The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed UK government decision-making in a manner not seen for decades. Here is a chronological overview of the government’s response to the virus, with a focus on central government in England. It is updated on an ongoing basis.
The government’s response from the start of the outbreak until February 2021 is seen through a communications and reputational lens. External factors such as health, financial, economic, social, cultural, political, legal and regulatory actions and events, and media coverage and public opinion polling, are highlighted in italics.
The timeline is updated as new facts are made public.
Pollsters IPSOS-MORI, YouGov and Opinium provide useful data and insights on UK public opinion on the COVID-19 pandemic. For an international perspective see Pew Research.
February 2021
- 12: ONS calculates UK economy shrank at fastest rate for 300 years in 2020
- 11: UK govt publishes white paper on NHS reform; UK hotel quarantine booking system crashes on launch
- 10: Survey finds care home staff vaccinations are lagging behind target
- 9: UK govt announces new travel quarantine restrictions; NHS COVID-19 app revealed to have told 1.7 million people to self-isolate
- 5: UK regulator finds COVID-19 vaccines are ‘extremely safe’; UK govt confirms all over 50-year olds to be offered COVID-19 vaccine ‘by May’
- 4: Bank of England projects UK economy to ‘recover rapidly’ in 2021; Study finds international travel had ‘biggest impact’ on COVID-19 deaths
- 3: Study suggests single AstraZeneca shot ‘substantially’ slows COVID-19 infections and transmission
- 2: Scientists say UK variant has mutated again; Sage warned UK govt to close borders or impose mandatory quarantining for inbound travellers weeks ago
January 2021
- 31: Studies suggest UK may suffer a third spike of COVID-19 infections unless vaccines cut transmissions significantly
- 29: EU reverses plan to restrict COVID-19 vaccine exports through the Irish border
- 28: Vaccine war brews as EU demands COVID-19 jabs produced in UK
- 27: Boris Johnson announces schools will not re-open before March 8; NHS England criticised for failing to publish ethnic data for COVID-19 vaccinations
- 26: UK COVID-19 deaths pass 100,000; Boris Johnson apologises for lives lost and takes ‘full responsibility for everything the government has done’
- 25: Tory MPs call for ‘route map’ for re-opening schools; UK govt ‘divided’ on tighter quarantine rules for foreign arrivals; EU calls AstraZeneca reasons for cutting COVID-19 supply ‘unacceptable’; former Prime Minister Gordon Brown argues COVID-19 is contributing to the risk of the UK becoming a ‘failed state’
- 24: 77 cases of South African variant discovered in the UK
- 23: AstraZeneca reported to cut EU COVID-19 vaccine supplies by 60% due to production problems
- 22: Boris Johnson warns UK virus variant may be more deadly than the original; UK minister says govt has been considering full closure of UK borders; Gavin Williamson says he ‘would certainly hope’ schools will have re-opened by Easter
- 21: Imperial study suggests COVID-19 infection rates ‘may have risen’ at the start of current lockdown; Germany proposes plan to allow EU governments to close borders on public heath grounds
- 20: Priti Patel says she wanted UK borders shut in March 2020
- 18: Pressure mounts on UK govt to scrap Universal Income cut
- 17: Dominic Raab says some lockdown restrictions may be lifted ‘by early spring’
- 15: UK govt announces it will close all travel corridors; France to introduce stricter testing over ‘English variant’ fears; Supreme Court rules insurers must cover business interruption policies
- 14: UK to ban travellers from Brazil and Portugal over ‘Brazilian variant’ fears; MHRA refuses to approve schools’ mass daily testing in England
- 13: Boris Johnson promises round the clock vaccination services; NHS considers discharging COVID-19 patients into hotels; Survey finds high compliance with current lockdown restrictions
- 12: Priti Patel warns of tighter lockdown enforcement; Major supermarkets ban shoppers without masks
- 11: Ministers understood to be considering how to enforce COVID-19 restrictions more effectively
- 10: Matt Hancock promises every UK adult to have been offered vaccine ‘by autumn’; regular rapid testing to be rolled out across England in the next few days; Boris Johnson spotted bicycling in East London
- 9: UK govt advisors, health experts call for tighter lockdown restrictions
- 8: MRHA approves Moderna vaccine for use in the UK; Sadiq Khan declares ‘major incident’ in London; UK govt launches new COVID-19 public awareness campaign
- 6: Boris Johnson says lockdown restrictions could last until Easter; UK govt confirms student exams will not be held this summer, considers COVID-19 tests for incoming travellers; Benjamin Netanyahu blames ‘British mutation’ for COVID-19 spike in Israel
- 5: Rishi Sunak announces £4.6bn in extra COVID-19 business support; Two Conservative MPs submit letters of no-confidence in Boris Johnson
- 4: Boris Johnson announces third national lockdown, closure of schools; SNP MP Margaret Ferrier arrested for COVID-19 lockdown breach
