A leading infectious disease scientist said the Government will face a reckoning over its failure to "test, trace, and isolate" cases of the coronavirus at the start of the outbreak in the UK.
Professor Helen Ward tweeted: "It's very sad that so many people have died, and so many more are desperately ill because politicians refused to listen to advice.
"We said lockdown earlier, we said test, trace, isolate.
"They decided they knew better. There will be a reckoning, and it will not be forgiving."
Her comments come after a number of politicians and scientists criticised the Government's approach to tackling the coronavirus outbreak.
On average just under 11,700 new people were tested daily in the seven days up to April 13 while in the previous seven days, up to April 6, the daily average was just under 10,600.
Speaking at Monday's Downing Street press conference, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the latest data showed the UK was "starting to win this struggle" three weeks after lockdown restricts were imposed.
He praised the public for staying at home over the Easter weekend, adding: “Our plan is working. Please stick with it, and we’ll get through this crisis together.”
