Shine a light

Researchers can aid the fight for transparency over Covid decisions

The government’s refusal to deploy a ‘circuit-breaker’ national lockdown to stem the spread of coronavirus has increasingly come under attack since it emerged that the decision runs counter to recommendations from the country’s top group of scientific advisers. 

As Research Fortnight went to press on Wednesday, several high-profile academics were rallying behind the idea of a short national lockdown, a measure suggested by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies on 21 September and being adopted, with varying degrees of severity, in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.