According to an inquiry into Britain's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak allegedly said the government should allow people to die rather than impose a second national lockdown. This claim was made in a diary entry by Patrick Vallance, the government's former chief scientific adviser, who quoted Dominic Cummings, Johnson's senior adviser, as relaying the comment. Sunak's spokesperson said he would address the allegation when he gives evidence to the inquiry. The inquiry is examining the government's response to the pandemic.