Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, the former deputy medical officer for England, has given evidence at the UK Covid inquiry
Describing the "horrendous" workload he and others faced, he said his family also received death threats - which came as a surprise
Van-Tam voiced concerns that others might think twice about signing up for a top-level role like his during a future crisis
Like other top scientists, Van-Tam said he was not consulted on the Eat Out to Help Out scheme - though then-chancellor Rishi Sunak has insisted scientific advice was followed through the pandemic
Earlier, Van-Tam's boss Prof Sir Chris Whitty told the inquiry that making herd immunity a policy goal would have been "inconceivable", and he argued against it
Whitty also said delaying the first lockdown would have meant "very deep trouble" - a view echoed by Van-Tam, who said the restriction should have happened "seven to 14" days earlier
This phase of the inquiry is looking at pandemic decision-making. No-one will be found guilty or innocent; the purpose is to learn lessons
Moving on, Keith poses a question about the response to Covid-19 after it emerged in China in late 2019.
Whitty says the response in early January 2020 was led by Professor Sir Jonathan Van Tam, as the threat level rose.
Whitty says he then took a more prominent role before "probably taking the lead role in terms of central government" by the end of the month.
Image source, Crown CopyrightThe counsel to the inquiry, Hugo Keith KC, begins by reading some of Whitty's CV and qualifications.
As you can guess by this online profile,, external it takes some time.
In 2021, Prof David Mabey, a former colleague, told the BBC: "Chris is a polymath - he's really extraordinary.
"He's very interested in history. Since I've known him he's done a diploma in economics, a degree in law, and an MBA [a graduate business degree] in his spare time."
Image source, Crown CopyrightSir Chris Whitty, the government's most senior medical adviser during the pandemic, has taken his seat, ready to give evidence at the UK's Covid inquiry.
Over the coming hours we will hear him questioned on how he advised the government during the Covid outbreak and he may be asked to respond to the evidence given yesterday by Sir Patrick Vallance.
Vallance admitted that he and Whitty disagreed over when to implement a lock down, with Whitty preferring to delay the measure.
Stay with us and we’ll bring you all the updates here, and by pressing Play at the top of this page.
Chris Mason and Jim Reed
Political editor and health reporter
Image source, PA MediaSimon Case
As we wait for Chris Whitty to appear, another witness's evidence looks set to be delayed further.
Key participants in the Covid inquiry have been briefed about cabinet secretary Simon Case's health, given the ongoing postponement of his evidence session.
It was announced a month ago that Case, the most senior official in the civil service, would be taking time off work because of what was described as a "private medical matter".
It was suggested then that he would return to work within a few weeks.
However, it now appears there could be a further delay to him giving evidence.
Image source, Getty ImagesChris Witty, Boris Johnson and Patrick Vallance during a Covid-19 media briefing in 2020
In his previous evidence to the inquiry, Whitty said one of the key weaknesses the UK faced was the inability to scale up testing quickly.
He described national lockdowns as the "very big new idea" of the Covid pandemic and "very radical thing to do".
Speaking in June, Whitty said: "It was an extraordinarily major, social intervention with huge economic and social ramifications."
He also defended the government scientific advisory group Sage, which he co-chaired during the pandemic and we will be hearing from this week.
Suggestions have been raised that the group lacked diversity of thought, for example not having any economic or social experts as members.
But Whitty told Baroness Hallet it would have been too "unwieldly" if a range of different experts were added to Sage.
Instead, he said the economic and societal consequences of responding to a pandemic should be done separately through a different mechanism.
This is not the first time Chris Whitty has appeared before the inquiry, previously telling Baroness Hallett that threats to independent experts during the pandemic could undermine future responses to disasters.
Giving evidence in June, he said abuse and threats aimed at experts had been "extremely concerning". Whitty himself was accosted in a London park in 2021.
A man was jailed for eight weeks and a second received a suspended sentence over the incident, which saw one film Whitty while a second put him in a headlock. Whitty was not injured in the attack.
Image source, PA MediaJonathan Chew was jailed after pleading guilty to a charge of intending to cause harassment, alarm or distress
Outside of the physical intimidation, Whitty and others have reported being abused on social media, as well as being shouted at in public.
He told the inquiry: "We should be very firm in saying that society very much appreciates the work of these people [experts and scientists], who put in considerable amounts of time."
Whitty said it was often provided without pay and also noted how universities were becoming stricter about releasing their academics.
Image source, ReutersWhitty was a mainstay at the government's Covid press briefings
Soon we’ll be hearing from Professor Sir Chris Whitty, who is currently in post as England’s chief medical officer - a role he has served in since 2019.
As England’s most senior doctor, he was one of the government’s key advisers throughout the Covid pandemic.
He became a fixture on many people’s screens at the regular press briefings given by senior ministers and officials, laying out the latest Covid data and scientific advice behind key political decisions.
A specialist in public health medicine and tropical diseases, Whitty is a trained epidemiologist who has worked as a researcher and doctor in the UK, Africa and Asia.
He has served in a variety of different public health and scientific advice roles within the civil service since 2009, including as interim chief scientific adviser during the 2018 Salisbury Novichok poisonings.
Over the last few weeks we’ve heard from Sir Patrick Vallance, Priti Patel, Mark Sedwill and Dominic Cummings, among some of the more prominent public figures who played key roles in the pandemic.
On Monday, Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s former chief scientific adviser, shed light on tensions between ministers and the experts guiding them - he was forced to acknowledge a diary entry in which he described then-PM Boris Johnson as "weak and indecisive".
The inquiry also heard about the differing views of Vallance and chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty. Vallance told the inquiry he believed lockdowns should have come in earlier, while Whitty had concerns about the “indirect harms” of lockdown.
This part of the inquiry has also heard:
Image source, PASir Chris Whitty became the UK's chief medical adviser just months before the pandemic hit
The government's most senior medical adviser in the pandemic, Sir Chris Whitty, has arrived at the Covid inquiry this morning where he is expected to give evidence.
Yesterday, former chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said that he and Whitty disagreed on the lock down timeline, with Sir Patrick wanting to implement a lock down earlier.
Whitty was appointed England's chief medical officer and the UK government's chief medical adviser three months before the pandemic hit. He was soon at the centre of handling the biggest public health crisis the UK had faced in decades.
He will appear at the Covid inquiry from 10:00 GMT.
Image source, ReutersOn Monday, the inquiry heard evidence on major decisions taken during the pandemic from Sir Patrick Vallance - then the government's chief scientific adviser.
Vallance’s 241-page witness statement was released on Monday evening, in which he said there were times that he considered resigning.
"Like many others I received abuse and threats and I was concerned for the wellbeing and safety of my family," he said.
"At times those factors did lead me to question whether I should continue.
"I also found people breaking the lockdown rules very difficult and considered what I should do in response, but decided that I would help most by continuing with my job."
He also said former deputy PM Dominic Raab led more effectively than Boris Johnson when he was briefly put in charge of the pandemic response, while the prime minister was in hospital with Covid.
James Harness
Live reporter
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the UK Covid inquiry.
For the last month or so, the inquiry has been hearing evidence for its second investigation - examining UK decision-making and political governance during the pandemic.
From 10:00 today, we expect to hear from Professor Sir Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical officer for England. He is the only witness appearing during today’s hearing.
There will be both text coverage and a stream of today’s proceedings, which you can watch live at the top of the page by pressing the play button.