29 September Lessons learned from easing COVID-19 restrictions: an analysis of countries and regions in Asia Pacific and Europe
Han E, Jin Tan M, Turk E, Sridhar D, Leung GM, Shibuya K et al.
INTRODUCTION
The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global crisis. Many countries have implemented restrictions on population movement to stop the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and prevent the collapse of health systems; some have applied total or partial restrictions. However, lockdowns and extreme restrictions cannot be sustained long-term in the hope that there will be an effective vaccine or treatment for COVID-19.
Governments around the world now face the common challenge of easing lockdowns and restrictions, while trying to balance various health, social and economic concerns.
To facilitate cross-country learning, this health policy paper uses an adapted framework to examine the approaches taken by nine high-income countries and regions that have begun easing COVID-19 restrictions: five in the Asia Pacific region (Hong Kong [Special Administrative Region], Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea) and four in Europe (Germany, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom).
This comparative analysis presents important lessons to be learned from the experiences of these countries and regions. Although the future of the virus is currently unknown, countries must continue to share their experiences, protect populations who are at risk, and control transmission to save lives.