Stark new data made the UK government's U-turn on coronavirus inevitable | Jennifer Rohn

There is no one right way to curb a pandemic. But now research has shown 'mitigation' is riskier than tougher measures

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How can you chart the right course through a turbulent and dangerous new sea with no reliable map or GPS? We are all part of the living experiment that is about to find out. After failing to mandate widespread social distancing last week, an approach that went against the grain of the rest of the world and advice from the World Health Organization, the UK government has now started to ease these restrictions in. It is not clear if this was part of the plan of escalation all along, or rather a U-turn precipitated by robust criticism.

Related: New data, new policy: why UK's coronavirus strategy changed