As West races back to travel, 'zero-Covid' economies like Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia face hermit risk
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
Other public health experts believe the zero-Covid approach remains the best bet for countries that have avoided mass death and disease through strict border controls. In a study published in The Lancet last month, European researchers concluded that elimination strategies produced the best outcomes for health, the economy and civil liberties, and warned that "a clear global plan" would be needed to bring the pandemic to an end. "Countries that opt to live with the virus will likely pose a threat to other countries, notably those that have less access to Covid-19 vaccines," the authors said. "The uncertainty of lockdown timing, duration, and severity will stifle economic growth as businesses withhold investments and consumer confidence deteriorates."
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Copyright (c) 2021. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