- 3: Boris Johnson warns of tougher regional restrictions; Sir Keir Starmer calls for immediate lockdown
- 2: UK govt reverses decision to exclude London primary schools from closing; Head teachers take legal action to force UK govt to reveal scientific data behind decision to keep schools open
- 1: Medics complain about vaccine shortages and bureaucracy; Senior UK govt source says schools may remain closed until February
December 2020
- 31: Head teachers, teachers and education unions criticise UK govt ‘last minute’ decision to shut schools; BMA, doctors rally against new vaccine strategy
- 30: Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine approved for use in the UK; UK govt extends restrictions across much of England, closes secondary and primary schools in high-risk areas for at least two weeks in January, changes vaccine strategy
- 29: COVID-19 cases rise above 40,000, the highest recorded in a single day; SAGE committee reputedly recommends UK govt closes schools in January, strengthens existing lockdown
- 27: Oxford university/Astra Zeneca vaccine approval expected ‘within days’; Gavin Williamson warns of ‘enormous battle’ to keep secondary schools open in January
- 23: UK govt announces tougher restrictions from Boxing Day; two cases of South African virus variant detected in the UK; Tony Blair calls for vaccine strategy to change
- 21: Russia, India, Morocco, Chile and other countries ban travel from the UK; Sir Patrick Vallance warns more areas of England could go into Tier 4
- 20: Several European countries ban travel from the UK; France bans freight travel from the UK for 48 hours
- 19: Boris Johnson announces new Tier 4 and tougher Christmas restrictions
- 18: Boris Johnson urges caution over Christmas, refuses to rule out third national lockdown; Secondary schools complain about ‘chaotic and rushed’ COVID-19 testing plan
- 17: Tier 3 restrictions extended across south England, business furlough scheme extended for one month
- 16: Boris Johnson resists calls for Christmas restrictions
- 15: BMJ and HSJ warn of ‘likely third wave’ unless UK govt reverses decision to allow household mixing over Christmas; Four nations talks continue on Christmas rules; UK international traveller Test to Release system overwhelmed within hours; UK unemployment rises to 4.9%
- 14: Matt Hancock confirms London to move to tier 3 amidst rising COVID-19 infections, new COVID-19 variant has been identified by at least 60 local authorities
- 11: NAO report finds Test and Trace call handlers spent 1% of their time working; UK isolation period to be shortened to 10 days
- 10: Mass testing for secondary schools in London, Kent and Essex introduced
- 9: MHRA warns people with ‘significant’ allergic reactions not to have Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
- 8: UK starts COVID-19 vaccine programme roll-out; UK vaccine chief to leave post; Sir Patrick Vallance warns face masks may be necessary until late 2021
- 7: Fears London may be re-classified as Tier 3
- 5: NHS advisor defends rapid lateral test flow tests
- 4: Academic study raises concerns about rapid lateral flow tests in Liverpool
- 3: Gavin Williamson claims the UK has ‘much better’ scientists and is a ‘much better country’ than France, Belgium or the US
- 2: UK regulator approves Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine; Matt Hancock and other UK govt ministers claim rapid vaccine approval is a Brexit bonus; UK govt vaccine Brexit bonus claims dismantled as untrue; retailer Bonmarche goes into adminstration
- 1: The Times details secret dossier on COVID-19 sectoral economic impacts; UK govt refuses to publish secret dossier; MPs approve new COVID-19 tiers with 55 Tory MPs rebelling; Debenhams to cease trading
November 2020
- 30: Boris Johnson agrees to publish data behind proposed virus tier system; UK govt publishes ‘rehashed’ tier system data; Study finds COVID-19 infection rates have fallen 30% during lockdown; Arcadia goes into administration
- 29: Boris Johnson says new COVID-19 tier system has February 3 ‘sunset’ expiry date
- 28: Sources reveal COVID-19 restrictions likely until Easter; Vitamin D to be given free to care homes and vulnerable
- 27: Up to 70 Conservative backbench MPs threaten rebellion against regional tiering restrictions; SAGE warns COVID-19 infections ‘could easily double’ over Christmas; MHRA formally asked to assess Oxford university/Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine
- 26: UK govt announces lockdown measures after December 2; Astra Zeneca to run extra COVID-19 vaccine trial
- 25: Rishi Sunak announces public sector pay freeze and foreign aid spending cut; Junior Foreign Office minister resigns in protest against foreign aid cut; OBR forecasts UK economy to shrink 11.3% in 2020, unemployment to rise to 7.5% in summer 2021; NAO report finds PPE price rises cost UK taxpayers £10bn; Leaked Cabinet Office briefing warns UK faces increased risk of ‘systemic economic collapse’
- 24: Four UK nations agree Christmas household mixing rules; BMA warns COVID Winter Plan is ‘full of risks’; Questions arise about Oxford university/Astra Zeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine trial
- 23: Trial shows Oxford university/Astra Zeneca vaccine is 70% effective; Boris Johnson sets out post-lockdown tiered COVID Winter Plan
