Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

"Strategy... Actually Murderous": Experts Slam UK Over End To Covid Curbs

"Strategy... Actually Murderous": Experts Slam UK Over End To Covid Curbs

Coronavirus: From Monday -- dubbed "Freedom Day" by some media -- the UK government will lift most restrictions on public gatherings in England and allow businesses to reopen.

The UK government's plan to scrap day-to-day pandemic restrictions in England next week has no basis in science and amounts to premeditated murder for thousands of people, scientists warned on Friday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this week it was "highly probable" the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is over as he pressed ahead with Monday's reopening, despite the Delta variant spreading out of control.

The step is justified by two-thirds of all UK adults now being fully vaccinated, he said, but England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty warned that infection rates are on track to reach "quite scary" levels.

After convening for an emergency discussion about the UK plan, international scientists including advisers to other governments had brutal words for Johnson.

"I've written that I believe that the strategy of herd immunity is actually murderous," US scientist William Haseltine said.

"It is knowledge that you are doing something that will result in thousands, and in some cases tens of thousands of people dying. It is a disaster as a policy," he added.

The UK government denies it is pursuing a policy of "herd immunity" by letting the Delta variant let rip, but concedes that daily infection rates could triple to 100,000 in the weeks ahead, adding to strains on hospitals.

"I don't think we should underestimate the fact that we could get into trouble again surprisingly fast," Whitty said on Thursday, urging the public "to take things incredibly slowly" as restrictions ease.

From Monday -- dubbed "Freedom Day" by some media -- the government will lift most restrictions on public gatherings in England and allow businesses such as nightclubs to reopen.

Mandates covering face masks and work from home will be lifted as Johnson promotes a new approach of personal responsibility, although he has also urged people not to "throw caution to the winds".

'Pingdemic'


The devolved governments of Scotland and Wales set their own health policy and will keep in place a legal requirement to wear face coverings in enclosed spaces such as shops and on public transport. Northern Ireland looks set to follow them.

The foreign scientists attending Friday's online meeting warned that England was falling out of step not just with its neighbours in the UK but with the rest of the world.

The meeting was organised by the authors of a protest letter published by medical journal The Lancet last week that originally carried 122 signatories.

Another 1,400 scientists have since added their names.

"In New Zealand we've always looked to the UK for leadership," said Michael Baker, professor of public health at the University of Otago in Dunedin.

"You have a remarkable depth of scientific knowledge. You've done remarkably well in vaccine development and roll-out. Remarkable clinical trials that we're drawing on," he said.

"And that's why it just seems so remarkable that you're not following even basic public health principles here."

Professor Chiou Shu-Ti, former head of Taiwan's Health Promotion Administration, said she was "very concerned" that younger age groups and clinically vulnerable people were left exposed by the UK plan.

"In our culture there is a saying that it is unethical to take the umbrella away from people while it's still raining," Chiou said.

"And it's actually raining very hard. So I hope the politicians can take that into consideration, to keep the umbrella there for those people not having a raincoat."

The surge in infections sweeping Britain led to more than 530,000 people being instructed to self-isolate by a government-run app in the week to July 7, the highest total since January, according to latest data.

Some companies such as carmaker Nissan have been losing staff en masse after they were pinged by the app -- in a brewing crisis described by media as a "pingdemic".

Butchers, another industry hit hard, have even warned of national meat shortages unless the app is made less sensitive.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×