MORE lives could have been saved if Britain had closed its borders last March, a minister has said.

Gillian Keegan said there was “no doubt” the death toll would be lower if flights had been grounded in the first Covid lockdown.

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The universities minister told BBC’s Question Time: “There is no doubt that we could have locked everybody down, we could have locked the borders from the beginning and we would have had a lower death toll, for sure.”

But asked if the Government should have done so, she replied: “I don’t think so.”

Ms Keegan suggested such action would’ve had other consequences.

Her comments came as a police chief yesterday suggested celebs and the rich could still board flights for sunshine hotspots even if they are fined for breaching Covid rules.

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Cops are patrolling airports and ports to ensure journeys are essential. Those flouting rules are encouraged to go home and are fined if they do not.

But Martin Hewitt, of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, said: “What is being worked through is, are they then barred from travelling?”

He said it was a “borders issue” as cops could not stop someone leaving the country.

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