UK health secretary apologizes for saying people shouldn’t ‘cower’ from COVID-19

British Health Secretary Sajid Javid issued an apology on Sunday for saying people should no longer “cower” from the coronavirus.

“I’ve deleted a tweet which used the word ‘cower’. I was expressing gratitude that the vaccines help us fight back as a society, but it was a poor choice of word and I sincerely apologise,” Javid said on Twitter. “Like many, I have lost loved ones to this awful virus and would never minimise its impact.”

I’ve deleted a tweet which used the word “cower”. I was expressing gratitude that the vaccines help us fight back as a society, but it was a poor choice of word and I sincerely apologise.

Like many, I have lost loved ones to this awful virus and would never minimise its impact.

— Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) July 25, 2021

Javid, who is fully vaccinated, announced in June that he had tested positive for COVID-19, and would be going into self-quarantine. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and also went into quarantine after having been exposed to Javid.

In a now-deleted tweet, Javid had written, “Full recovery from Covid a week after testing positive. Symptoms were very mild, thanks to amazing vaccines. Please – if you haven’t yet – get your jab, as we learn to live with, rather than cower from, this virus.”

Javid’s original tweet had elicited a slew of criticism from British lawmakers who characterized it as insensitive, the BBC reports.

A spokesperson for Health for the Liberal Democrats party, Munira Wilson, called Javid’s tweet “outrageous,” adding that his “careless words have insulted every man, woman and child who has followed the rules and stayed at home to protect others.”