UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has defended his senior adviser Dominic Cummings, who reportedly ignored COVID-19 lockdown rules while travelling with his wife who had coronavirus symptoms.
"I think that what they did was totally understandable. I think any father, any parent would frankly understand what he did and I certainly do", Johnson said at a news conference on Sunday.
The UK prime minister also stated that he had held "extensive" conversations with Cummings and concluded that he acted "responsibly, legally and with integrity".
According to the Daily Mirror, Cummings has been reported to the Durham Police for breaking the COVID-19 lockdown rules.
Cummings stated earlier that he had travelled to Durham to be near extended family because his wife was showing COVID-19 symptoms. He reportedly thought that he was also infected and wanted to ensure that his four-year-old son was looked after.
In response to the British media reports, a Downing Street spokeswoman said that the stories, particularly from the Mirror and The Guardian, were inaccurate.
"We will not waste our time answering a stream of false allegations about Mr Cummings from campaigning newspapers", the spokeswoman said in a statement on Saturday.
Following the reports about Cummings, calls for his resignation have gained momentum. Cummings was at the helm of the Vote Leave campaign and took part in the development of the British government’s coronavirus strategy.
