Lord Lister described it as an "unfortunate comment" made at a time when Covid was not seen as seriously as it subsequently became. He also confirmed that Johnson had made the remark about preferring to let "the bodies pile high" over another lockdown in September 2020.
Johnson dismissed that report at the time. The inquiry has also revealed that head of the civil service Simon Case described Downing Street colleagues as "so mad" and "madly self-defeating," and that Sir Patrick Vallance felt Johnson was "all over the place" on the issue of a second lockdown.