The truth about Australia's Covid lockdowns is FINALLY exposed: Damning report slams school closures and politically-driven decisions: 'It was WRONG'

• The review into Australia's Covid response found lockdowns were avoidable
• The 97-page Fault Lines review urged the government to learn from its mistakes
• It noted the shutting of the entire school system was 'wrong'
• Border closures must be 'used sparingly and only in extreme situations' 

By Ben Talintyre For Daily Mail Australia

Australia's Covid response has been slammed for politically-driven health orders and the excessive use of lockdowns, finding they ultimately failed to protect the nation's most vulnerable people,.

A damning independent review by former secretary to the prime minister Peter Shergold urged federal and state governments to learn from their mistakes and overhaul their processes in order to restore trust.

The report, funded by the Paul Ramsay Foundation, John and Myriam Wylie Foundation and Andrew Forrest's Minderoo Foundation, found closing the country's schools was wrong. 

'It was wrong to close entire school systems, particularly once new information indicated that schools were not high-transmission environments,' the review found.

An independent review into Australia's Covid response found actions taken exacerbated existing issues within the country, noting 'overreach' must be avoided in future crises