The Covid bereavement campaigner and daughter of a Norwich man who died from the virus has slammed the government's handling of the pandemic after the official number of deaths were revealed.

Jo Goodman, co-founder of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice campaign, said the official figure of 150,000 coronavirus deaths being recorded was “yet another indictment of the government’s handling of the pandemic”.

She said: “We didn’t need to be here and bereaved families and the rest of the country need answers as to how we have suffered one of the highest global death tolls.

“This is ever more urgent as deaths from the Omicron variant continue to surge, with little apparently being done to address this. The public inquiry cannot begin its work soon enough.

“We continue to feel frustrated at the use of 28-day figures to portray the death toll, when the true figures of those with Covid-19 recorded as a cause of death are significantly higher.

“The 23,191 loved ones who struggled again the virus for more than four weeks deserve to be acknowledged on the same basis as others, and the failure to do so is a source of continuing upset to families across the country.”

The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group was co-founded by Miss Goodman following the death of her father Stuart at the age of 72.

Eastern Daily Press: Stuart Goodman who died with Covid aged 72.Stuart Goodman who died with Covid aged 72. (Image: Jo Goodman)

Mr Goodman, who worked as a newspaper photographer and picture editor, died at Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital on April 2 last year.

On September 28, 2021, Miss Goodman was one of five bereaved family members who spoke to prime minister Boris Johnson at a private briefing and was left feeling positive about the meeting.

However, after ITV News footage emerged of the prime minister's then-press secretary Allegra Stratton and adviser Ed Oldfield, along with other aides, filmed joking about a “fictional” Downing Street party in December 2020, that initial positivity turned to anger.

In a statement, the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Group, said: "In September Boris Johnson looked bereaved families in the eyes and told them he had done everything he could to save their loved ones.

"There are simply no words to describe how upsetting and shameful it is to then hear Boris Johnson's team laughing about breaking the rules they had made, whilst others followed them and could only say goodbye to their loved ones through a screen.

"It’s the behaviour of people who think they’re above us."