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“It wasn’t true that the advice said that.”

Boris Johnson, Prime Minister's Questions

13 May 2020

Facts

Boris Johnson was responding to the following statement made by Keir Starmer: “Earlier this year, and until March 12th 2020, the government’s own official advice was, and I’m quoting from it, “it remains very unlikely that people receiving care in a care home will become infected.”

Starmer was correct and Boris Johnson was therefore misleading the Commons. 

Government guidance published on February 25th 2020 twice states that it is “very unlikely” people receiving care in care homes or the community will be infected with the new coronavirus. This advice was withdrawn on March 13th 2020, and replaced with new guidance about what to do in the event of an outbreak at a care home or other supported living.

Mr Starmer has since written to Mr Johnson, asking him to correct the record in the House of Commons. For a fuller account see FullFact.

Verdict

Johnson’s statement was false. His full statement remains on the Commons record in defiance of the Ministerial Code.

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