UK PM dismisses calls to inquire aide's lockdown violation

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has dismissed calls to launch an inquiry against his chief aide, Dominic Cummings who has been accused of breaking lockdown rules, news of which prompted widespread anger in country.

Cummings is accused of breaching the lockdown rules after he who drove 418 km from London to a family property in Durham during the stay-at-home order.

During a liaison meeting with the heads of parliamentary committees broadcast live on TV on Wednesday, Johnson apologized for the "pain" caused by the row but insisted it was time to "move on" from the topic, reports Efe news.

Conservative Party member Simon Hoare suggested that the public would be less inclined to follow lockdown rules in the wake of the incident, which has dominated UK headlines for several days.

Cummings said he decided to make the trip when he and his wife became concerned about childcare options in the case that both of them contracted COBID-19.

He also admitted to making a 96-km round trip to a nearby castle with his wife and child, but insisted he was testing his eyesight before driving back to London.

UK media have run stories alleging he broke the lockdown on several occasions.

Johnson on Wednesday dismissed some of them as false and said he has seen evidence confirming that. When pressed, he said he would not make that evidence public.

Cummings, credited with masterminding the Brexit campaign, had been in close contact with Johnson just before the latter was infected with the virus.

While the controversy around Cummings simmered on, the government unveiled a new test and trace service designed to get a clearer picture of the coronavirus situation in the UK, the deadliest hotspot in Europe.

It incorporates a system that will alert people who have been in contact with others who have tested positive for coronavirus, in which case they will be asked to isolate at home for 14 days.