More than 1,200 experts slam Johnson government ahead of Freedom Day

MORE than 1,200 leading scientists and experts have slammed the Boris Johnson government to go ahead with the 'Freedom Day' on Monday (19), calling the move 'criminal' and its pursing of herd immunity 'unethical'.

The group comprised of experts and doctors as they signed a letter in the medical journal, The Lancet, berating Johnson's 'unscientific' decision, when the daily infections, deaths and hospitalisations are rising in the UK.

With soaring cases and 50 Covid deaths for the first time since April, the group which includes SAGE experts argued that millions still need to be double-jabbed before it is safe to ease restrictions.

Among the signatories are David Cameron's former Chief Scientific Adviser Sir David King, as well as BMA council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul and Professor Christina Pagel, a mathematician at University College London and Independent SAGE member.

According to SAGE modelling, the final unlocking happening next week could result in 1,000 and 2,000 daily hospital admissions and 200 deaths. Then in a worst-case projection there could be 25,000 hospitalisations and 3,000 deaths.

MailOnline reports that Professor Adrian Hayday, an immunobiologist at King’s College London, told MPs in the group that opening up on July 19 will cause 'unnecessary and inappropriate self-inflicted harm'.

On the other hand, Dr Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of the Lancet, said he was shocked by No. 10's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and chief scientific scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance for not 'being more public about their concerns'.

Dr Horton accused Professor Whitty of 'wilfully misrepresenting scientific opinion across the country'. Professor Whitty had previously voiced his support for the July 19 unlocking to prevent a bigger wave in the winter.

Johnson announced most Covid restrictions will be eased next Monday (19) — but has also warned that restrictions could return as soon as September if new freedoms are abused.

He also dropped his claim that the unlocking would be 'irreversible' and called for continued mask-wearing in busy indoor settings such as trains, supermarkets and cinemas.

The Lancet letter's 1,246 signatories said the government's decision to open up before vaccinating children and pursuing herd immunity through natural infection rather than vaccines is a 'terrible mistake'.

The group’s statement said: "The Prime Minister’s statement leaves little doubt that the government’s latest pandemic plan involves exposing millions of people to acute and long-term impacts of mass infection. We believe it is a terrible mistake."

"A strategy that chooses mass infection in children and young people now as a way to protect the vulnerable in winter, instead of taking the time to vaccinate our young is unethical and unscientific," it also read.