Radical in the first lockdown, but since the end of 2021, the measures have been looser than in Germany due to the pandemic. Simulation expert Niki Popper sees the biggest problem in communicating strategy.
Numbers don’t lie – but they don’t tell the whole truth during a pandemic. As the testing world champion, Austria has often achieved the highest 7-day incidences in Europe in recent months – the toughest restrictions have been elsewhere, for example in Germany.
Oxford Covid-19 Government Response Tracker Collects Information
The Oxford Covid-19 Government Response Tracker collects information on measures taken by governments to combat Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, coded into 23 indicators. At the end of the tightrope walk between personal freedom and consideration for those at risk, there is a total number that shows how strict the restrictions were in each country.
According to the graph (below), it was a red-white-red middle ground – but in terms of communication it was often a disaster: “The strategy was often not clear, you should tell people more clearly what the purpose of which measures is,” says simulation researcher Niki Popper returns.
Britain is following the “Living with Covid” strategy
The jubilation about the successful first lockdown was followed in the autumn of 2020 by too hesitant measures and more than once the government was too late to curb the increases. The restrictions have eased since February 7, 2021, when Germany again took another route with massive restrictions – while Britain, for example, is following the “Living with Covid” strategy. There have been no restrictions there for weeks and the number of cases is high because positive tests are reported voluntarily.
Two-thirds are against any measure
“England and Sweden are moving in a different direction — but with consistency,” says Popper, who expects the next wave after the summer, for which many will lose immunity to another infection, while remaining intact until severe cures: “Then there is the political question of what the goal is. You will have to choose between stricter measures and living with the virus – a clear strategy is important!”
The situation is difficult for politicians: a third have had enough of the pandemic, for a third certain measures are in place, for the rest it will always be too little. So no decision is suitable for majority.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
