The UK’s delayed response in implementing a lockdown during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in 23,000 additional deaths during the first wave, according to an official inquiry into the government’s handling of the crisis.

In comparison to other countries, the UK was slow to act in the initial months of the pandemic, the report revealed.

The inquiry suggested that if the UK had introduced voluntary measures like social distancing and home isolation for symptomatic individuals earlier, possibly before March 16, 2020, a full lockdown might have been unnecessary.

However, the report highlights that indecision by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government during a critical week made the lockdown unavoidable, significantly increasing the death toll in England during the initial wave.

Baroness Hallet, chair of the inquiry, criticized the governments of all four UK nations—England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland—for their handling of the situation.

But she levelled stinging criticism of Johnson who oversaw a a “chaotic culture” in Downing Street, the official London home and office of the British prime minister.

He repeatedly changed his mind about the need for tougher controls, which meant the second lockdown in England was only introduced in November 2020 and came too late to contain the virus.

Cabinet ministers, including former health secretary Matt Hancock, and government scientists were also slammed by the inquiry for their slow responses during the pandemic as case numbers ballooned.

The inquiry also highlighted how politicians and their advisers who broke restrictions undermined public confidence in the government.

They include close Johnson aide Dominic Cummins who travelled hundreds of kilometres from his London home to north-eastern England.

But the inquiry praised the UK government for its “remarkable” introduction of vaccinations, and the prioritisation of vulnerable groups receiving the jab.