Great Barrington Declaration calls for end to lockdowns, shift to herd immunity

A plea for an immediate return to open restaurants, mass gatherings and working from the office has received the support of nearly 125,000 petition signatories and opposition from critics who denounce it as dangerous and likely deadly. The Great Barrington Declaration was written and signed by three epidemiologists in Great Barrington, Mass. on Sunday. Three dozen other scientists, doctors and academics are listed as co-signatories, with the most prominent being Michael Levitt, who won the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 2013. The declaration lays out the case for global adoption of a 'herd immunity'-style approach to the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that the lockdown-heavy approach is 'producing devastating effects' on public health, including 'lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental health.'