- 22: Rishi Sunak warns of ‘economic shock’ of COVID-19, announces extra £3bn for NHS; Lockdown to be eased across all four UK nations for Christmas
- 20: Rishi Sunak hints at public sector pay freeze
- 18: National Audit Office reports concludes PPE suppliers with political ties given ‘high-priority’ status
- 16: Moderna COVID-19 vaccine found to be nearly 95% effective; UK to open two COVID-19 ‘megalabs’ early 2021
- 15: Boris Johnson and five Tory MPs told to self-isolate after Downing St meeting
- 14: UK govt advisor/lobbyist discovered to have shared lockdown plans with clients
- 13: Investigation reveals UK govt failed to follow own transparency guidelines with over 200 PPE contracts worth £6bn
- 12: Dominic Cummings to leave role as the PM’s chief advisor ‘at the end of the year’; Dominic Cummings leaves No 10
- 11: UK COVID-19 deaths pass 50,000, the highest in Europe; Downing Street head of communications resigns; 50+ Tory MPs form rebel anti-lockdown COVID Recovery Group
- 10: UK unemployment rises to 4.8%; Mass testing to be expanded to 67 more areas across England; UK to cut self-isolation period after Cummings/Whitty row; Dido Harding acknowledges NHS Test and Trace failed to predict autumn demand; UK vaccine tsar linked to Dominic Cummings
- 9: Wales ‘firebreak’ lockdown ends; Pfizer/BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine found to be 90% effective
- 8: Leaked documents reveal UK vaccine tsar ran up £670,000 PR bill
- 6: UK govt admits COVID-19 data presentational ‘error’
- 5: Rishi Sunak abandons extends UK furlough scheme until March 2021 in policy U-turn; Mass testing starts in Liverpool; Office for Statistics Regulation rebukes UK govt for misrepresenting COVID-19 data during October 31 press conference; Operation Moonshot COVID-19 rapid testing pilot misses over 50% of cases
- 4: MPs approve second lockdown despite Tory rebellion; Anger as lockdown rules updated at last minute to include compulsory face coverings in secondary school and college public areas
- 3: Michael Gove, Robert Jenrick confuse lockdown rules
- 2: UK govt announces support for self-employed during second lockdown; Boris Johnson promises Conservative MPs that lockdown restrictions will end on December 2
- 1: Boris Johnson’s lockdown announcement sparks Tory revolt; Michael Gove warns lockdown could last longer than one month; UK govt admits NHS COVID-19 app systematically fails to warn users to self-isolate; Head of UK govt vaccine taskforce discovered to have shown secret documents to US venture capitalists
October 2020
- 31: Leak indicates Boris Johnson to announce new lockdown in England; UK govt starts investigation into lockdown plan leak; Boris Johnson announces month-long lockdown for England; Boris Johnson purportedy says he would rather ‘bodies pile high‘ than order a third lockdown
- 30: ONS study estimates 570,000 people in homes contracted COVID-19 in the week to October 23; Sage documents reveal England has breached worst-case scenario for COVID-19 infections, UK govt was advised to hold multiple COVID-19 circuit breakers; Swiss study suggests Spanish strain now accounts for most COVID-19 cases in the UK; Dominic Raab hints at new tier 4 restrictions
- 29: Imperial College study finds nearly 100,000 people in the UK catching virus every day
- 28: France, Germany announce national lockdowns; Second UK COVID-19 wave forecast to be more deadly than first; Independent COVID-19 response chart finds major public data gaps
- 27: Study finds COVID-19 antibodies decline rapidly amongst UK population; 55 Tory ‘Northern Research Group’ MPs demand more support for north of England, roadmap out of COVID-19 restrictions
- 26: Boots to offer 12-minute COVID-19 test
- 25: UK govt, councils planning tier 4, local circuit-breaker restrictions; Sunday Times investigation reveals elderly patients sacrificed to protect NHS
- 24: Bernard Jenkin MP calls for Dido Harding’s resignation; UK govt considers halving 14-day infection isolation period
- 22: Rishi Sunak unveils £13bn business support package; Official Test and Trace report shows less than 60% of contacts are reached in England; National Audit Office estimates £2bn of govt furlough funds ‘almost certain’ to have been stolen; Care home staff to be ordered to work in one home only
- 21: Tier 3 restrictions set to be imposed on South Yorkshire
- 20: Tier 3 restrictions set to be imposed on Greater Manchester; UK govt publishes 2016 Operation Cygnus pandemic response report
- 19: Wales to go into two-week national lockdown
- 17: Police in England to have access to data of people advised to self-isolate
- 16: Boris Johnson threatens to force tier 3 lockdown on Greater Manchester
- 15: London, Essex and other regions to move to tier 2 restrictions; North-west leaders refuse tier 3 lockdowns; Wales to ban people from UK COVID-19 hotspots
- 14: Boris Johnson dismisses circuit-breaker call by Sir Keir Starmer as ‘opportunism’
- 13: UK unemployment rate rises a record rate to 4.5%; Sir Keir Starmer demands two- to three-week COVID-19 circuit-breaker
