The official Covid-19 Inquiry, led by Baroness Hallett, has delivered a damning assessment of the UK’s pandemic response, concluding that the draconian lockdowns “brought ordinary childhood to a halt” and sacrificed young lives, despite the “vast majority” of children being largely immune to the virus. The report emphasized the “profound consequence” for most children, citing school closures, the inability to see friends, and prolonged confinement at home, factors that have left teachers and parents struggling to manage widespread developmental delays.

Lady Hallett’s comprehensive 760-page report outlined numerous failures, asserting that tens of thousands of lives could have been saved had lockdown measures been imposed just one week earlier. The inquiry argued that the national lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 might have been avoided entirely if the government had reacted swiftly. It branded February 2020 a “lost month”, when crucial preparations could have been made, criticizing scientists, civil servants, ministers, and devolved governments for failing to act with the necessary urgency. The report described this overall lack of urgency as “inexcusable.”

The inquiry also highlighted that the UK was gravely ill-prepared for the unprecedented task of educating children from home and for the complex ramifications of school closures, which it deemed a “drastic interference” that placed “children at risk of harm.” Furthermore, the report noted that despite the massive disruption caused to working parents, school closures in 2020 reduced Covid cases by as little as 10 percent, according to former chief scientific adviser Professor Patrick Vallance.

The report delivered tough assessments of political leaders and institutions. Then Prime Minister Boris Johnson was criticized for being too slow to understand the gravity of the situation, for “oscillating” on stricter measures, and for his “scepticism” and “optimism” that the virus would amount to little, sentiments that the inquiry said were reinforced by “misleading assurances” from the Cabinet Office and the Department of Health and Social Care. No 10 adviser Dominic Cummings was described as a “toxic” and “destabilizing influence,” while then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock was portrayed as “over-enthusiastic,” prone to over-promising and under-delivering.

The scientific advisory process also drew scrutiny. Lady Hallett found that members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) advised against early restrictions in March 2020 due to fears of “behavioural fatigue” among the public. She also noted that SAGE fell into “groupthink,” failing to properly consider dissenting scientific views. The report’s claim that 23,000 lives were lost due to the one-week delay in imposing lockdown was based on modelling by Professor Neil Ferguson, whose earlier projections had been challenged by other epidemiologists for being overly pessimistic.

Beyond public health concerns, the inquiry condemned the Treasury for failing to properly assess the economic fallout, noting the absence of any “meaningful model” to capture the devastating long-term costs. It also criticized the government for producing confusing and sometimes contradictory Covid rules, which undermined public trust and even puzzled police officers tasked with enforcement, leading to “disproportionate fines.” The inquiry also addressed rule-breaking by high-level officials, stating that incidents such as Mr. Cummings’ trip to Barnard Castle and Mr. Hancock’s affair seriously “undermined trust” in the government at a critical time.

Responding to the findings, former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg acknowledged that children had been let down, arguing that once evidence showed the minimal risk Covid posed to young people, they should have been allowed to socialize normally while the vulnerable shielded. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer stressed the importance of “learning the lessons of Covid” to ensure future preparedness.

The inquiry concluded that while the lockdowns “undoubtedly saved lives,” they also “left lasting scars on society and the economy, brought ordinary childhood to a halt, delayed the diagnosis and treatment of other health issues, and exacerbated societal inequalities.” It described Covid-19 as the most momentous event in UK history since the Second World War.