Piers Morgan launched a scathing attack on the government’s response to coronavirus today, as he urged Boris Johnson to step up measures against the outbreak.
The Good Morning Britain host warned the UK was ‘at war’ with COVID-19 and slammed MPs for failing to take effective measures to stop the disease spreading.
As Italy remains in lockdown, but thousands of people flock to the Cheltenham Festival in the UK, he said today: ‘I am staggered by how little we are doing as a country to get ahead of this.
‘We need to deal with it in the same way our processors, our ancestors have death with similar crises – world wars. And you may think I’m exaggerating, but we are at war with a virus – one we don’t know everything about yet, we don’t know what the full repercussions will be.’
Resident TV medic Dr Hilary Jones echoed his concerns, adding the UK is set to see ‘a doubling of cases every few days.’
He added: ‘We need to take this much more seriously.’
As Italy remains in lockdown, thousands of people are flocking to the Cheltenham Festival in the UK (pictured yesterday)
Following the news that health minister Nadine Dorries has tested positive for coronavirus, Piers said people need to ‘put their pleasures to one side’ and focus on protecting the elderly.
The hosts and expert guests also questioned whether parliament should continue to sit amid the crisis.
Describing Britain as a ‘ticking time bomb’, Piers said: ‘Let’s park this ‘scaremongering’ nonsense to one side. This is not scaremongering, it’s real. Italy is in meltdown.
‘All the government has been telling us to do is wash our hands as Italy – the entire country – is in lockdown. British authorities are simply telling us to wash our hands.’
He said the government was ‘sleepwalking into a disaster’, adding: ‘Should parliament continue to sit? Should we allow members of the public into parliament?
‘The repercussion domino effect, potentially, can be very dramatic here.
‘We have to put our own pleasure to one side; if you miss a few football matches, if you can’t go to the cinema and have to watch the TV at home, if you can’t go to your favourite restaurant and get your favourite table – well suck it up and don’t moan about it and put the elderly and the infirm in the country first – because they’re going to be first in the firing line.
‘We need less whining about the impact on your life. Suck it up, take it on, and be sensible
‘I would like some more honestly from our leader Boris Johnson and his team.’
Warning the NHS was nearing full-bed capacity, Dr Hilary added: ‘We have a very limited capacity in critical and intensive care.
‘This virus is an enormous leveller, it can affect the homeless and the monarchy equally this is not going to choose the people it comes in contact with.’
The Good Morning Britain host warned the UK was ‘at war’ with COVID-19 and slammed MPs for failing to take effective measures to stop the disease spreading
Describing Britain as a ‘ticking time bomb’, Piers said: ‘Let’s park this ‘scaremongering’ nonsense to one side. This is not scaremongering, it is real’
The hosts also discussed the second day of the Cheltenham Festival, which will see thousands of racegoers in a seemingly confined space.
Dr Hilary pointed out that several were likely to be carrying the virus, even without displaying any symptoms.
He said: ‘This fascination with hand washing we have is all very well, but it’s transmitted through droplets.’
Piers added: ‘So when you’re screaming as your horse wins, you’re spreading it. It’s called the bleeding obvious isn’t it and at some point we’ve got to put our personal little pleasures aside and put the elderly first.’
Professor Dr Francois Balloux from the University College London warned people can transmit the disease before they show any symptoms, adding: ‘I think it would be very challenging to deal with it in hospitals in the UK.’
Dr Hilary said while some people were ‘stockpiling and behaving stupidly’, others are ‘continuing to go to large gatherings saying, “there’s nothing to worry about.”
He said: ‘It’s not just like bad flu, it’s much more serious than that.’