Covid lockdown effect ‘spread far and wide’

Baroness Hallett, chairman of inquiry, notes pandemic affected ‘everything’, as Welsh FM gives evidence

THE chairman of the Covid Inquiry has said the impacts of lockdown spread “far and wide” after she was accused of failing to investigate the harms of restrictions.

Baroness Hallett was questioning Mark Drakeford, the Labour First Minister of Wales, when she noted that lockdown had affected “everything” including mental health, children’s development and schooling.

Her intervention came after The Telegraph revealed yesterday that a group of leading scientists said the inquiry she heads was “fundamentally biased” and was not examining the costs of national shutdowns.

During evidence from Mr Drakeford, Lady Hallett asked if he had sought out alternative opinions to those government scientists arguing for lockdown.

Baroness Hallett said: “Let’s take lockdown, it’s the most controversial NPI [non-pharmaceutical intervention]. Suppose you have advisers who say ‘right, we’ve got to lockdown’ and you are conscious of all the impacts of lockdown on people.

“We all know that they spread far and wide, mental health, children’s development, education and everything.

“By just following your expert who happens to be in the pro-lockdown camp, you’re never listening to an expert who may say ‘Well, wait a minute, lockdown is not necessary’, so, for example, those who signed the Great Barrington Declaration.

“So, did you deny yourself the alternative argument?”

The Great Barrington Declaration was signed in October 2020 by scientists who argued against lockdown in favour of more targeted measures.

Mr Drakeford replied that the issue was “widely debated” and it was “slippery slope” to start listening to other advice and that the Welsh Government “cannot pick and choose the scientific advice it gets”.

In the letter to Lady Hallett revealed by The Telegraph, 55 professors and academics said the inquiry was “not living up to its mission” to evaluate mistakes made during the pandemic, assess whether Covid measures were appropriate and to prepare the country for the next pandemic. The letter was organised by Dr Kevin Bardosh, an infection medicine expert at Edinburgh University, and Prof Sunetra Gupta, an epidemiologist at Oxford University.

The scientists warned a “lack of neutrality” meant the inquiry “gives the impression of being fundamentally biased” and appears to have led to “predetermined conclusions, for example, to lockdown faster next time”.

In his evidence, Mr Drakeford took aim at Boris Johnson, who was then prime minister, claiming he was like the “absent manager” of a football team at the start of the pandemic.

Mr Drakeford said some ministers were “afraid” of dealing with Nicola Sturgeon and Westminster was “always anxious” when interacting with Scotland’s former first minister.

The Uk-wide inquiry continues today when it will hear the closing statements in its Welsh module.