Two Britons, whose father died of COVID-19, appeared in court to the British government and English health officials, accusing them of authorizing these returnees at the start of the pandemic, which helped spread the virus among the population. has contributed.

In a ruling on Wednesday, two judges of the High Court concluded that the policies adopted by the government in March and early April 2020 were “unlawful” as they failed to take into account the risks of asymptomatic transmission of the virus. He said that despite ‘increasing awareness’ about the risk of asymptomatic transmission in March 2020, ‘no evidence’ shows that then-Health Minister Matt Hancock considered the risk to residents. retirement home.

One of the deadliest political failures of the modern era

Even asymptomatic, patients returning from the hospital at this time, “should, as far as possible, be kept away from other residents for 14 days”, the judges say.

Lawyers for the two complainants, Kathy Gardner, 60, and Fay Harris, 58, m Jason Koppel, told the hearing that more than 20,000 elderly or disabled people living in these establishments had died of Covid-19 in England and Wales . March and June 2020.