Here’s the latest news from the global pandemic.
Norway takes the crown
After euphoria in major Western economies as vaccinations spread and cities reopened, July delivered a reality check. As contagious new strains spread, we were reminded once again that the road to recovery won’t be smooth.
Norway now leads a pack of European nations that have leaped ahead in Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking, a monthly snapshot that tracks 53 economies’ performance in Covid containment, quality of healthcare, vaccination coverage, overall mortality and—as of last month—progress toward restarting travel and easing border curbs.
The U.S.’s reign as the No. 1 on the ranking in June was short lived. Its vaccination drive has plateaued and cases, fueled by the delta variant, surged again in July, triggering renewed restrictions in some parts of the country. Still, with deaths remaining a fraction of what they were during previous waves and social as well as business activity largely normalized, it stayed in the top five.
Other Western economies that initially pulled ahead in vaccination and reopening, like the U.K. and Spain, are also facing uncertainty. Both have tumbled in July amid new waves that disrupted summer vacations.
One positive outcome is that the new waves might encourage those holding out to get vaccinated—and the lucky populations in these Western economies are awash in supply.
That’s not a scenario enjoyed by the places at the bottom of the ranking, mainly developing countries struggling with ferocious outbreaks without access to adequate supply of vaccines. In Indonesia, the last of the 53 economies, more than 1,300 people are now dying every day.
Can the developed world ride past this wave of infections while keeping the death toll low? Will developing countries receive the help they need to protect their most vulnerable? Stay tuned for the August Ranking.—Rachel Chang
Track the response
Singapore is aiming for a feat no country has achieved so far: reopen to the world and emerge from the pandemic with a death toll still in the double digits. But the question remains if its leaders will actually take what will be a leap of faith for a nation where even one locally transmitted Covid case makes the front page. Get the full story here.
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Norway Unseats the U.S. as Best Place to Be in Covid - Bloomberg
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