COVID-19: British government rejects global calls by scientists to end lockdown measures

The British government has rejected the calls of thousands of scientists and health experts urging authorities to put an end to lockdown measures.

The controversial Great Barrington Declaration, which has been signed by roughly 7000 scientists and medics worldwide, is calling for a new strategy in response to the ongoing pandemic. The movement, which began in the United States, argues that young, healthy and low-risk people should be permitted to go about their lives as normal, while "focused protection" is offered to the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions - the groups most at risk from COVID-19. 

The experts argue lockdown measures, implemented by governments across the globe to contain the spread of the virus, are having a damaging impact on physical and mental health. Thursday marks the first day that New Zealand as a whole has been free from lockdown restrictions since mid-August, after Cabinet decided on Monday that Auckland - the city at the centre of the latest community cluster - was ready to shift to alert level 1 of the Government's response. 

The Great Barrington movement is backed by dozens of UK scientists, including prominent British physician Professor Karol Sikora, often considered a leading authority on cancer, and Dr Sunetra Gupta, an epidemiologist at Oxford University. In a direct contradiction to the government's position, Tory backbencher Steve Baker has also urged MPs to support the strategy.

Yet in a statement from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's official spokesperson on Wednesday (local time), Downing Street rejected the Great Barrington proposal, saying their fundamental argument relies on an "unproven assumption" that it's possible to protect the most vulnerable demographics. 

"We have considered the full range of scientific opinion throughout the course of this pandemic and we will continue to do so," said the spokesman.

"But what I would also say is that it is not possible to rely on an unproven assumption that it is possible for people who are at lower risk, should they contract the virus, to avoid subsequently transmitting it to those who are at a higher risk and would face a higher risks of ending up in hospital, or worse in an intensive care unit."

The Great Barrington Declaration warns that maintaining lockdown protocols until a vaccine is available will cause "irreparable damage" and devastating impacts on public health, with reduced cancer screenings, lowered vaccination rates among children and deteriorating mental health. It also describes locking down schools as a "grave injustice" to students.

The movement also suggests that safely building "herd immunity" among the population is crucial to preventing the long-term spread of the virus.

Speaking to the Independent, Dr Rupert Beale of the Francis Crick Institute's Cell Biology of Infection Laboratory said the declaration was "not a helpful contribution".

"This is wishful thinking. It is not possible to fully identify vulnerable individuals, and it is not possible to fully isolate them," he said.

"Furthermore, we know that immunity to coronaviruses wanes over time, and re-infection is possible - so lasting protection of vulnerable individuals by establishing 'herd immunity' is very unlikely to be achieved in the absence of a vaccine."

As reported by BBC News, the Great Barrington Declaration mirrors a number of warnings outlined in a letter by a group of 66 GPs in the UK, including TV doctors Dr Phil Hammond and Dr Rosemary Leonard, and a number of medics who held senior roles at the British Medical Association.

The experts wrote to the health secretary, arguing there is insufficient emphasis on non-COVID-related harms in the response's decision-making process.