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I wouldn't second-guess them at this point - certainly had we introduced them earlier, we would have seen many fewer deaths."Professor Ferguson said he agreed with the decisions taken by the government, but questioned whether they were taken at the right time.The U.K. currently has the second highest death toll from COVID-19 in the world, behind only the U.S.Read MoreAs Prince Philip Turns 99, Pictures of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh Over the Years3 min readU.K. Prime Minister Eases COVID-19 Lockdown Restrictions and Allows ‘Support Bubbles’3 min readPutin Is Tightening His Grip on Russia but Coronavirus Makes Him Weaker Than Ever6 min readWhen Professor Ferguson was asked what went wrong he said:"I think two things - one is a paper actually out in Nature, which highlights that around about that time, just before lockdown happened, the first two weeks of March, we probably had 1,500 to 2,000 infections imported from Italy and Spain, which we just hadn't seen in the surveillance data, until that point...."So there is much heavier seeding than we'd expected."Professor Ferguson said that the government had "underestimated how far into the epidemic this country was, that's half the reason."He said: "The second part, which I think would have been more avoidable, is about half of those deaths occurred in care homes."He said that government policy at the time was that care homes would be shielded from infection.In March, Prof Ferguson estimated that the pandemic would cause at most 20,000 deaths.According to the latest figures from the Department of Health, a further 245 people in the U.K. have died with coronavirus as of 5pm on Tuesday, taking the total to 41,128 deaths.Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI GuidelinesAdd Newsweek as a preferred source on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Recommended For YouWorldUS F-35 Jet Carriers Sent to West Pacific Amid China Naval Threat4 min readWorldU.S.’s NATO Ally Issues Warning to China4 min readWorldNATO Ally Says Trump’s US Poses Security Threat4 min readNewsMcDonald’s Pulls Christmas Advert After Criticism3 min readWorldUS Sets Conditions for Turkey’s F-35 Hopes4 min readNewsIran Mocks US for Copying Its Kamikaze Drone4 min readRelated PodcastsTop StoriesPoliticsThirteen Republicans Vote to Nullify Donald Trump’s Executive Order5 min readFor MembersNewsUncommon Knowledge: The MAGA Magnet in Trump’s ‘Decaying’ Europe5 min readWorldRussia-Ukraine Live: Zelensky Holds Urgent Calls as Trump Cranks Pressure3 min readU.S.Articles of Impeachment Introduced Against Pete Hegseth3 min readFor MembersNewsFor US Troops in Syria, a New Partnership Tests Old Alliances16 min readWorldNobel Peace Prize Winner Reaches Norway After Daring Escape From Venezuela5 min readTrendingDonald TrumpSupreme Court’s Birthright Citizenship Ruling: What To Know11 min readWinter StormWinter Storm Warning As 20 Inches of Snow To Hit: ‘Avalanche Danger’4 min readWeatherPolar Vortex To Hit Florida With Plunging Temperatures3 min readSupreme CourtSonia Sotomayor’s Remarks Silence Supreme Court6 min readBrett KavanaughBrett Kavanaugh Raises Concerns About Supreme Court’s Decisions3 min readOpinionOpinionIf You Defend Human Rights, These Missing Children Matter Too | Opinion5 min readOpinionGöring, Victoria and Trump | Opinion5 min readOpinionTrump’s National Security Strategy Sugarcoats China Threat | Opinion5 min readOpinionEnding Dual Citizenship Is Impractical and Divisive | Opinion4 min readOpinionFIFA’s Sportswashing ‘Peace’ Prize | Opinion5 min readTrending01Supreme Court’s Birthright Citizenship Ruling: What To Know11 min read02Winter Storm Warning As 20 Inches of Snow To Hit: ‘Avalanche Danger’4 min read03Polar Vortex To Hit Florida With Plunging Temperatures3 min read04Sonia Sotomayor’s Remarks Silence Supreme Court6 min read05Brett Kavanaugh Raises Concerns About Supreme Court’s Decisions3 min readOpinionIf You Defend Human Rights, These Missing Children Matter Too | OpinionBy Nuri KinoGöring, Victoria and Trump | OpinionBy Thomas G. 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