have mitigated both the human and economic toll, according to SCMP, Al Jazeera, and Reuters.