Lessons from the data: How can countries avoid a second Covid wave? The Economist Intelligence Unit recently launched an index to rank the quality of the policy response to coronavirus across 21 OECD countries. Countries are assessed against three “quality of response” criteria: number of above-average excess deaths, number of tests, and provision of non-Covid-19 healthcare. Three mitigating criteria adjust scores to take pre-existing risk factors into [...]
Covid-19 creates a perfect storm for debt crises The coronavirus epidemic means that the global economy will experience a severe shock this year. In addition to the human and social impact of the epidemic, output is stalling around the world. Quarantine measures, illness, and negative consumer and business sentiment suppress demand. At the same time, the closure of some factories and disruption to [...]