Damning Uk Covid-19 Inquiry: Should England’s Lockdown Have Started Earlier?

The UK COVID-19 Inquiry, chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, has delivered 1 of nan astir damning assessments yet of nan government’s pandemic handling nether Boris Johnson.

The first portion of nan inquiry, published successful 2024, concluded that thousands of deaths could person been avoided pinch earlier action. The latest portion of UK COVID-19 Inquiry, still chaired by Baroness Heather Hallett, has delivered 1 of nan astir damning assessments yet of nan government’s pandemic handling nether Boris Johnson. England unsocial recorded much than 23,000 deaths from COVID, a akin decease complaint to nan United States and Italy but higher than elsewhere successful occidental Europe, and it is still recovering from nan economical and psychological consequences.

The damning 23,000 deaths from nan first activity delay

Lady Hallett’s study highlighted that if nan UK had imposed lockdown connected 16 March 2020, nan aforesaid week arsenic Italy, Spain, and France, astir of those 23,000 lives could person been saved successful nan first activity alone.

• Italy locked down nationally connected March 9, 2020.
• Spain declared a authorities of siren and lockdown connected March 14.
• France began its first confinement connected March 17.

The UK waited until March 23 2020 – a hold of 7 to 14 days compared to its peers. Imperial College London modelling cited by nan enquiry estimated this hesitation contributed to a importantly higher highest successful deaths.

The greater failure: Repeating nan aforesaid correction successful Autumn 2020

While nan March hold is shocking, nan enquiry and consequent study propose nan bigger calamity occurred later. By summertime 2020, nan UK had acquisition of lockdown and really to grip it, amended testing, and clearer knowledge of susceptible groups. Yet nan authorities hesitated again.

Policies specified arsenic Eat Out to Help Out (launched August 3, 2020) actively encouraged mixing astatine nan nonstop infinitesimal cases were rising. SAGE gathering minutes from September 2020 warned a circuit-breaker lockdown was needed, but England waited until 5 November 2020 for nan 2nd nationalist lockdown, weeks aft Wales (October 23) and overmuch of bluish Europe.

Should nan UK person locked down harder and earlier to prevention much lives?

The UK recorded 1 of nan highest excess-death rates successful Europe contempt yet imposing immoderate of nan strictest and longest lockdowns. The enquiry is clear that earlier involution successful March 2020 would person saved lives. Evidence besides shows that a short, crisp circuit-breaker successful September/October 2020 – arsenic advised by SAGE and implemented by Wales and Scotland, could person reduced nan devastation of nan 2nd wave. That said, pinch Brexit already completed, and nan “hard Brexit” business successful spot pinch aggregate waste and acquisition and activity deals unresolved, could much lockdowns person damaged nan UK system beyond repair?

With hindsight, nan information raises a difficult mobility nan federation still hasn’t afloat confronted: Should nan United Kingdom person locked down sooner, harder, and much decisively, for illustration galore of its European neighbours, to prevention tens of thousands much lives?

With hindsight and much clarity, what do you think? Let america cognize successful nan comments below.