The British government was unprepared for a crisis like the coronavirus pandemic, failed to learn from simulation exercises and was distracted by its departure from the European Union, according to the government's spending watchdog.

The National Audit Office (NAO) also highlighted the role of Brexit in soaking up resources, with Britain leaving the European Union on January 31, 2020, the same day as the country's first confirmed Covid-19 case.

"This pandemic has exposed the UK's vulnerability to whole-system emergencies, where the emergency is so broad that it engages all levels of government and society," Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said in a statement.

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