Jonathan Van-Tam urged to flee home by police after his family received death threats during the pandemic, Covid Inquiry told

Jonathan Van-Tam was urged to flee his home by police after his family received death threats during the pandemic, the Covid inquiry heard.

England’s former deputy chief medical officer – who quit his role in March 2022 — became a household name during the Government’s response to the health emergency, known for his calm demeanour and regular use of analogies.

But being thrust into the public eye as the UK battled soaring coronavirus infections meant JVT, as he is affectionately known, was also on the receiving end of violent messages as he sought to explain the science behind government decision-making.

He told the probe: ‘I did not expect my family to be threatened with having their throats cut.

‘I did not expect the police to have to say: “Will you move out in the middle of the night? Will you move out for a few days while we look at this and potentially make some arrests?”‘

Sir Jonathan, who was knighted last year, said with his trademark humour that his family did not leave their home ‘because of the cat’, but added: ‘It was a very stressful time. And my family didn’t sign up for that.’

He said he referenced the ordeal in his witness statement because of concerns experts may have in any future pandemic.

‘I only make this point because I’m so worried that if there is a future crisis, people will not want to sign up for these roles and these jobs because of the implications that come with them,’ he said.

Also called JVT by colleagues, Sir Jonathan became a regular figure on TV screens throughout the lockdown, as he imparted his expertise knowledge during some of the daily coronavirus conferences. 

The Boston United fan was famed for his memorable metaphors, such as comparing Covid to a ‘goalkeeper that can be beaten’ and the vaccine rollout to the ‘glide path to landing this plane’. 

He sparked panic and worry across the UK in the early days of the Covid crisis, when admitting that the country may have to ‘live with’ the virus for years before a vaccine was found.

He also hit headlines in December, 2020 when he warned that Brits may wear face masks for years to come — even after a successful coronavirus vaccine became available. 

Covid inquiry chairman Baroness Heather Hallett previously condemned thugs and trolls who subjected top scientists to abuse during the pandemic.

She made the unusual intervention to comment on evidence given to the inquiry in June after Professor Sir Chris Whitty warned ‘extremely concerning’ threats and intimidation from members of the public risked dissuading experts from helping in a future health crisis.

Sir Jonathan also told the inquiry that he was overwhelmed by the ‘horrendous’ and ‘very, very intense’ workload at the start of the pandemic, during which he was working up to 16 hours a day, seven days a week.