UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid sincerely apologises for 'cower' COVID-19 remark

After being accused of insulting coronavirus victims, UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid apologised for saying that people should no longer “cower” from COVID-19. Javid h me comments in a now-deleted tweet, announcing that he h me a “full recovery” from virus, a week after testing positive. “Please, if you haven’t yet, get your jab, as we learn to live with, rar than cower from, this virus,” minister ded. 

Following his social media post, Labour accused him of denigrating those who followed rules. Angela Rayner, deputy leer of Labour Party, was one of several lawmakers from opposition parties and people who have lost family members to pandemic to criticise his use of phrase "cower from". Rayner blamed “catastrophic failures” of government and said, “how dare you denigrate people for trying to keep mselves and ir families safe”.  

Jo Goodman, co-founder of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, also slammed Javid and called his comments “deeply insensitive on a number of levels”. Goodman said that Javid’s “cower” phrase was not only “hurtful” but also “insults” all those still doing ir best to protect ors from devastation virus could bring. Lib Dem’s health spokesperson, Munira Wilson, also said Javid’s tweet was “outrageous” while thousands remain in hospital with COVID-19. It is worth noting that Cower is defined by Cambridge Dictionary as meaning to bend down or move backward with your he down because you are frightened. 

Javid apologises for ‘poor choice of words’ 

After being criticised, Javid deleted Tweet and apologised for “poor choice of words”. In a separate post, minister said that he was expressing gratitude that vaccines help fight back virus as a society. In his new tweet, Javid said that even he has lost loved ones to virus and would “never minimise its impact”. 

Meanwhile, Javid, who replaced Matt Hancock as health minister, began his job by urging people to learn to live with virus. United Kingdom, which has one of highest official COVID-19 death numbers, has shifted its strategy to fight coronavirus from using restrictions to limit its spre to opening up society in hope vaccines will protect most people from a serious illness. However, ministers have been criticised over past weeks for undermining public health campaign against pandemic by giving mixed messages about virus.

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