A+| A| A-
Impact of Covid-19 and What Needs to Be Done
Tackling the Covid-19 outbreak will require political will and decisive actions from the government in terms of ramping up the healthcare infrastructure, ensuring public distribution of essentials to fulfil basic needs, and income transfers to the poor, among others. The government should not constrain such expenditures in view of maintaining the permissible limit of fiscal deficit. A higher fiscal deficit may not be inflationary now, since demand is drastically down.
The spread of Covid-19 has rapidly spun out of control the world over and needs to be tackled urgently. Though the problem is global, there are national specificities that require nuanced approaches. The nations facing the virus outbreak can be grouped under three categories at present. In the first category of countries, like Italy and Spain, the outbreak has now reached an advanced stage. In the second category are nations like the United States (US) and India, where the disease is spreading fast. Populations in these countries are now coming under compulsory lockdown. In the third category are countries like China and South Korea, where it had first spread fast, but now seems to be under control. This category potentially offers the assurance that if nations act decisively, the disease can be brought under control. However, even so, the danger of the disease reasserting itself cannot be eliminated and vigilance becomes necessary.
Recovering Countries
Dear Reader,
Or
To gain instant access to this article (download).
(Readers in India)
(Readers outside India)
