LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) published minutes from its first meetings on Friday as part of a pledge for transparency around discussions over the government’s guidance on dealing with COVID-19.
SAGE is responsible for providing scientific briefings to government on the pandemic.
The group published 51 documents in all, including evidence and minutes from its first meeting in late January until May 7.
The minutes for more recent meetings were not published as they “still contain sensitive information, with policy advice still under live consideration,” the government said.
Government Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance said that publication of the documents would help build collective understanding around the science of the novel coronavirus.
“Openness and transparency around this disease is a social imperative, which is why it’s important we don’t wait to publish minutes and evidence,” he said.
(Reporting by Alistair Smout; editing by Stephen Addison)
