Hancock denies claims he ignored Covid-19 care home testing advice

JESSICA

MATT HANCOCK has denied claims he ignored expert advice on care home testing during the coronavirus pandemic after leaked Whatsapp messages were published by the Telegraph yesterday.

Journalist Isabel Oakeshott shared more than 100,000 messages with the newspaper after receiving them while working on Hancock’s Pandemic Diaries book, including text ex- changes with Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and other key cabinet ministers.

In April 2020, according to the paper’s investigation, former chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty advised the then-health secretary anyone going into care homes should be tested.

But leaked texts published by the newspaper appear to reveal Hancock rejected the guidance, suggesting it “muddies the waters” and introduced mandatory testing for hospital leavers.

The MP hit back at the newspaper’s story, calling it a “distorted account” that has been “spun to fit an antilockdown agenda”.

The messages reportedly amount to 2.3m words or the equivalent of three King James Bibles.

Hancock’s spokesman said: “It is outrageous that this distorted account of the pandemic is being pushed.”