The UK response to Covid was "too little, too late" and led to thousands more deaths in the first wave, an inquiry into government decision-making says.
The report also said lockdown may have been avoided if voluntary steps such as social distancing and isolating those with symptoms along with household members had been brought in earlier than 16 March 2020.
By the time ministers acted it was too late and lockdown was inevitable, the report said, then a week-long delay introducing it led to 23,000 more deaths in England in the first wave than would have been seen otherwise.
The report criticised the governments of all four nations and described a "chaotic culture" in Downing Street.
Inquiry chair Baroness Hallett said that while government was presented with unenviable choices under extreme pressure, "all four governments failed to appreciate the scale of the threat or the urgency of response it demanded in the early part of 2020."