- 12: Boris Johnson announces three-tier lockdown system, overrules Sage scientists calling for harsher lockdown; Sage scientists called for short ‘circuit-breaker’ lockdown in September; UK govt Cyber First advert heavily criticised and is withdrawn
- 11: UK govt to give councils in England greater track and trace powers; ICO orders UK govt to release 2016 Operation Cygnus pandemic response report by October 23; MPs launch legal action against UK govt over COVID-19 contracts; Contact-tracing data harvested from pubs and restaurants being sold on
- 10: Northern mayors reject UK govt lockdown support plans, threaten legal action
- 9: Rishi Sunak unveils local furlough plan; Vulnerable face new, extended, tailored COVID-19 shielding scheme in infection hotspots; Contact-tracing app discovered to have sent only one alert about an outbreak in a venue
- 8: Northern leaders vow to oppose lockdown without financial support; Local councils to receive £30m for COVID-19 marshalls; UK govt settles out of court COVID-19 testing procurement contract dispute
- 6: Great Barrington declaration advocating herd immunity and the elderly and vulnerable to isolate is published
- 5: Public Health England admits failing to report almost 16,000 COVID-19 cases over the past week; Only half of missed contacts identified by NHS Test and Trace; Rishi Sunak warns taxes will have to rise to pay for UK govt COVID-19 spending
- 4: Boris Johnson admits Eat Out to Help Out scheme may have fueled COVID-19 spike
- 1: Leaked UK govt memo reveals harsher, standardised three-tier approach to COVID-19 restrictions for England
September 2020
- 30: House of Commons speaker denies MPs vote on COVID-19 emergency powers, accuses UK govt of treating Parliament with ‘contempt’; UK govt backs down to let MPs vote on COVID-19 restrictions; Breast Cancer Now estimates 986,000 women missed breast cancer screening due to COVID-19 lockdown
- 29: Boris Johnson criticised for mis-stating govt ‘rule of six’; 45 universities report COVID-19 outbreaks
- 28: Lockdown tightened in north-east England; North-west city council leaders complain ‘rule of six’ is ‘unenforceable’, ‘contradictory and confusing’ and ‘hugely damaging to businesses’
- 27: Widespread reports that up to 60 Conservative MPs to force vote on COVID-19 restrictions imposed ‘by decree’; Opinion poll gives Labour lead over Tories for first time since Boris Johnson became PM
- 26: New NHS contact tracing app found not to accept one-third of test results; Police arrest anti-lockdown demonstrators in central London;
- 25: COVID-19 cases rise rapidly in England; London added to UK COVID-19 watch-list; Opinion poll shows 78% of the UK supports latest lockdown measures
- 24: Rishi Sunak unveils COVID-19 Job Support Scheme; NHS releases new COVID-19 contact tracing app
- 22: Michael Gove encourages people to work from home; Boris Johnson sets out new COVID-19 restrictions, warns of possible second national lockdown
- 21: UK govt Chief Scientific Officer warns UK could face 50,000 cases a day by October; UK govt raises COVID-19 alert level to 4
- 19: Fines up to £10,000 introduced for self-isolation breaches; Senior Conservative MPs plan to force greater scrutiny of COVID-19 rules
- 18: Boris Johnson says the UK ‘is seeing the start of second wave’ of COVID-19
- 17: UK govt announces £546m extra funding for care homes, restrictions for north-east England; Boris Johnson urges people not to snitch on neighbours breaking COVID-19 rules; Jacob-Rees Mogg criticises people for ‘carping’ about lack of COVID-19 testing
- 15: Priti Patel vows to snitch on neighbours breaking COVID-19 rules; UK unemployment rate rises to 4.1%; NHS Providers says lack of COVID-19 testing is forcing NHS staff to self-isolate
- 14: Row over UK govt ‘rule of six’ grouse shooting exemption; BMA survey finds 86% of doctors expect second COVID-19 wave within six months
- 13: Oxford University resumes COVID-19 vaccine trial; leaked DHSC report shows backlog of 185,000 test swabs
- 11: UK R number increases to 1-1.2, the first time it is above 1 since March
- 10: Local authorities criticise COVID-19 marshall plan as ‘confusing’ and ‘shambolic’; First COVID-19 marshalls spotted not wearing face masks
- 9: Boris Johnson announces ‘rule of six’, marshalls and other COVID-19 restrictions; widespread complaints about lack of COVID-19 testing capacity; Oxford University suspends COVID-19 vaccine trial
- 8: NHS Test and Trace director apologises for COVID-19 test capacity problems
- 7: Nicola Sturgeon announces new COVID-19 restrictions for Scotland
- 2: UK govt postpones back-to-work campaign, commits £500m to trials for mass rapid COVID-19 testing
- 1: Boris Johnson backtracks on commitment to meet COVID-19 Bereaved Familes for Justice UK group
August 2020
- 30: Opinion poll finds support for Boris Johnson’s government has collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic
- 28: Leaked Sage committee report suggests ‘reasonable worst case scenario’ of 85,000 deaths across UK this winter due to COVID-19; Businesses accuse UK govt of ‘scaremongering’ over return to work
- 25: UK govt changes student face mask guidance
- 21: WHO updates face mask guidance for children
- 20: Public support for UK govt and Boris Johnson drops sharply after exam grade fiasco
