Scientists from the Independent Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-B), a body that is advising the UK government on the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures, have slammed ministers for attempting to censor their opinions by redacting criticisms from published reports, The Guardian newspaper reported on Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th May, 2020) Scientists from the Independent Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-B), a body that is advising the UK government on the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures, have slammed ministers for attempting to censor their opinions by redacting criticisms from published reports, The Guardian newspaper reported on Friday.
According to the newspaper, a report published by the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies this past week redacted several criticisms from SPI-B scientists over the government's handling of the epidemiological crisis.
"This government has failed to show any self-criticism whatsoever, when it is glaringly obvious to everybody that big mistakes have been made," one SPI-B adviser told the newspaper.
Roughly one-and-a-half pages of a four-page SPI-B report in April that was recently made public was redacted. According to the newspaper, the redacted text contained criticisms of the government's planned response measures at that time.
"The impression I'm getting is this government doesn't want any criticism," another SPI-B member told the newspaper.
The proposed measures included the reduction in time Britons could spend exercising and shopping, fines for those violating the self-isolation regulations, and the establishment of a pass system for citizens to validate their movement before leaving their homes, the newspaper reported
None of these measures ever entered into force, although SPI-B's comments on the proposals were redacted.
The UK government has faced criticism for its handling of the COVID-19 outbreak as the country this past week overtook Italy to register the highest death toll in Europe. On Thursday, the Department of Health and Social Care reported 539 new deaths, taking the overall death toll to 30,615.
