Ireland was ranked the best country in the world for the second month in a row in an index that measures where the Covid-19 pandemic is being dealt with most effectively and with the least amount of social and economic disruption.
The Bloomberg Covid Resilience Ranking is a monthly snapshot of how the pandemic is being handled in the world’s 53 largest economies. It uses 12 data indicators covering containment, health care quality, vaccination coverage, deaths and travel resumption.
Bloomberg said reopenings are «increasing in pace» around the world, with deaths set to drop to their lowest level in nearly a year in October. European countries continued to dominate the highest scores in the index, joined by the United Arab Emirates and Chile.
Bloomberg said Ireland remained No. 1 for the second month in a row, «even as cases rose».
«After fully vaccinating more than 90 percent of adults and weakening the link between infections and deaths, the country is cautiously reopening, allowing bars and restaurants to resume normal business hours for vaccinated customers,» she continued.
“Hospitals are about a quarter of what they were in January. It has also benefited from a jump in GDP thanks to the success of multinational companies operating there, although that may mask a lackluster local economy.”
Bloomberg said the country ranked first due to «one of the best vaccination rates in the world, indications of a rapid economic recovery and the government’s decision to ease domestic restrictions as well as travel quarantine rules.»
However, he also noted that «weekly Covid deaths are in the double digits.»
booster
«Nevertheless, the country has been set ablaze upon reopening before, which led to the premature easing of restrictions late last year which led to an increase in the number of cases,» she added.
“With daily cases currently at the highest level since January, Ireland’s continued success will depend on widespread vaccination that breaks the link between easing restrictions and the spread of the virus. The government will expand the booster injection program for all people over 60 from this month. next».
Spain and the United Arab Emirates came close to Ireland, finishing in the top three. One of the regions hardest hit at the start of the pandemic, Spain saw cases, positive test rates and deaths drop in October after being hit by a delta variable in the summer.
The US moved up two places to 26th place, but «may come under more pressure unless it can re-energize a steady vaccination campaign and surpass Delta’s relatively high death toll.» Meanwhile, the UK slipped 9 places to 25 amid a spike in cases.
Southeast Asian countries continued to rank lowest, with Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines ranking in the bottom six for the third month in a row.
«While outbreaks in the region may have peaked and vaccination progressed, particularly in Malaysia, many of these export-dependent economies are still suffering delta-hit,» Bloomberg said.
«This motivates these countries to chart clearer paths to reopening, although it will take time for them to catch up with Europe and the United States.»
And Bloomberg added that Europe’s success will be «tested» as vaccines face «the first real Covid-19 winter.»
«While pioneering strategies in the region for longer dosing periods and substantially reducing quarantine-free entry for vaccinated people have kept deaths low even as delta spreads, places like the UK, Belgium and Ireland are already seeing an alarming increase in cases,» she said.