- 19: UK students’ BTec results are pulled; Gavin Williamson gives full backing to Ofqual; Boris Johnson goes on holiday
- 17: UK govt overturns 2020 student exam grade predictions
- 16: Gavin Williamson accuses Scottish government of ‘degrading’ 2020 exam results; Legal actions launched against Ofqual
- 15: Gavin Williamson disparages Scotland’s education system and rules out overturning English exam grade system; UK govt says it will cover costs of student exam appeals; Ofqual suspends student exam grade appeals process
- 14: France, Netherlands added to UK quarantine list; UK exam regulator Ofqual announces A-level appeals process
- 13: Student A-level grades awarded, almost 40% are downgraded by Ofqual algorithm; Boris Johnson defends exam results as ‘robust and dependable’; Dominic Cummings sets up new no 10 ‘control centre’
- 12: UK economy falls into deepest recession since records began; UK Education secretary Gavin Williamson announces student exam grade ‘triple lock’
- 11: Scottish govt overturns 2020 student exam grade predictions; Opinion poll finds Sir Keir Starmer is seen as a better Prime Minister than Boris Johnson
- 10: UK govt announces plan to reduce number of COVID-19 contact tracers
- 8: New UK govt face mask restrictions come into effect
- 7: Lockdown tightened in Preston; Research study finds Dominic Cummings’ lockdown trip seriously undermined public trust in the UK govt; Randox COVID-19 home testing kits withdrawn
- 5: Parliamentary committee finds UK govt made ‘serious mistake’ over virus border policy
July 2020
- 31: Media reports accuse UK govt of causing ‘confusion and distress’ due to northern lockdown rules
- 30: UK govt extends COVID-19 self-isolation period, bans home visits in parts of northern England; Office for National Statistics finds England had highest level of excess deaths in Europe in first half of 2020
- 29: UK govt signs COVID-19 vaccine deal with GSK and Sanofi; Parliamentary committee accuses UK govt of negligence and having ‘thrown care homes to the wolves’ during COVID-19 pandemic
- 28: Boris Johnson warns of second wave of COVID-19 emerging in Europe; media speculation that international travel quarantine is to be reduced
- 26: UK govt updates international travel safety list to require travellers from Spain to self-isolate
- 24: UK govt updates international travel safety list, Spain guidance unchanged despite recent COVID-19 spike
- 23: UK govt publishes face mask guidance, 12 hours before they are due to come into effect; Parliamentary watchdog slams UK govt’s ‘astonishing failure’ to plan for economic impact of flu-like pandemic; Leicester businesses sue government for tarnishing city’s reputation’ over local lockdown
- 20: UK govt orders 90m COVID-19 vaccine doses; Dept of Health admits England’s Test and Trace programme breaks data privacy law
- 19: Boris Johnson says UK ‘will not need another national lockdown’
- 17: Boris Johnson eases work from home and other lockdown restrictions; UK govt announces extra £3bn funding for NHS England to prepare for possible second wave
- 16: GCHQ reveals Russia is trying to steal UK COVID-19 vaccine research; Matt Hancock claims UK lockdown started on March 16; Sir Patrick Vallance says no reason to change home working guidance; 600+ behavioural scientists publish open letter questioning UK govt COVID-19 response
- 15: Boris Johnson commits to independent inquiry into COVID-19 pandemic response, describes the UK’s test and trace system ‘as good as or better than’ any other system in the world
- 14: UK govt announces face masks to be compulsory in shops from July 24; Academy of Medical Sciences report predicts winter COVID-19 wave ‘could be worse than the first’
- 13: Boris Johnson says Britons ‘should’ wear face masks in shops; Academy of Medical Sciences report warns of winter wave of 120,000 deaths
- 12: Michael Gove argues face masks should not be compulsory in shops
- 11: Parliamentary committee warns of potentially inaccurate and biased student exam grade predictions
- 10: UK govt confirms it will not be participating in EU vaccine procurement plan; Research firm Public First discovered to have been given COVID-19 contract without open tender
- 9: Major high-street retailers lay-off thousands of workers; Investigation reveals UK govt’s ‘chaotic’ COVID-19 test programme; Sir Keir Starmer calls on UK govt to ‘come clean’ on COVID-19 test data
- 8: Rishi Sunak announces GBP 30 bn economic stimulus plan; Leicester mayor accuses UK govt of sharing inadequate and incomplete local COVID-19 data; Research study confirms primary risks of someone dying from COVID-19 are age, ethnicity and underlying health conditions
- 7: Boris Johnson widely criticised for care home comments
- 6: UK govt stops publishing COVID-19 test data; Boris Johnson appears to blame care homes for not following procedures
- 5: UK govt pledges GBP 1.57 bn arts rescue package; Travel operators accuse UK govt of creating ‘utter confusion’ by having two conflicting sets of international travel rules; Concerns raised about working and lockdown practices at garment factories in Leicester
- 4: Pubs, bars, restaurants, hairdressers and other establishments re-open in England
