Until Covid-19 uncertainty melts away there's little chance of full economic recovery
by Larry Elliott from on (#55KQZ)
Nations are entering the critical economic phase of the pandemic: how to get consumers spending again
Health considerations were all that mattered in the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. Governments ordered businesses to shut even though they knew activity would fall sharply as a consequence. There was a clear message to the public: stay at home and save lives.
The lockdowns had the desired effect. The number of new cases soon peaked; after a lag, so did the number of deaths. There was a clear pattern. Countries that took the toughest action brought the infection rate down more quickly than those that delayed or imposed less draconian restrictions.
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