Senior civil servants “wanted” individuals to get COVID like chickenpox to construct herd immunity, in line with messages learn out throughout an inquiry into the federal government’s dealing with of the pandemic.
Sir Christopher Wormald stays essentially the most senior civil servant within the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) – as he was in early 2020.
Messages he exchanged with Mark Sedwill – then the pinnacle of the Civil Service – had been proven to the inquiry.
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These had been despatched on 12 March 2020.
Lord Sedwill stated: “I don’t think PM & Co have internalised yet the distinction between minimising mortality and not trying to stop most people getting it.
“Indeed presumably like chickenpox we wish individuals to get it and develop herd immunity earlier than the subsequent wave.
“We just want them not to get it all at once and preferably when it’s warn (sic) and dry etc.”
Sir Christopher responded: “Exactly right. We make the point every meeting, they don’t quite get it.”
Plenty of time through the inquiry has been taken up on when the federal government change from planning to mitigate individuals getting the virus, to stopping the unfold of the virus and locking down.
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Key WhatsApp messages from the COVID inquiry
On 14 March, the then-health secretary, Matt Hancock, wrote in The Daily Telegraph: “We have a plan, based on the expertise of world-leading scientists. Herd immunity is not a part of it. That is a scientific concept, not a goal or a strategy.
“Our purpose is to guard life from this virus, our technique is to guard essentially the most susceptible and defend the NHS by means of include, delay, analysis and mitigate.”
On 23 March, Boris Johnson enacted lockdown.
Dominic Cummings, who was a political appointee by Mr Johnson, repeatedly criticised the Civil Service whereas he gave proof to the inquiry.
On the identical day because the civil servants had been speaking, Mr Cummings complained in a WhatsApp message that Lord Sedwill had been “babbling about chickenpox”, including “god f****** help us”.
Speaking to the inquiry on Tuesday, Mr Cummings stated Lord Sedwill instructed Mr Johnson: “PM, you should go on TV and should explain that this is like the old days with chickenpox and people are going to have chickenpox parties. And the sooner a lot of people get this and get it over with the better sort of thing.”
In a put up on social media, Mr Cummings responded to the messages revealed at present.
He stated: “The reason the [Lord Sedwill] suggested to the PM on 12/3 to tell the country to hold chickenpox parties – and me/Ben Warner said ‘you must stop saying this’ – is [Sir Christopher], *in charge of ‘the plan’*, was telling him this was the f****** plan!!!
“Holy s*** that is actually atrocious and explains a lot.”
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Sir Christopher, who was pushed by inquiry legal professionals to elucidate the messages, stated that it was a reference to herd immunity however argued it was “reflecting the state of the scientific advice at that point”.
He stated he had been “very, very loose in my reply” and that he had on the time been following the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies – Sage – recommendation.
Source: information.sky.com”