My mother could have died of coronavirus at her care home – Boris Johnson’s comments are a sick joke

The prime minister’s team appears to regard saying sorry as a sign of weakness – that, far from calming public anger, it would bring demands for punishment, writes Andrew Grice

An apology from the prime minister would be welcomed by those who have lost loved ones in care homes (AP)

When Boris Johnson held a video call with a care home for a photo opportunity cooked up by his media advisers, he rang one in Hertfordshire to congratulate it for remaining Covid-free. What he didn’t say was that more than 500 care home residents have died in the county, which is believed to be among the worst affected by the pandemic.

My 95-year-old mother lives in one of those hit. Her home was overwhelmed by the coronavirus. She lost several friends to it. She caught it, too. The home advised us she would be safer if she stayed there. We insisted she went to hospital and, thankfully, she recovered. We are very lucky she is still with us. The families of the 22,000 care home residents who have died are not so lucky.

My mum’s home followed the guidance sent out by the government. I don’t blame it for the tragedy that engulfed it, as Johnson appeared to do when he claimed this week that “too many care homes didn’t really follow the procedures in the way that they could have”.