Statsguru: Migrant workers' exit to job crisis, victory over Covid-19 tough

Beyond public health, the second order effects of the Covid-19 spread are now visible: Joblessness is rising, migrants are returning home in India, and macroeconomic fundamentals are deteriorating. 

But what stands out is how a weak economy limits the response.

We see some evidence that early focus on testing and contact tracing helped New Zealand and Australia arrest the spread of the virus, though low population density might have also helped. On the other hand, Brazil and Mexico show high prevalence of deaths and low testing, a sign of risk (chart 1). Testing has been weak in India as well.