On Shaky Ground

 » Britain’s death toll overtakes Italy to be the worst in Europe  » PM still shaking hands 3 days after scientists said don’t

- Pippa Crerar

Boris Johnson kept shaking hands at public events even after his own scientific advisers warned against it, papers revealed – as the UK’s coronavirus death toll became the highest in Europe.

Some scientists urged an end to hugging and hand-shaking in early March, according to papers released by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.

But on the same day, the Prime Minister told a No10 press conference he was still shaking the hands of people he met.

On March 3, he said: “I was at a hospital the other night, where I think a few there were actually coronavirus patients, and I shook hands with everybody, you’ll be pleased to know, and I continue to shake hands.”

Two days later he shook hands with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on ITV’s This Morning.

He was then snapped on March 9 shaking hands with boxer Anthony Joshua at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.

The papers emerged as the UK’s official death toll hit 29,427 – passing Italy’s, which stood at 29,315.

Deputy chief scientific adviser Dame Angela MacLean told the No10 briefing yesterday the toll was “higher than we would wish”. She said the UK had to “get to grips” with deaths in care homes, which are still rising.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the toll was “a massive tragedy – something in this country, on this scale, in this way, we’ve never seen before”.