PIERS Morgan has blasted the Culture Secretary for “grotesquely underestimating” the number of coronavirus deaths.
The GMB host tore into Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden after a spat over the official figures of health officials killed by the virus.
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Mr Morgan had asked about the number of health staff who had died, as the UK total death rate reached 16,060.
He asked: “How many people working in our health system have died so far?”
Mr Dowden replied “43”, only be be interrupted by a furious Piers, who revealed it was at least 80.
He said: "Why are you so grossly underestimating the scale of what's going on on the frontline?
“It's actually twice as many as you're saying.”
The senior Minister insisted: “I'm using the most up-to-date figures I was given, the figures I was given this morning”.
Piers then asked how many had died in care homes from coronavirus.
Mr Dowden answered: “We have figures from the ONS which is 217 but the figure is much higher than that.
The host again dismissed the figures, saying: “It's believed to be seven and a half thousand, so there's a bit of a gap between what the Government would like people to think is happening both in terms of the slaughter of our frontline staff and the reality.”
A furious Piers then lay into the minister, labelling his answer a “disgrace”.
He said: “Do you not think you owe it to people working in hospitals and care homes, on the front line.
“Why don't you know? Why don't you even have a clue?
“I find it utterly disgraceful you’re still saying it’s a couple of hundred when we know it’s many thousands. Real people real lives.
“Do you not think you owe it to them to set up a system that sets out every single day how many of them lost their lives in this battle.
“Why have you not got a system that properly follows what’s going on?”
Mr Downden replied: “I have the deepest sympathy for everybody affected but as a Government minister I want to give you facts that I know to be true.
“We are working on how to get more rapid information."
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In a combative interview, the GMB host also blasted the government for “sending people out to get infected” at Cheltenham Festival amid the coronavirus crisis.
In March Mr Dowden had insisted that Britain was not “in the territory of cancelling or postponing events.”
Lashing out at the Government, Mr Morgan said: “The day before 16 million people in Italy were quarantined because so many people were dying.
“The next day you go on the airwaves and you actively encourage Britain's to go and attend mass gatherings.
“250,000 to the Cheltenham festival, 55,000 at Liverpool Atletico Madrid, where Athletico were not even allowed to go games at their own ground, but 3000 of them flew in, Stereophonics gigs all week.
“That is because you as a Government actively sent people out to get infected, why.”
Mr Dowden defended the Government’s actions, insisting it was “based on scientific evidence.”
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