This international summit made headlines around the world: from American to Germany to India to France to Italy. It’s on front page today of @FT & @Independent.
Please watch it. And understand how reckless & dangerous a path the govt is leading us down
Why are we failing to heed these gravely serious warnings of international experts? These are official government advisors flabbergasted by what we are doing:
LIVE NOW: Please join us for an emergency international summit with scientists from UK & across the globe on the threat the UK government's Covid-19 plan poses to the world pscp.tv/w/c8AM3XR3LTEx…
Thank you @guardian. And a huge thank you to the international scientists who have come together to sound the alarm. 🙏🙏🙏
NEW: Extraordinary statement from @HelenRSalisbury from emergency press conference on UK govt's plan:
'I cannot understand why the government would opt to do herd immunity by infection when they could do herd immunity by vaccination. I think it's criminal.'
PRESS RELEASE: “Scientists: government’s herd immunity by mass infection’ plan is unscientific & unethical”
By authors of Lancet letter now signed by more than 1,000 UK & international scientists & doctors
FULL EMERGENCY STATEMENT: response to July 19 ‘unscientific & unethical’ govt plan
Over £22.4bn has gone to just 50 companies in UK Gov Covid-19 contracts since the start of the pandemic.
In total, over 1,500 companies were involved in a UK contract bonanza worth £52.5bn – more than the Gross Domestic Product of 140 nation states and territories.
The top 5 companies won £9.2bn or 30% of the total amount given out in contracts since March 2020. This alone is more than the 2019 GDP of countries like Nicaragua and Armenia, according to World Bank data.
1,593 firms have been awarded contracts since March 2020. These total £33.1bn (not including framework agreements), a figure greater than the GDP of Paraguay or Cameroon.
The top 5 firms make up almost 1/3rd of the value of total contracts.
The top 50 make up 2/3rds (67%).
It's gratifying that issue of mass infection has finally broken into mainstream. It's depressing because it comes after 2 months' of work with @dgurdasani1 to expose spread of Delta variant in schools & challenge the govt for suppressing the evidence.