Tracking and comparing government responses to COVID-19

Abstract

This chapter reviews the measures taken by governments to contain the spread of the virus, and the exit strategies they adopted to ease lockdown. Difficulties were encountered in collating precise, reliable and consistent data about the timing of the onset of COVID-19 and its peaks, the speed and intensity with which measures were implemented, and the strictness of their application. Some EU member states made recommendations and issued advice, others introduced restrictive measures progressively, while yet others declared an emergency and imposed a draconian lockdown with penalties for non-compliance. Various combinations of measures were introduced covering the banning of public events, social gatherings, internal and external travel, school and shop closures, and social distancing. Research institutions developed models for assessing the effectiveness of different measures in containing the disease, including a COVID-19 stringency index of government responses and lockdown rollback checklist. The analysis shows how, in many countries, the introduction of restrictive measures was less controversial than decisions about lifting or easing lockdown, as governments, ministers of finance and health grappled with conflicting interests, pressures and advice.