The Papers: Front pages mark UK’s 100,000 Covid deaths

image captionThe solemn face of Boris Johnson dominates many of the front pages, as the UK passed 100,00 coronavirus deaths. Like several other papers, the Daily Express’ headline focuses on the prime minister saying he was “deeply sorry for every life lost”, as he vowed to honour all Covid victims by working with “greater resolve to beat the virus”.

image captionAt a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Johnson said he found it “hard to compute the sorrow” of the figure but insisted the government had done “everything we could” to minimise loss of life and suffering during the crisis, the Metro reports. The paper notes that it comes just 10 months after the prime minister said the country could “turn the tide in 12 weeks”.

image captionThe Daily Mail describes Mr Johnson’s message as “heartfelt”, with the prime minister pledging to “learn lessons, reflect and repair” after the end of the crisis. He also said the nation would come together “to remember everyone we lost”, acknowledging that many relatives mourned “without the chance to even say goodbye”.

image captionThe Daily Telegraph also focuses on the prime minister’s apology for the “appalling and tragic loss of life”. The latest analysis of the deaths shows that the pandemic has not taken an even toll on society, with a disproportionately large number of people on low incomes losing their lives, according to the paper. However, it notes that there is more positive news on infection rates, with 20,089 cases reported – the lowest daily total since 15 December.

image caption“We will remember them”, is the headline for the Sun, which pays tribute to the fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and grandparents who have been lost to the virus. It says the prime minister “bowed his head in sorrow” as he said he took “full responsibility” for the government’s actions during the pandemic.

image captionMeanwhile, the Guardian says Mr Johnson is facing questions over how the UK reached one of the worst death tolls of the pandemic, after the prime minister refused to discuss the reasons why it might be so high. The paper includes comments from Richard Murray, the chief executive of the King’s Fund think tank, who said this time last year “it would be almost impossible to believe that a wealthy island nation with a universal healthcare system would go on to have one of the highest death tolls”.

image captionThe i front page carries a montage of just some of those who have died with the virus, alongside the headline 100,162 – the total number of people who have now died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19. The UK has become the first European nation to pass the figure, and the fifth globally after the US, Brazil, India and Mexico, the paper reports.

image captionThe Times front page has a similarly powerful image showing the faces of some of the victims of the pandemic. It highlights comments from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who described the figure as a “national tragedy”, arguing that ministers were too slow in many aspects of the response, such as imposing lockdowns, providing protective equipment and testing.

image captionThe Daily Mirror leads with its campaign to help children who lack the basic tools to learn at home during lockdown. It says the appeal has launched with a £1m donation from the National Education Union, which says school children are being hampered because they don’t have the “basic essentials”. It comes as a survey found many poorer primary pupils do not even have pens, papers or crayons, the paper reports.

image captionThe Financial Times reports that capital markets have been “buoyed” by government and central bank stimulus in response to the coronavirus crisis.

image captionThe Daily Star has a follow-up to its front page on Tuesday, where it suggested TV presenter Piers Morgan might do a better job as prime minister than Mr Johnson. “Oops! We seem to have created a monster,” is the paper’s headline, as it admits the story “caused a bit of a kerfuffle”. It says the odds on Morgan getting the job have been slashed to 20/1 but apologises if the idea “put you off your cornflakes”.