The UK’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has not achieved a good outcome, the government’s chief scientific adviser told MPs today.

Sir Patrick Vallance said that while some countries have done worse, he was sure that mistakes had been made in the response to the crisis.

He said: ‘It’s very difficult to know exactly where we stand at the moment.

‘It’s clear that the outcome has not been good in the UK, I think we can be absolutely clear about that.

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He added: ‘There will be things, decisions made, that will turn out not to have been the right decisions at the time, I’m sure about that as well.’

Sir Patrick also told the Science and Technology Committee that there were ‘pretty strong hints’ the new coronavirus was seasonal and could return in future years.

‘What we’re dealing with now is a suppressed first wave,’ he said. ‘I think it’s quite probable that we will see this virus coming back in different waves over a number of years.’

Sir Patrick’s intervention follows reports that Boris Johnson is set to urge workers to return to offices and use public transport from the start of August.

A major speech is expected to happen tomorrow, in what could see the Government stop telling the public to ‘work from home if you can’ and avoid public transport unless their journeys are essential.

It comes amid concern that city centre businesses, which rely on trade from commuters and office workers, could soon go bust.

There are also fears over the future of transport companies due to the massive drop in passenger numbers on trains and buses.

But Sir Patrick warned it is too soon to send people back into offices, telling MPs: ‘We’re still at a time when distancing measures are important.

‘Working from home for many companies remains a perfectly good option, because it’s easy to do.

‘A number of companies think it’s actually not detrimental to productivity, and in that situation there’s absolutely no reason I can see to change it.’

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