[stog]

Light at the End of the Tunnela paper from the Global Institute , foreword by Tony Blair, that examines some of the options we have as we head into our second UK/EU lockdown

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Britain, along with virtually every other country on the continent of Europe, is at an absolutely critical juncture in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This paper identifies the vital decisions which need to be taken now.The second wave in terms of cases could be as large or even larger than the first.Britain, like other countries, has taken the decision to go back into lockdown.The essential challenge, which we must meet, is to use November to re-emerge in December with this lockdown being the last.In this paper we suggest that there is a plan involving accelerated deployment of therapeutic drugs and vaccines, mass testing using all available new tests, together with the best data system globally accessible, which would allow us in December to close off resurgence of Covid-19 when we come out of lockdown.At the very least, we raise the questions the government needs urgently to interrogate and answer.The first wave has already had an economic cost roughly three times that of the financial crisis. The consequence of a further round of lockdowns will be devastating.I am optimistic that by the second quarter of next year we will have vaccines and therapeutic drugs which will allow us to manage the disease and return to something like normal.My anxiety is between now and then. We simply can't afford to put our society and economy into severe restrictions for the winter months. The toll in terms of health and the economy will be enormous.

https://institute.global/policy/light-end-tunnel