U.K.’s Virus Response Blunted by Missed Targets, Moved Goalposts
- Government is poised to miss even its lowered testing target
- Over-optimism and under-delivery risk damaging public trust
Coronavirus drive-through testing center stations stand in the car park of the closed Chessington World of Adventures Resort theme park in Chessington, on March 31.
Photographer: Jason Alden/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
On March 25, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said 250,000 people a day would “hopefully very soon” be tested for coronavirus. Near three weeks later, the country is nowhere near that figure.
The gap between Johnson’s statement and reality is a striking example of a problem that has hurt the British government throughout its response to the pandemic: over-optimism and under-delivery.