UK's health minister denies claim he lied amid the pandemic

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock has defended his handling of the coronavirus pandemic following a series of damaging allegations from Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s former top adviser

LONDON -- British Health Secretary Matt Hancock has defended his handling of the coronavirus pandemic following a series of damaging allegations from Prime Minister Boris Johnson's former top adviser. Facing questioning from lawmakers, Hancock said Thursday that he had “no idea” why Dominic Cummings had a dispute with him and that he'd become aware that Cummings had wanted him fired. “I'm not responsible for anybody else's testimony, but I'm really pleased to have the chance to come here to be able to tell you the truth,” Hancock said. Two weeks ago, Cummings told lawmakers investigating the virus outbreak in the U.K. that Hancock “should have been fired” for a series of lies and for a litany of errors during the pandemic. Among the charges, Cummings said Hancock had claimed that during the early stages of the pandemic that people discharged from hospitals were being tested for the virus before going back to their nursing homes.