- 3: UK govt publishes quarantine-free international travel rules, to take effect on July 10; Nicola Sturgeon laments ‘shambolic‘ UK govt decision-making over travel rules
- 2: Local authorities complain of lack of lockdown guidance
- 1: Local authorities and BMA accuse UK govt of not sharing ‘pillar 2’ community COVID-19 data; Govt publishes pillar 2 data, 36 potential lockdown hotspots identified
June 2020
- 30: Boris Johnson announces GBP 5 billion ‘New Deal’ infrastructure recovery plan; commentators point out the plan is inadequate and few of the funds are new
- 29: Leicester lockdown is tightened; BBC analysis shows COVID-19 hit the UK harder than other G7 countries
- 25-26: Post-lockdown public order incidents in Dorset, south Wales, south London, Glasgow and Liverpool
- 24: Boris Johnson claims no other other country has a functional contact tracing app; Health leaders call for urgent review to ensure UK is properly prepared for COVID-19 second wave; leaked PHE report states R rate is rising and may be above 1
- 23: Boris Johnson eases lockdown restrictions from July 4 and relaxes 2-metre social distancing rule; discontinues daily Downing Street news conference
- 19: UK pandemic alert level lowered to 3; English schools to reopen to all students in September; English students to receive £1bn catch-up tutoring funding; Apple says it has not been told about UK plans for a hybrid version of its contact-tracing app
- 18: NHS abandons contact tracing app for ‘hybrid’ Apple/Google decentralised model
- 17: UK govt admits NHSX contact tracing app is ‘not a priority’ and will not be ready until winter
- 16: UK govt approves dexamethasone steroid for use in COVID-19 patients; extends free school food vouchers in policy u-turn; PHE BAME report on COVID-19 inequalities recommendations is published
- 15: Non-essential shops re-open; footballer Marcus Rashford urges UK govt to extend free school meals voucher scheme; top civil servants ‘unaware’ of any pandemic economic planning
- 12: National Audit Office finds up to 25,000 hospital patients were discharged to care homes without testing during the height of the pandemic; ONS confirms UK GDP falls 20.4% in April 2020; Daily Mail reports Boris Johnson scrapped cabinet pandemic committee in July 2019 to focus on Brexit
- 11: NHS says it is unable to contact 33% of diagnosed cases via Test and Trace programme; Dido Harding describes test and trace system as ‘fit for purpose’; BMA demands govt publishes PHE BAME report missing recommendations
- 10: Boris Johnson announces lockdown ‘support bubbles’; Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty admits ‘long list’ of response areas for review and that testing started too slowly; Professor Neil Ferguson argues the UK death rate could have been halved had the lockdown been imposed sooner; OECD says UK economy is likely to suffer the worst COVID-19 damage; polls indicate significant decline in UK govt and PM approval ratings
- 7: Anti-racism protests across UK; Edward Colston statue toppled in Bristol
- 5: Official UK death toll passes 40,000; NHS data system supplier contracts published after legal threat
- 3: Boris Johnson promises COVID-19 test results within 24 hours by end June, and to ‘replace national lockdowns with individual isolation … where there are outbreaks’
- 2: MPs queue for 1km to scrap virtual voting; PHE publishes report on ‘disproportionate’ BAME deaths from COVID-19; media reports question effectiveness of NHS Test and Trace programme, suggest all UK chief medical officers rejected UK govt proposal to lower virus threat level
- 1: Multiple media reports that England’s chief nurse is dropped from govt daily news conference for refusing to publicly back Dominic Cummings
May 2020
- 29: Lockdown rules eased for group meetings
- 28: Govt rolls out ‘world-beating’ NHS Test and Trace programme; Dido Harding admits programme will not be ready until end June
- 27: UK govt restarts contact tracing porgramme; Boris Johnson refuses to hold enquiry into Dominic Cummings at House of Commons Liaison Committee meeting; FT analysis finds UK has highest COVID-19 death rate in the world
- 26: Minister for Scotland Douglas Ross resigns over perceived Cummings hypocrisy; Over 40 Conservative Party MPs call for Cummings to resign; Cummings’ claim to have warned of the dangers of coronaviruses is discovered to be misleading
- 25: Cummings defends his lockdown activities at 10 Downing Street garden press conference; George Floyd killed by Minneapolis police
- 24: Boris Johnson defends Dominic Cummings during news conference; rogue UK civil service social media user labels Cummings and Johnson ‘arrogant and offensive’ ‘truth twisters’
- 23: DHSC stops publishing daily and cumulative COVID-19 test figures
- 22: UK govt annnounces in-bound travel quarantine plan, removes global death comparison slide from daily news conference; press reports detail PM advisor Dominic Cummings’ lockdown trip to Durham
- 21: Immigration Health Surcharge on foreign healthcare workers is scrapped
- 20: Boris Johnson promises ‘world-beating’ contact tracing system by June 1, defends the Immigration Health Surcharge on foreign health care workers as ‘the right way forward’
- 18: Parliamentary Public Adminstration and Constitutional Affairs committee writes to Boris Johnson asking for greater transparency and immediate publication of SAGE scientific advice; Association of Public Health Directors
- 15: UK govt refuses to cut or scrap foreign healthcare workers’ fees; Matt Hancock claims UK govt has thrown ‘protective ring’ around care homes from the outbreak of the pandemic; the statement is widely questioned
- 13: Opinion polls find most Britons are confused by the government’s Stay Alert message
- 12: UK govt accused of ‘complete system failure’ over COVID-19 testing in care homes; new social distancing rules described by high-profile TV presenter as ‘utterly bonkers’
- 11: Govt publishes COVID-19 recovery strategy; Dominic Raab appears to contradict PM by encouraging employees to return to work; UK health experts distance themselves from Stay Alert message; head of UK National Statistics Authority rebukes Matt Hancock over govt use of testing numbers
- 10: Boris Johnson announces partial lockdown relaxation and introduces new Stay Alert campaign slogan in address to nation
- 7: UK govt publishes names of participants of SAGE and related sub-groups; ONS study shows BAME groups over 4 times more likely to die from COVID-19; Bank of England forecasts 14% economic decline for 2020
- 6: Boris Johnson sets 200,000 tests a day target by end May
- 5: NHSX COVID-19 contact tracing app trial starts; UK govt releases 16 SAGE documents, some heavily redacted, prompting accusations of ‘Stalinist’ censorship
- 5: UK COVID-19 deaths surpass Italy; Professor Neil Ferguson resigns from SAGE having breached lockdown rules
- 4: Independent SAGE panel recommends UK govt clarifies its response strategy
April 2020
- 31: Widespread media reports conclude govt is counting uncompleted postal tests to hit 100,000 virus test target
- 27: The general public are invited to submit questions to the daily govt news conference; Boris Johnson returns to work
- 26: Priti Patel says the Home Office is reviewing the Immigration Health Surcharge for foreign healthcare workers
- 24: SAGE committee membership list is leaked
- 22: UK govt eases lockdown measures; COVID-19 vaccine human trials start
- 21: Foreign Office permanent secretary claims ministers made a ‘political decision’ to opt out EU ventilator procurement scheme
- 19: Sunday Times reports Boris Johnson missed five consecutive Cobra emergency meetings at the start of the pandemic; later confirmed by Michael Gove
- 17: Matt Hancock says UK govt to restart NHS Test and Trace programme
- 16: Dominic Raab says lockdown to continue for ‘at least’ another three weeks
- 13: Dominic Cummings claims Hancock says Rishi Sunak and NHS CEO Sir Simon Stevens had ‘blocked approvals’ of PPE. Cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill later found Hancock’s claim to be ‘completely untrue’
- 12: Matt Hancock announces development of new NHS app for contact tracing; Boris Johnson is discharged from hospital
- 11: Pressure grows on UK govt to reveal cost of ‘unusable’ antibody tests
- 10: Home secretary Priti Patel announces knife crime has reduced during lockdown, says she is ‘sorry if people feel there have been failings’ in providing the NHS with PPE equipment
- 6: Boris Johnson is moved to intensive care
- 5: Boris Johnson admitted to hospital with COVID-19; Queen Elizabeth II makes rare national broadcast; Scientists say ‘game-changer’ COVID-19 testing kits may be unreliable
- 4: Sir Keir Starmer elected Labour Party leader
- 2: Matt Hancock sets 100,000 daily test target by end April
- 1: Rishi Sunak announces small business ‘bounce back’ loan scheme; Chemical Industries Association disputes Michael Gove’s claim of chemical reagent shortages for virus tests
March 2020
- 31: UK police issued with revised lockdown enforcement guidelines
- 30: Senior police chief warns of over-zealous enforcement of lockdown
- 30: Dominic Raab unveils UK citizen repatriation scheme
- 28: Boris Johnson writes to 30m UK households to urge them to stay at home; 2016 Operation Cygnus pandemic response report reveals NHS unprepared to handle a pandemic
- 27: Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock test positive for COVID-19; EU says UK had chance to join ventilator procurement scheme
- 26: Rishi Sunak announces support for self-employed workers; UK police lockdown enforcement powers come into effect; Boris Johnson accused of putting ‘Brexit over breathing‘ by refusing to take part in EU ventilator scheme; Boris Johnson refuses to close UK borders
- 25: UK govt introduces Coronavirus Act 2020 with powers to prohibit events and gatherings and detain infected people; UK Parliament closes for one month; GOV.uk COVID-19 info service launches on WhatsApp; Prince Charles tests positive;
- 24: Mobile operators distribute national Stay at Home text message; Matt Hancock says UK govt has bought 3.5m COVID-19 antibody tests; Sir Patrick Vallance suggests idea of national vaccine taskforce outside health dept to Dominic Cummings
- 23: UK govt announces partial national lockdown from March 26
- 20: UK govt orders restaurants, pubs and other social venues to close; announces payments of up to 80% of wages for employees not working during lockdown; Emmanuel Macron threatens to close France’s border with Britain unless the UK takes more stringent measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak
- 19: Public Health England lowers official threat level, says COVID-19 does not meet criteria to qualify as ‘high consequence infectious disease’; Boris Johnson says ‘game changing’ COVID-19 antibody test will soon be available
- 18: UK govt announces schools are to close; rumours of London lockdown circulate
- 17: Rishi Sunak announces £350bn business emergency support package
- 16: Imperial College COVID-19 study published; Boris Johnson advises people to avoid pubs, restaurants and theatres during first COVID-19 daily news conference
- 15: Stay at Home, Save Lives public information campaign is launched; supermarkets warn against panic buying
- 14: Imperial College COVID-19 study predicts 250,000 UK deaths and NHS overwhelmed; Cummings advises Boris Johnson to lock down the country; Over 500 UK scientists and medical professionals reject herd immunity as unviable in open letter and push for social distancing
- 13: UK Govt Chief Scientific Advisor Sir Patrick Vallance said to be ‘extremely concerned’ about UK govt strategy, says 60% of Britons are required for herd immunity to work; Matt Hancock argues herd immunity ‘is not govt policy or goal’; Deputy Cabinet Secretary Helen MacNamara tells colleague she’s ‘been told for years that there is a whole plan for this; there is no plan, we’re in huge trouble’, and tells Cummings ‘I think we’re absolutely fucked, I think this country’s heading for a disaster, I think we’re going to kill thousands of people’
- 12: Dominic Cummings warns Boris Johnson of ‘big problems coming’; UK govt abandons NHS Test and Trace containment programme in order to delay and ‘stretch the peak’ of the disease; Boris Johnson’s girlfriend Carrie Symonds commandeers Downing Street press office to handle negative story about their dog; Cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill suggests Boris Johnson advocates ‘chickenpox parties’ on national TV; EU launches ventilator procurement scheme; FTSE 100 drops 10%
- 11: Chancellor Rishi Sunak announces £12bn emergency stimulus package as part of 2020 Budget; increases and extends surcharge on foreign healthcare workers from £400 to £624; UK govt behavioural science advisor/SAGE committee member David Halpern says care home residents and other at-risk groups may be cocooned until herd immunity is established in the rest of the population
- 8-13: Over 350,000 people attend Cheltenham Festival and major football matches
- 9: FTSE 100 falls by over 8%, oil prices fall nearly 30%; senior UK govt officials ‘start(ed) to talk publicly about herd immunity’
- 10: Junior health minister Nadine Dorries tests positive for COVID-19
- 5: SAGE committee meets, recommends shielding elderly and vulnerable people
- 4: UK govt launches hygiene handwashing campaign
- 3: Boris Johnson launches four phase UK Coronavirus Action Plan, says the country is ‘extremely well prepared’
- 2: British Medical Association (BMA) warns of lack of PPE
February 2020
- 28: UK govt confirms first COVID-19 death passed on inside the UK; first British victim dies of virus on Diamond Princess cruise liner
- 25: UK govt orders travellers from Italy to self-isolate
- 15: First confirmed COVID-19 death on mainland Europe
- 13: Boris Johnson conducts cabinet reshuffle; departs on twelve-day ‘working holiday’
- 11: WHO officially declares outbreak a global pandemic, confirms 118,000 cases and 4,300 deaths in 114 countries
- 10: Health secretary Matt Hancock declares COVID-19 an ‘imminent threat’ to UK public health, announces new regulations giving doctors greater powers to quarantine suspected virus carriers
- 6: Details of first British COVID-19 super-spreader emerge
January 2020
- 31: First two cases of COVID-19 are confirmed in the UK; Britons returning from Wuhan quarantined in Wirral hospital
- 30: WHO declares global health emergency; UK Chief Medical Officers raise risk level from Low to Moderate
- 25: Dominic Cummings requests Downing St officials to ‘look at pandemic planning’. Health secretary Matt Hancock informs Cummings ‘full plans’ for a pandemic are ‘regularly refreshed’
- 24: UK govt Cobra emergency response committee meets
- 22: UK govt SAGE scientific committee meets for the first time; Public Health England (PHE) increases public health risk level to ‘Low’ from ‘Very Low’; Heathrow airport starts screening travellers from Wuhan
- 19: Chinese government confirms human-to-human transmission of virus
- 11: First confirmed COVID-19 death is reported in China
December 2019
- 31: Wuhan Municipal Health Commission informs WHO of cases of ‘pneumonia of unknown cause’
This timeline aims to give a balanced view of the UK government’s response to COVID-19. It does not claim to be comprehensive.
Let me know if there is anything important that is missing, unfair or inaccurate.
You are welcome to use, copy and adapt the contents of this timeline. When doing so, ensure you attribute ‘Charlie Pownall/CPC & Associates‘ and provide a clear, prominent link back to this resource in line with the following licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
